Reviews 134: Marcelo Antonio
Thanks to Futuribile Record Club and those mystics of the jungle, the stunning synth-pop magic of Marcelo Antonio Galleguillos Torres is now available to the world in the form of the JKRNDA 7”. There isn’t much information out there about Marcelo, other than him residing in Valparaiso, Chile and references in the liner notes to MIDI instruments, a Telecaster, and a cassette called JKRNDA - Misceláneo from which the two tracks on the 7” were sourced. But what’s clear is that Marcelo is master of romantic balearic pop, crafting these timeless pearls of seaside heartache and paradise sound using new age synths, laid back grooves, shimmering guitars, and his heavenly voice that reaches into the depths of the soul.
Marcelo Antonio - JKRNDA (Futuribile Record Club, 2018) “Suspensión” has a short but immersive introduction, with soaring classical strings hovering above soft funk bass and twilit guitar soloing. When the beat rushes in, it is dominated by jazz leaning cymbals, a sparse kick, and snare occasionally blasted through outerspace fx, while massive and throbbing bass synths pulsate below starshine chimes and synthetic flutes evoking a romantic walk through some dreamy seaside forest. Marcelo’s voice is so affecting, at times reaching young MJ territory when he hits those transcendent highs, and after we sweep dramatically upwards into a perfect chorus awash in cinematic orchestration, the multi-tracked vocals coalesce into a wall of ocean blue wonder, with Marcelo’s euphoric rushes and lyrical cascades seeking out the heart and lifting it towards a sunshine island far up in the clouds. And at some point, while celestial strings dart around sexy six-string funk riffs, a vibed out blues solo erupts, adding a touch of anthemic Floydian psychedelia to Marcelo’s transportive fantasy pop.
“Males de Otra Lugar” has yet to release me from its spell and is one of my favorite tracks all year. Smeared out new age vocal pads overlay lusciously lofi downbeat drums and blasting electro-claps, while high pitched organs waver like a warm sea breeze and synthetic marimbas bounce towards a sunset horizon of unspeakable beauty. Marcelo’s vocals are perfect yet again, backed by a dreamworld tapestry of glockenspiels, harps, and pianos and tugging even harder at the heartstrings here with their enigmatic tales of love. And his singing is deeper, more sensual perhaps, with layered harmonies of intense yearning blending into ghostly synthetic angel choirs that drift through the mix like a feverish fog. As well, the track forgoes a traditional chorus in favor of these exotic instrumental sections with sprightly mallet instruments dancing atop washed out guitar riffs, all over some downer balearic funk. It’s like surfing over infinite aquamarine waves towards an unreachable paradise, with sunlight flowing down in the form of glowing crystals and synth-pop stardust swirling all around.
(images from my personal copy)