Break on through…
Released by Svart Records on 23 February 2018 and reviewed by Jason Guest
Mal-dí-tos: the collective singular, from the Spanish word maldito, or androgynous, plural, Malditus. Got it? Yes? Into the dark zone of the psychedelic desert we go. II is esoterica in all its glory, tablas tap-tap-tapping, spiritual melodies, synth-heavy layers, and bass lines that wind and weave their way through the rich textures and kaleidoscopic atmospherics.
There’s an enchanting aura about this record, one that’s difficult to escape. While opener ‘Azadeh’ is seductively exotic, the mysterious air of ‘Le Passage’ is somehow magical, the French lyrics (at least for those of us who don’t speak the language) enhancing the numinous ambience with their poetic beauty. When the track shifts into darker space, the supernatural aspect deepens in readiness for the gently pulsating and ominous ‘Disparu’. ‘Momen’ moves slowly and surely, its head low, its snake-like body shifting through the ether and into the revealing wonders that lie in wait in closer ‘Le Reve’.
The composition, the melodies, the production and the instrumentation have long been laboured over to create an aural experience that is enchanting, hypnotic, mesmerising and one that lingers long after the last track has finished. And where does that leave us but ready to press play again and break on through…
Track list:
- Azadeh
- Le Passage
- Disparu
- Momen
- Le Reve
