Review: Alchemist tries for music magic
new album is an ambitious failure
Alchemist Manifesto, the sophomore album of
Adrian Quesada and
Martin Perna, founding members of Grupo Fantasma and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, is a mix of electronica, funk and Afro-Latin jazz, sometimes reminiscent of James Brown and other times with a Santana-like infusion. But most of the album’s songs aren’t distinct enough to stand out on their own and eventually they all just kind of blend together and you forget what track you were listening to. It has moments of brilliance like El Pescador, a song that incorporates soothing sounds of the ocean, South American-style flute-playing and lyrics chanted more than sung. Pescador has a more mainstream appeal than Alchemist Manifesto’s other songs, many of which mix bongo beats with keyboard sounds that come across as New-Agey. Some songs have potential but they end abruptly, almost as if someone just grabbed the volume and forcefully dialed down. Quesada and Perna should be applauded for taking a risk, but there’s no other way to say it –
Alchemist Manifesto is a letdown.
To try the album out for yourself,
visit the websiteAlchemist ManifestoOcote Soul Sounds
ESL Music
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