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Reviews

Greco Bastián — Naked Zeuhlito Lindo
(Bandcamp no#, 2022, DL)

Greco Bastián — With a Little Hell from My Friends
(Bandcamp no#, 2022, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2023-07-19

Naked Zeuhlito Lindo Cover artWith a Little Hell from My Friends Cover art

Greco Bastián is a composer from Mexico City, one who plays no instruments. How does that work, you might ask? His Bandcamp page explains: “I'm just a man lost in music. I cannot play any instrument, but I know how it must be played, so I compose some tunes and some dear friends help me in order to make it sound as it has to be…” The two releases at hand include With a Little Hell from My Friends, a series of nine complete pieces with all of the arrangements fleshed out, and Naked Zeuhlito Lindo, something of a demonstration piece five and a half minutes in length, repeated a number of times with different parts of the arrangements intact, though none include the complete arrangement, which exists on the full album; hearing the various parts of the arrangement taking shape gives some valuable insight into how his compositions and arrangements come to fruition. So each piece begins with Bastián’s programming on VST effects, and as one might expect from one who is not a musician, some of these pieces are pretty insane and nearly impossible to perform, though Bastián has searched the world for musicians who  are willing to take on the challenge. The guest list includes Tatsuya Yoshida (drums on two tracks), Matt Lebofsky (of Mirthkon, Secret Chiefs 3, MoeTar, and others, bass on three cuts), Jean-Luc Plouvier (prepared piano on one track), Patrick Shiroishi (Corima and numerous others, saxophone on one track), Ryoko Ono (saxophone on another), Pierre Vervloesem (electric guitar on one cut), Emmett Elvin (Guapo and others, bass and guitar on two tracks), Vincent Sicot-Vantalon (piano and keyboard effects on one number), and Samo Salamon (guitar solo on one). In addition there are a number of regulars playing drums, bass, guitars, and xylophone on all of the remaining pieces. The result of all this is some fine and absolutely crazy music seemingly from some other universe, nothing quite like it. Due to the compositions’ programmed origins one might occasionally be reminded of Frank Zappa’s Jazz from Hell, though here the arrangements are more fully fleshed out. Needless to say, it will be interesting where Bastián goes with this next — though any fan of progressive rock, especially with avant-garde leanings, should find plenty here to get excited about. 

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Tatsuya Yoshida, Pierre Vervloesem, Ryoko Ono / Ryorchestra, Greco Bastián

More info
http://grecobastian.bandcamp.com/album/with-a-little-hell-from-my-friends

 

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