I'm a big fan of Explosions in the Sky. I love the bombast, I love the epic-ness, and I love getting carried away by it. If you've read anything about the band, it probably only took until the second sentence before you saw the word "cinematic." However, once their music was actually used in Friday Night Lights, I couldn't help but think that using such epic music for something I'm as indifferent about as high school football is absolutely cheesy. The point being, your Godspeeds, your Mogwais, and similar artists make music that's way too epic for movies. Murcof's Remembranza, on the other hand, sounds "cinematic" and is subtle enough that it could really be used as soundtrack music.
Remembranza is the third album by Murcof, a.k.a. Fernando Corona, of Nortec Collective and Terrestre fame. The music often drifts somewhere into the background, but still rewards close attention. A number of themes and motifs are repeated throughout, contributing to the feel that this is a soundtrack of sorts. If this imaginary film had a genre, it would likely be a modern day noir, but not in a Quentin Tarantino campy way. The beats are kept minimal, and though they do sound electronic, they are a bit too sparse for the album to fall under Murcof's typical categorization as minimal techno. Further, there is little to indicate any traditional Latino influence on this album, thus regulars to Corona's work might not get what they are expecting. However, the album is a pleasant, albeit sometimes emotionally heavy, work that is well worth listening to.
1. Recuerdos
2. Razón (en 3 partes)
3. Retrato
4. Rostro
5. Ruido
6. Reflejo
7. Resignacion
8. Rios
9. Camino
More about: Murcof
