Artist: Mahogany FrogAlbum: Senna
Year: 2012
Label: Moonjune
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Thoughts: I always receive the MoonJune Records new releases to review, I basically have all their catalogue. But I don’t review all of them. Why? You may ask me. The answer is simple, most of the label’s catalogue comes from Jazz Fusion side and I just can’t stand this genre. To my ears they’ll always be instrumentists that learn how to play their instruments very well in the technical side, but can’t write a good tune. These albums usually sounds like a band that enter in the studio and play whatever they want for a couple of hours and then edit 50 minutes of music. Not my cup of tea at all. Sometimes I choose not to review because I don’t want simply bash other peoples work, I don’t do that. But I’m pretty sure most of their catalogue is high grade for the Jazz Fusion lovers.
Saying that, I could basically do the same with Mahogany Frog. But no, I’ll not. Since their previous album, the great DO5 (1998) I was waiting for their next one, it was such a great album that I could see the next one being great as well. This band isn’t about the Jazz Fusion, they’re about experimentations. But wait a bit, when I say experimentations I’m not talking about 60 minutes of noise with no sense, no melodies and no music, no I’m not. This guys from Canada know how to mix perfectly their instrumental music without being boring. Thoughts: I always receive the MoonJune Records new releases to review, I basically have all their catalogue. But I don’t review all of them. Why? You may ask me. The answer is simple, most of the label’s catalogue comes from Jazz Fusion side and I just can’t stand this genre. To my ears they’ll always be instrumentists that learn how to play their instruments very well in the technical side, but can’t write a good tune. These albums usually sounds like a band that enter in the studio and play whatever they want for a couple of hours and then edit 50 minutes of music. Not my cup of tea at all. Sometimes I choose not to review because I don’t want simply bash other peoples work, I don’t do that. But I’m pretty sure most of their catalogue is high grade for the Jazz Fusion lovers. Saying that, I could basically do the same with Mahogany Frog But no, I’ll not. Since their previous album, the great DO5 (1998) I was waiting for their next one, it was such a great album that I could see the next one being great as well. This band isn’t about the Jazz Fusion, they’re about experimentations. But wait a bit, when I say experimentations I’m not talking about 60 minutes of noise with no sense, no melodies and no music, no I’m not. This guys from Canada know how to mix perfectly their instrumental music without being boring.
I’m talking about Progressive Rock, Experimental Rock and just enough Post-Rock to make it interesting. And they mix it all with melodies, even when the synths take over their music it’s not just noise, is musical noise, and that my friends is what makes them interesting. For example, when the synth mimic a F1 car, to pay tribute to the great Ayrton Senna (which is obvious when you look to the name of the album).
Senna (2012) is not just a great example of how to be different and experiment in music, but it’s also a great example of how to do experimental music and instrumental music with melody and interesting sounds/passages, even when electronic music comes in here and there they make it in a interesting way.
Unfortunatelly the album comes in a cheap and uninteresting Cardoard Sleeve in Gatefold format with little information about the content, but the music, oh the music. Worth, every second.
Tracklist:1. Houndstooth Part 1 (4:04) / 2. Houndstooth Part 2 (5:29) / 3. Expo ’67 (5:04) / 4. Flossing With Buddha (4:35) / 5. Message From Uncle Stan: Grey Shirt (8:29) / 6. Message from Uncle Stan: Green House (3:49) / 7. Saffron Myst (4:02) / 8. Aqua Love Ice Cream Delivery Service (7:46)
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