Nilsonsoma – Feuersee
There are many professional drummers who choose to use some kind of drum machine and processed beats when assembling their charts. There are numerous well-established, highly technical guitar players who like to make electronic music using samples,and pre-arranged patterns and getting the computers to replace them, having to bend strings in tune.
Why? Usually, it’s not because computers are, in fact, better or even more reliable at making music. It’s because once a computer has been given an instruction, it doesn’t stray. The human mind, on the other hand, restlessly driven by its imagination, will always look for ways to improve a piece of music. The drummer and the guitar player may get bored and try to add a fill or a note to make the part better. Not a computer.
The instrumental parts of Nilsonsoma’s “Feuersee” are absolutely relentless, a deluge of programmed musical elements that charge at you, always in the same symmetrical pattern. When out together, they create an electro-symphony that is beautifully devoid of the human touch. The excellent orchestration benefits from the equally detached vocals, which recall classic gothic-rock. “Feuersee” is built off of a great vintage sound to it, and a compelling dialogue between man and machine.
César Maltrago – Lo Pagano
Some of the greatest living poets believe in their eventual martyrdom. They do so much work convincing themselves that life is just an enemy that they must do war against that they stop living the moment that they write their first great poem. From then onwards, their path is clear. They write they hate, and they expect the world to look in awe of their deeds.
That’s quite a shame and one of the principal reasons why there are few famous modern poets. Sure, it’s hard to imagine another Gordon Byron writing an epic poem that achieves massive global appeal. Yes, it’s even harder to imagine modern sonnets being recited on the radio during rush hour. But great poets have a duty to get themselves heard.
César Maltrago is, indeed, a modern poet and an ambitious one at that. The Spanish writer uses dark, mysterious music to get his words heard. “Lo Pagano” is inspired by gothic rock, may arrive in your living rooms circa the Halloween season and benefits from Maltrago’s excellent commanding vocals. The words are partly sung and partly recited. As for the song, it shares a connection not just with old literary works, but with Spain’s modern pop-rock, a sound that appeals to millions. Some poets demand to be heard and that’s something which is good for all of us.
