LA ÚNICA POSICIÓN ES LA OPOSICIÓN

With a defiant title such as "La Única Posición es la Oposición" (Spanish for "The Only Position is Opposition"), the now quintet from Argentina Honduras Libregrupo takes a crucial step forward in their labor of reconstruction of old-fashioned psychedelia for the new millennium. Patently retro in their approach to sound and writing, Honduras Libregrupo still manages to create a sonic envelope that feels refreshing and powerful. There is a je ne sais quoi in their sonic amalgam that keeps them apart from a lot of other retro-oriented more renowned bands existing in today's prog rock scene. The Canterbury factor has been very relevant for this album's repertoire, a factor that had already been influential on them since their earlier days but that had been left in very marginal position in their first release "Volumen 1". Honduras Libregrupo is still a very jam-friendly band with a particular taste for trippy experimentation, but for this album the band has decided to create considerably more room for structured musical ideas. This is also noticeable in the rhythms section, which is working more confidently on jazzy nuances now and then. The Canterbury influence, on the other hand, is served from the more phased facet of the genre: 68-70 Soft Machine, Matching Mole and pre-"You" Gong (which was more decidedly space-rock with jazz-oriented sensibilities). 'Tomando Conciencia del Baile' fills the album's first 6 ½ minutes del disco, recreating the ancient Gong dynamics with added ounces of "Leg End"-era Henry Cow and 60s garage rock. In this way, this track reappears with a very different vivacity than that of its first version from "Volumen 1". 'Botox' is a more concise number, with an enhanced jazzy vibe: the lead guitar (no sax for this one) sounds like a thesis on Hillage. This piece is so appealing that I wouldn't have minded if it had been a bit longer, but at the end of the day it's OK. 'Canción para Osvaldo Bayer' wonderfully reflects the hybrid of space-rock and Canterbury that the band is so eager to experiment with. The retro ambience is patently related to Matching Mole's first album and Gong's "Camembert Electrique" simultaneously, while some syncopated adornments in the track's rhythmic structure pay homage to "Vol. 2"-Soft Machine. The sax solo delivered at minute 5 is simply amazing, which makes you wish it had been a bit longer. The keyboard and drum ornaments delivered right before the coda bring the listener back to Barrett-era Pink Floyd. With a joyful title such as 'Los Deportes' it is no wonder that we are faced with a very high-spirited track 4. It is actually a very complex piece that bears some room for sheer musical weirdness, but the gleeful mood is predominant. 'Los Deportes' reiterates the Gong thing even more deeply than on any of the preceding tracks, while the free-form portions inherit the mind travels reflected on 60s avant-garde jazz. Highlighted instruments for this one are the sax and the drums, but of course, the whole ensemble shines as a well-oiled unit. Most of the time, keyboardsman Nicolás Kodric delivers heavily krautrockish synth layers. 'Segunda Mitad del Día' gets started with a complex section that is managed in a very similar mood to that of the preceding track: then follows a sung section somewhat influenced by "Rock Bottom"-era Wyatt, before the coda briefly reprises the opening motif with enhanced energy. The album's last 12 ¼ minutes are occupied by 'Monocromático para Flora'. This is where the band seems more focused than ever on retaining the space-rock that had been so abundantly predominant in "Volumen 1". This is a very atmospheric number whose nuclear motif sounds like lost jam from the "Ummagumma"/"More" days, with a greater dynamics in the rhythm section. The psychedelic spasms delivered in the Dadaist section (related to early Amon Düül II) anticipate the coda in a most bizarre manner: a very convincing finale, indeed. "La Única Posición es la Oposición" shows us a more confident Honduras Libregrupo, not redifining its musical dirección but enriching it in order to let it grow as an artistic expression without any sort of compromise. This is masterpiece material to my ears.