Soundbites gone mad.
Magia Potagia is
Evol's first large-distribution release, after a respectable slew of compilation tracks and limited-edition CD-Rs. The duo from Barcelona embodies Mego's mission to push digital noise where no computer has gone before. Imagine algorithms scattering pizzicato tones all over the stereo spectrum, following a complex logic that orders chaos in an undetectable way.
Magia Potagia consists of three long pieces. "Punani Potagia" is the longest, the most recent, and the most eventful of them. Here, Roc Jiménez de Cisneros and Anna Ramos are using frequency modulation and strange attractors to generate a rich, dense, surprise-filled multi-voiced cantata for computer. The 29-minute piece takes the form of a suite, each section sounding more complex than the previous one. It's a dizzying, exhausting work, but it has its rewards, particularly in its uncanny humor and typical Mego-esque lightness in geekiness (watch for an unexpected quote from "La Cucaracha"). "Pus Pus Pus" and "Walpurgis" (respectively 19 and 17 minutes long) belong to an earlier series of stochastic generative works. They saturate the sound field with scattered soundbites, orchestrating them on a microscopic level while the overall sound and structure of each piece remains static and monolithic. In form, these pieces are closer to harsh noise, but they lack the disemboweling rawness that usually attracts harsh noise listeners. In short, they are interesting exercises, but have little chance to grow on you (although "Walpurgis" does introduce some variety through a number of sound palette changes). As a result,
Magia Potagia is a mixed bag that should be approached with caution. ~ François Couture