EP Review | DDLO Deliver Fusion Delights On Suenas de Luna y Mar
Many fusion subgenres live and die over short periods and are often reflected on as obscure eccentricities of the era – ‘spiritual jazz’ via Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders being a prime example. Conversely, Latin jazz remains one of the most successful fusion genres to emerge following the swing era. It’s essentially a blend of bop style jazz with Latin percussion, in all its rhythmic complexity.
Descargas de la Onda, DDLO, are a shining example of its ongoing relevance in 2018 with their new release, Suenas de Luna y Mar. The EP presents four unique pieces filled with character, compositional flair, and excellent musicianship.
‘El Dia Que Llego El Payaso’ is easily the slickest track on the EP. All the quintessential ingredients for Latin music are mixed with complementary modern aspects from other types of fusion. Fingerstyle acoustics, lively percussion, and choral chants (en Espanol) are back-to-back with trippy, Santana-esque electric lead lines, while brass solos fill out the remainder. All the lead work here is a joy to listen to; the whining trumpets act as the perfect melodic motif carried over the bouncy rhythms.
The EP closer is a more melancholic number in the traditional lineage of Latin American and Spanish guitar work. Supporting the tearful fingerstyle lines is a heavily-reverberated set of pan pipes, drafting a vital side of the Latin musical tapestry.
The vibe takes a turn into the mysterious and even bizarre on ‘El Pulpo y la Luna’, with wonky, Beefheart-esque clarinet lines parading in turns with slippery slide guitar lines and floating organ arpeggios. The intro itself is dripping in eerie atmospheres as a dissonant, psychedelic guitar melody sits on top of percussion flourishes and dead air. As the rhythm takes form, the piece becomes more of a paced journey into further confusion rather than the ominous static nature of the opening. All of the above sounds like it just shouldn’t work, yet somehow the formula defies logic and is curiously addictive, start to finish.
If Rodrigo y Gabriela or Buena Vista Social Club have ever been on your playlist, DDLO is an essential listen.
5/5
