EP REVIEW
Adolfo Garcia - Reminisce
San Antonio, United States
Adolfo Garcia sent us his latest project to review. Having started to record his music in 2020 and producing all the tracks himself I was really impressed by the quality and intricacy of his recordings. This project named 'Reminisce' is a four-track EP with a lot of chill to its name. Taking influence from a list of artists including Sting, Seji Igusa, Bibio, Tycho, Alan Gogell, Ethan Hibbs this project sparked an interest in me straight away and I was looking forward to hearing some of those influences making their way into Adolfo Garcia's work. Track 1 titled 'REMINISCE' opens with a guitar loop that initially sounds like the emergency services the guitar suddenly keeps to the same plucked nature but somehow meets the world of Spanish guitar. I'm extremely impressed by the skill of the guitar playing, the layering of the different parts, and the way that the bell synths take you on a journey through space. I could listen to this track all day. Track 2 'TRAVERSE' keeps to the lo-fi sound that we were given at the opening of this project. The way that these pieces incorporate guitar and bell synths is completely hypnotic! The sweet shaker drum programming really does the trick when combined with the other elements of this composition. One thing I would say is that there's potential for so much more to be done in this track maybe strip back to just the guitar during intervals to break down the space of the track? Then you'd really hear the value of the other stems when they come back into the mix. I love the whole feel of this project. 'LAMENT' really enhances the acoustics and culture found in Spanish guitar playing. I know exactly where the feel of this style of playing comes from in this piece I can feel the power of the pure love that this musician has for his instrument. The last track of this EP is called 'SEASIDE' - this is a track that keeps to the same tone as the rest of the EP but offers something a lot more experimental through the use of off beats and chord structures that don't seem to piece together in a way that flows. Having said that, it somehow works. You get pulled into a world of pure imagination. This is an artist who knows their own sound and gets very lost in the things that are created. This project would go down well if you are looking for something relaxing packed with intricate guitar playing or need some background during studying sessions. Great project, skillfully put together with a whole universe of feeling.