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Permafrost

by Híbrida, Nen i Cavall

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1.
Mascota 03:41
2.
Guerripau 04:31
3.
4.
Ladybee 03:47
5.
6.
7.
8.
Caramelles 05:18
9.
Llum de gas 03:45

about

Híbrida, Nen i Cavall, like their name (which translates as ‘Hybrid, Boy and Horse’), play with mystery. Although there are some tangible facts, such as it being a band formed by Martí, sound artist, university lecturer, collaborator with Maria Coma and builder of impossible musical instruments; Marc, the man behind Telenoika collective and Koulomek; and his brother Aleix, a filmmaker who has shot videos for Prefuse73 and is HNiC’s sui generis vocalist. Other tangible facts are how they have been one of the jewels of the local underground scene for years, that they have captained that indescribably bizarre label called Hamster Loco (with 46 releases, and which include literally priceless pieces such as a single copy of a tribute to Mira Calix delivered by hand and with an unknown tracklist …) and that their debut on spa.RK is the label’s 25th reference and is called Permafrost, a title they have borrowed from geology and which represents the idea of something frozen in time, like music being recorded for eternal keeping.

The rest belongs to the intangible terrain: how impalpable their music is and how hard it is to accurately identify some of their sounds (is it a synth? is it a gamelan?) and how it all results in an absolutely personal discourse, in which mental images and the music go hand in hand. A la David Lynch, the owls are not what they seem. Not even they can tell us whether HNiC is a band in the true sense of the word: they turn sophisticated and get defensive, in a “we are a creative cell” way. Lounge-shoegazing, space-gaze, noise, drone, landscapism electronica, experimental psychedelia, alien post-rock, ambient indie, with vocals both in Catalan and a made-up language.

Going back to the tangible, the album contains images taken from J.G. Ballard universe, atmospheres from science-fiction holiday resorts, imaginary geography, old’n’dark 4AD records, notes by Scott Walker, Mark Hollis and Viny Reilly, echoes of Boards of Canada, and questions that get our heartstrings fluttering: does that harmonic complexity have a Deerhoof ring to it? Are they devoted pupils of My Bloody Valentine? In “Salten les alarmes”, does that voice echo a technopop melody by Yellow Magic Orchestra?

Kaleidoscopic and hypnotic, Permafrost hides behind a dark but deliberate coldness that brims with passion. A project that produces more questions than answers and that needs to be explored without following any route-maps.


********

Híbrida, Nen i Cavall, al igual que su nombre, juegan al misterio. Aunque hay algunos hechos tangibles, como que es un grupo formado por Martí, artista sonoro, docente universitario, colaborador de Maria Coma y constructor de instrumentos musicales imposibles; Marc, hombre detrás de Telenoika y Koulomek; y su hermano Aleix, cineasta, que ha dirigido clips para Prefuse73 o 12Twelve y cantante sui generis de HNiC. Otros hechos tangibles son que durante años han sido una de las joyas del underground local, que han capitaneado ese sello indescriptiblemente bizarro llamado Hamster Loco (con 46 referencias, y que incluye piezas literalmente impagables como una única copia de un tributo a Mira Calix entregado en mano y con tracklist desconocido…) y que su debut en spa.RK es la referencia número 25 del sello y se llama Permafrost, título que toman prestado a la geología y que representa la idea de algo congelado en el tiempo, como la música grabada, fijada permanentemente.

Lo demás queda en el terreno de lo intangible: lo inasible de su música y la dificultad para etiquetar estrechamente unos sonidos (¿es un sinte? ¿es un gamelán?) para llegar a un discurso absolutamente personal, en el que las imágenes mentales y la música van de la mano. A lo David Lynch, las lechuzas no son lo que parecen. Ni ellos mismos pueden describir si HNiC son una banda en el verdadero sentido de la palabra: se ponen sofisticados y a la defensiva, en plan “somos una célula creativa”. Shoegaze de salón, space-gaze, noise, drone, electrónica paisajista, psicodelia experimental, post-rock extraterrestre, indie ambient, con voces que sueñan en catalán o en un idioma inventado. Además su directo refuerza la carga abstracta e hipnótica de su música, con una puesta en escena contundente y unos visuales precisos.

Volvamos a lo tangible: el disco que nos ocupa. Citas a J.G. Ballard, resorts vacacionales de ciencia ficción, geografía imaginaria, oscuros discos en 4AD, apuntes de Scott Walker, Mark Hollis o Viny Reilly y ecos a lo Boards of Canada, cuestiones que disparan a nuestro corazón: esa complejidad armónica, ¿no es muy Deerhoof? Eso que suena tan My Bloody Valentine, ¿se habrán dado un atracón de shoegazing? En “Salten les alarmes”, ¿no os parece que Aleix canta una melodía muy tecnopop, muy Yellow Magic Orchestra?

Caleidoscópico e hipnótico, Permafrost esconde detrás de una pretendida y oscura frialdad, una pasión desbordante. Un trabajo que plantea más interrogantes que respuestas y en el que conviene adentrarse sin mapas de ruta preestablecidos.

credits

released April 22, 2013

All sounds by Híbrida, Nen i Cavall
spa.RK 2013

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about

spa.RK Barcelona

Barcelona electronica label since 2001. Artists: bRUNA, Fibla, .tape., Luap, Bradien, Arbol, Wooky, Híbrida Nen i Cavall, Eedl, Rec_Overflow, Zooey

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