ISRAEL MARTINEZ – The Minutes
01. Borrados
02. Oblique Conjectures
03. Tribonera
04. Lamira
05. Sada
06. Xiriah
07. Bohemia
08. Ojodeagua
09. Tosho
10. Tabula Pacifico
If you appreciate ambient, noise music or just the sound analog machines you should really listen to this album.
ISRAEL MARTINEZ is a Mexican artist, he has earned more than a handful of recognitions for his work in several countries around the world, not only for his music but for visuals as well. He is also one of the co-funders of the Mexican music label Suplex, previously Abolipop, founded eleven years ago, where his first album was edited, titled Exorcizios. His releases are published by Sub Rosa (Brussels), Musica Moderna (Berlin) and Aagoo (New Jersey), who published his last album called The Minutes.
I spoke to ISRAEL MARTINEZ and asked him what his influences were in the making of The Minutes. He states, “the field recordings were done in places that reflect the country’s abandonment, the fear of being in public spaces, that is, the uncertainty that we live in as Mexicans, facing an increment in violence caused by organized crime and government”.
The Minutes starts with a track called Borrados, which means erased, it features a field recording of what could be a park on a sunny day, it has birds chirping, a car alarm going off and a man singing in Spanish. Soon after that, you hear those sounds fading away and being replaced with the sound of flies buzzing around, introducing the listener to a nostalgic and dark environment accompanied by analog machines, to be more precise a Minimoog and a Korg MS2000. In general these elements are what this album is made of. Nostalgia and noise.
ISRAEL MARTINEZ considers that the cover of the album is important for the listener in order to get the perspective that he wants us to get. Furthermore The Minutes is composed by ten tracks and, in my opinion, it should be listened in order due to its sequential transitions from track to track.
Overall, this is a great album that you can focus on and try to figure out your own story. There is plenty of field recording that will make you picture all sorts of spaces. However, if abstract sounds and “beatless” tracks are not your cup of tea it is very likely that you will not like The Minutes.