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Bizirik — Ceremonia II
(Mylodon CD123, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-10-25

Ceremonia II Cover art

Bizirik is the mostly-instrumental project of Chilean multi-instrumentalist Cristián Larrondo, who at one time was the bassist and Stick player for the group Mar de Robles, a band that seems to have called it a day around 2008 following their second album Indígena. Since that time Larrondo has soldiered onward beginning in 2018 with four full length releases (Ceremonia II is the fourth), one EP, and a number of singles. On Ceremonia II there are some spoken voices on a couple of the tracks (actually it sounds more like talk radio playing low level in the background on “Asunto de Drogas”), hence ‘mostly-instrumental,’ though the eleven tracks at hand, with a few exceptions, are all driven by an aggressive and complex rock undercurrent that pretty much eschews classification, and is presumably the follow-up to 2019’s Ceremonia, which at that time we reviewed here in Exposé. In addition to Larrondo, who composed all of the pieces (sometimes in collaboration with other players) and played Chapman Stick, fretless bass, synthesizer, and drum sequencing, there are a number of different guests, track depending, contributing whatever is required including five different guitarists, including one who  doubles on guittarón Chileno, two different drummers and a percussionist, flute, additional Stick, and our good friend Ramses Luna (Luz de Riada) is on hand to contribute EWI the opening track “Matadero Imperial.” With “Generación Experimental,” Larrondo and Tomás Diaz offer a beautiful duet of Chapman Sticks and no other instruments. On the aforementioned “Asunto de Drogas” and the lengthy “Reclusión Domiciliaria,” Larrondo does essentially a solo workout, the latter using synthesizers, sequencer, and Chapman Stick. On the all-too-short “Vagabundo Otero” Larrondo plays fretless bass alongside some very interesting percussive sounds by Juan Gronemeyer. There’s a lot of very cool interludes like that, but when these guys rock the results are most unique, brilliant, and tasty, as on “Concilio Concertado” and the closing title track. Fans of King Crimson and Stick Men may do well to check this one out — the results are thoroughly magical.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Bizirik (Cristián Larrondo)

More info
http://bizirik.bandcamp.com/album/ceremonia-ii

 

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