ANIMAL EN EXTINCIÓN

FULANO were a six piece out of Chile who released four studio albums between 1987 and 1997. Then tragedy struck as keyboardist Jaime Vivanco passed early in 2003 at the age of 43. Some of the band members continued, but under a new name out of respect for Jaime calling themselves MEDIABANDA, which was actually the name of Vivanco's first band. This was a younger band though, with mostly different members. So it was surprising indeed to hear about this new album by FULANO in 2015. They would disband for good after this record was recorded, but with only 2 of the 6 members from their last studio album being on here including a new vocalist, this just isn't the same band.

They also have tried some new things here that I don't feel work very well. I feel the 40 minute album ends well with those last three tracks including my favourite "Jaco Dance", but it's not enough to save this one. They still have that trademark bombastic and energetic sound here but I'm not sure why they felt the need to release a new album under FULANO some 18 years after the last one. I much prefer the MEDIABANDA records to this one, in fact "Bombas En El Aire" from 2017 is on my "best of" Jazz and related list.

So a good album for sure but that 1997 album would have been the better way to close the chapter on this great band.

P.S. It was fun thinking back to June of 2008 when I spent the first three weeks of that month getting to know FULANO. Complex, high energy Avant Jazz for the most part with Arlette on vocals who has no restraint whatsoever. She has such a confidence in her voice that she is unbridled. It would be three years before I got to that fourth album. The new singer here is very good but not as good as Arlette or Regina from MEDIABANDA in my opinion.