TYCHOZORENTE

If there's one thing anyone can say about Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, it's that he's not afraid of experimentation and doesn't shy away from tackling a new genre. His discography shows him dabbling in music similar to The Mars Volta while also trekking to jazz, pop, avant-garde music, and, in this case, electronic music. But tackling doesn't mean touchdown. This album certainly has some nice moments, but they are few and far between. The excellent vocals from Ximena Sarinana Rivera are wasted on this album, and that's the real shame. Had these stellar melodies been brought into heavy progressive rock or even acoustic territory, Tychozorente would have been a fine collection of songs. Instead, Rodriguez-Lopez leaves listeners with bland, pulsing electronic rhythms littered with his usual sputtering noises and effects. Perhaps as a challenge to himself, he has no guitar presence at all here.

"Los Siete Sermones a los Muertos" This is an unusual step for The Mars Volta conductor. While the bizarre effects and noises are certainly present, this is an electronic dance song with charming and hypnotic female vocals.

"Polaridad" Somewhat atonal percussive tones lead into a straightforward beat and further beautiful singing.

"La Paradoja Divina" The second track segues into this haunting mess of bass, percussion, spoken word, and choral Mellotron.

"Contra Suspiros" This is like the second part of the previous track, with nothing that distinguishes it from what came before.

"El Todo" The vocal melody and the performance of it are brilliant, but the backing music is too minimalistic and doesn't fit what's going on there. This could have made a remarkable heavy progressive rock song rather than the thin, experimental electronic business it is.

"Piedras y Ansiedad" Various weak tones work over a simplistic drum and bass beat before the vocals enter. Even more so than the previous the track, the backing music is incompatible with the vocals, and it's busy and empty at the same time.

"El Ritual Como Fin en Si Mismo" More tinny noises and spoken word make up this brief track. It has some interesting tones and bass involved, but nothing else.

"Consecuencias" And again, the previous track melds right into this one without anything really being different- just an extension of what came immediately before with a different title.