Beams of psychedelic light emanate from the north of Lima,
Peru. These radiant streams are peppered
with global ornamentation. The post-blues
wafting of Spacemen 3, the alien electricity of Autechre, the washed-out haze
of Enya and the chiaroscuro patterns of The Cure. The source of this luminosity is a single
human: Wilder Gonzales Agreda. The
musician and curator of the Superspace Records imprint has been producing a
timeless psychedelia for what seems like forever, nearly in a vacuum outside of
his home country.
His latest missive, Violahorizontes
is a unique endeavor in that it features only three new tracks, with the other six
tunes being remixes courtesy of a host of unique collaborators from around the globe. Ian Masters of Pale Saints fame appears (as
Friendly Scientist), as do Peruvian ex-pat Takeshi Muto, Dutch experimental
guitarist Lukas Simonis and New Zealander Sam Hamilton.
With the three originals, Agreda demonstrates his extended
tenure in sound production, offering a variety of experimental modes. “¡Estoy Vivo CSM!” is a Jackson Pollock-esque
spattering of synthetic glee, with layers of molten sound gurgling and chirping
over a sub-bass thump. The atmosphere is
significantly more relaxed on “Mensajes Tántricos”, with its loping rhythm and
thunderstorm samples. Eventually,
garbled messages are beamed in from the stratosphere to spice up the
proceedings. “Surrounded By Social
Climbers / Feeling Much Better Alone” is a unique beast of a track, kicking
things off with a warm drone which is quickly overrun by a bizarre series of
miniaturized explosions. Disembodied
radio transmissions argue with a very bold synth sequence until a collapsing
carousel and its broken calliope lead us to an uncertain conclusion.
One would be remiss not to mention the remixes, which offer
a variety of takes on Agreda’s signature brand of psychedelia. There are groovy moments (Takeshi Muto,
Friendly Scientist), noisy moments (Lukas Simonis, j̶o̶z̶e̶f̶a̶l̶e̶k̶s̶a̶n̶d̶e̶r̶p̶e̶dr̶o,
DJ Miami) and moments of bliss (Sam Hamilton).
Each is worth investigating in its own right, whether you’re up for a head
bobbing or a head boggling good time.
Violahorizontes is
available in digital format via the Superspace Records Bandcamp, so tune in and
prepare to be energized by these effervescent emanations.