The British band
Guapo has previously recorded and performed as a duo -- Matt Thompson on bass, Dave Smith on drums -- with various guest artists summoned when the need arose to flesh out their sound. More recently, keyboardist
Daniel O'Sullivan has been a third group member, and his continued presence on several recent recordings suggests that
Guapo may have evolved into a working trio. One of
Guapo's dominant early influences was the French group
Magma, with its aggressive synthesis of jazz and prog rock. (A 1998
Guapo EP, Guapo vs. Magma, both emulates and deconstructs the
Magma sound.)
Guapo's penchant for sonic hijinks has often propelled them into the more experimental stylistic territory of cut 'n' paste audio collage, improv noise metal, and/or claustrophobic, demon-spawn dronescapes. However, on this relatively civilized and even arguably retro CD, Thompson respectfully captures the heavy so-called Zeuhl-style bass of
Magma and its derivatives, while Smith's high-energy drumming straddles the line between jazz and rock in the manner of celebrated
Magma drummer and leader
Christian Vander. Thompson also switches to howling space guitar on occasion, and he and
O'Sullivan use electronics to give certain pieces a sci-fi quality that might evoke memories of vintage
Hawkwind for some graying listeners. The title piece, in five sections, occupies almost the first 47 minutes of the recording, and its aura of brooding melancholy might also turn the listener's mind to thoughts of early
King Crimson or perhaps
Univers Zero, as well as
Magma.
O'Sullivan's keyboard arsenal includes everything from Mellotron and organ to Fender Rhodes electric piano, and while his heavy block chords help to create the thick, ominous textures that dominate this CD, his more delicate use of the electric piano on the last piece, "Topan," introduces a lighter, jazzier feel. Not an experimental CD by any stretch of the imagination, this is nonetheless a solid piece of work. ~ Bill Tilland