For the best past of 15 years Fer Franco has been a fearless musician. He’s played in bands, been part of avant-garde touring ensembles and played around with dance music and wonky keyboards. Now, he’s returned with a new compelling album ‘Ritos de Paso’ (translation: Rights of Passage) that looks set to define his next decade and a half.
Woozy sounds kick everything off. Then huge, euphoric synths kick in with a repetitive static beat. It’s retro and super fun. A bassline and guitar come in and we’re off to the races. It brings to mind the hijinks in a John Hughes film from the 80s. People are running around, being chased by an authority figure but still goofing off. It’s a delight. There is a disjointed guitar – or is that violin? – solo that wouldn’t be out of place on an avant-garde release. When coupled with the upbeat backing track it sounds super fun and upbeat.
‘Asumir Forma’ has a stomping 4/4 beat, dirty synths and a massive bassline. This feels like small room techno played at maximum volume. It obeys the rules of techno, but Franco is playing with conventions to create something playful and devastating. ‘Eliminar Lo Innescesario’ is the polar opposite of the previous track. No beats, or basslines. Everything has the consistency of gas. You can see it in-front of you, but you can’t physically touch it. All the melodies here are filagree and ethereal; just when you think you have a handle on what its about, it slightly changes, and the outlines are lost again.
OK, full disclosure. From the off ‘Ritos de Paso’ is a load of fun – there are loads of massive hooks and bombastic rhythms. What is the most remarkable thing is how cohesive it is. There are stark synths – think Stranger Things – plangent guitars, experimental motifs and crashing drumbeats. It’s all knitted together to form a patchwork quilt of Franco’s loves. The collaborations with Mabe Fratti, Alex Hentze, Hector Tosta and Gary Burton are sublime. Each bring something different, but the sound is unmistakably Franco. Where the album is let down is that sometimes the ideas could be left to play a bit long before moving onto the next part of the song, but this is nitpicking. Overall ‘Ritos de Paso’ is exactly what you need on a gloomy February. It’s an audio pick-me-up. Think of it like a musical version of a shot of ginger after breakfast. One go after breakfast, and you are set for the rest of the day.
7/10
Words: Nick Roseblade
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