Modular

MODULAR: New album "Sinfonías Para Terrícolas"

Time passes and the secret is out- little by little, like an onion which hides its sweetness between the various layers of skin sacrificed among the indulgent stinging. After the necessary recuperation of their first songs in “Fantasías De Un Robot Psicodélico,” the latest halo of admiration of this (former) Argentinean duet created by Mariana Badaracco and Pablo Dahy, aka, MODULAR, increases and converts them in the highbrow group that they already were for many for several years. “Sinfonía Para Terrícolas,” their first album conceived for Elefant Records is the recognition which will put them on a pedestal, that, without a doubt, they truly deserve.

“Sinfonías Para Terrícolas” started brewing right after the performance of MODULAR at the Indietracks Festival. Making the most out of their trip to England, Mariana and Pablo spent several weeks in the studio of Andy Ramsay (STEREOLAB) with demos of some of their songs and together with Andy and under the sound engineering supervision of Joe Watson (STEREOLAB, but also sound engineer for groups like THE HIGH LLAMAS, among others), they began to record the basslines, voices, percussion, piano, and synthesizers. Andy spontaneously offered to record the drums on some of the songs and experiment with Russian drum machines he collected over the years on tour with STEREOLAB – something which gave a fantastic and experimental groove to the album. Little by little, this unrepeatable, dreamy, incredible album came together- an event that we celebrate ecstatically- and was polished off in the Quark Studios and Microfilms Studios in Buenos Aires. Everything about this album is magical: it is fantasy, imagination, amazing anecdotes, excitement…

The influences that are part of MODULAR (for example, Piero Umiliani, Hugo Montenegro, Giorgio Moroder, Roger Nichols, TWIN CONNECTION, Margo Guryan, THE 5TH DIMENSION and Dave Grusin) are far from the habitual ones and not at all predicting. Joe Raposo(composer of some of the original songs of Sesame Street, of which they will participate in two tracks on a tribute album out soon) guided them to these mixes of piccolo and glockenspiel which curiously outline some of the melodic lines of the album. Brazil spreads out all of its exoticism (“Moog Safari”) in the hands of Mariana and Pablo, profound scholars and enthusiasts of the tune, evoking their most danceable and funk under the names of Eumir Deodato and Joao Donato (“Panamá Motel”). The psychedelic solitude also plays an important role, from the Beatles-type lines battered in spatial effects in “La Rebelión De Los Robots,” to the tune “El Clon De Paul McCartney” which will also enter in the cinematographic Music Library of people like James Clarke and Syd Dale (yes, the very ones who influenced STEREOLAB and BROADCAST). The sonorous experimentation acquires an evocative, powerful force in “Laboratorio Submarino,” where inheritances of the albums of Delia Derbyshire for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop are found. In “Zapatófono,” pop feverishly enters with an unconceivable tribute to Superagente 86, Maxwell Smart, winding through the sunshine pop of NUEVOS HORIZONTES and the sonic games of Giorgio Moroder. The elegance of lounge music also participates in an important way throughout the entire album, with outstanding mention of “Los Mentalistas” with the beautiful and precious aura of Bacharach. Since it could not be any other way, kraut dives in its poppiest aspect (HARMONIA, KRAFTWERK) and in the final orgy of “Samba Espacial,” a fusion is created between styles and sound, a clear representation of the level of imagination and creativity in which one finds the personal musical language of MODULAR and which so many admirers have prompted among specialists.

An album filled with swaying movements and hide-outs, changes of rhythm and twisted melodies, but always maintaining the sweetness and the evocative capacity which they have always celebrated, a perfect equilibrium between experimentation and pop. Russian drum machines, tape delays, unlikely effects with the melodies…After ten years as a duet, the formation of the group (Diego Pérez, Gabriel Sanabria, Nano Tonelli and Sebastián Murguiondo are the current additions to the group MODULAR) has achieved the perfect consistency that a sci-fi story needs by emptying out all the hollowness that the imagination is always prepared to dream and disseminate all the nuances of an album so that you can continue to listen to it over and over, yet still discover new details (some songs have over 100 tracks).

The spatial imagery and science fiction settled in their lyrics, bathed in surrealism which accentuates even more the teletransport sensation. As proof of their dedication, the group held a relaxation ceremony after each intense recording session: viewings of bizarre films from B series directors such as Jesús Franco, Russ Meyer, Mario Bava, George Romero, Joe D'Amato, Emilio Vieyra...All a declaration of intentions that filter in every pore of their compositions and their imaginary and unreal world.

With all this, the uniqueness and unbeatable aspects of this group, which grew up on the shores of Rio de la Plata, are apparent. A legend which will increase even more with “Sinfonías Para Terrícolas,” an album which combines sweetness and elegance, with extravagance and psychedelia, while always constantly maintaining a purely pop spirit. Marvelous.
 

LP [The vinyl includes a free digital MP3 download [320 kbps]
CD Digipak
 

TRACKLIST: 01. La Rebelión De Los Robots 02. El Clon De Paul McCartney 03. Laboratorio Submarino 04. Zapatófono 05. Los Mentalistas 06. Panamá Motel 07. Moog Safari 08. Base Lunar Alfa 09. Beat Del Cinéfilo 10. Mensaje Telepático Marciano 11. Samba Espacial