“Alone Together #6” reads the sleeve of this, the final entry in the first series of 7-inch records put together by the intriguing and young L.A.-based label Emerald Cocoon. Each of these little slabs of wax comes packaged in some nice, consistently-themed artwork and features the words “Mastered by Pete Swanson” on them, attributes which make for an easy sell in their own right. But the music, of course, has been the real strength of these, so far including contributions from Christina Carter, Ashley Paul, Yek Koo, MHFS, and Pete Swanson. The latest entry comes via guitar/synth-swirler Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and was delayed a bit due to test pressing issues. But now that the discs have been received and are ready for shipment, there’s no better time than the present to visit the amazing video companion for “Faceless Kiss” right here on the Chocolate Grinder.
With psychedelic colors softly exploding from the serene scenery in Sabrina Ratté’s beautiful visuals, this is yet another nice example of the classic reach for that perfect synthesis of organic and electronic elements. If “Faceless Kiss” stands apart for a particular reason, it’s because of sheer volume. And I don’t even necessarily mean “loudness” here (although full-crankage seems to be the way to do this thing) as much as I do, you know, volume, as in the way JCL’s ocean of distorted bliss is such a fully immersive and all-enveloping experience. This is also the first “Alone Together” 7-inch I’ve heard in the series that has a really tangible pop connection, with its gliding melodies acting as the focal point while the ambient underbelly balloons the track out to sky-splitting potential, opening up to the heavens and beyond.
• Jefre Cantu-Ledesma: http://www.shiningskull.org
• Emerald Cocoon: http://www.emeraldcocoon.com
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