Orasique is a group made up of Don Malfon on alto saxophone, Fernando Barrios on drums, Marco Albert on vocals, and Misha Marks on iatarra, which is a home made electric guitar. Each of these elements battle it out on Ixtlahuaca's seven tracks, sometimes fiercely, as on Quien sabe que clase de revoltos sean, sometimes with more restraint, as on Oyo alla astra su propia voz.
It's really fascinating to hear the various sounds of the iatarra; this instrument naturally has timbral characteristics of regular guitars, but its body seems to give it a very pleasing metallic flavor as Marks gets down on it. There are most assuredly spaces in which he develops regular "guitary" themes, but it's just that the iatarra often ups the ante on the "guitar as percussion instrument" hand, and in Misha's hands it often feels like an extension of Barrios' kit. Speaking of which, Fernando sounds as if he's assembled a set of drums that features various small elements, metal wrenches and cracked cymbals and junk shop busted head small tambors to go along with his traditional, very nicely resonant bass drum. His "all over" style skitters and scatters along during Las urgencias del cuerpo and Cuando los vivos comenzaron a salir, but he's not afraid to keep things bone simple, as on Oyo alla...., where he sounds like he's been studying Tony Williams' minimalist hi-hat on In A Silent Way. Marco Albert's vocalizing often brings images of crazed street corner prophets, but it's clear that he's also exploring the concept of voice as primary musical instrument. The small sound crevices and and burbling dada cadences of Cuando los vivos comenzaron a salir show this. His background in electronic music would seem to be a ground for these voice explorations. Don Malfon keeps a quieter profile throughout much of Ixtlahuaca, indeed he often seems to be content to let the other three dudes duke things out. That said, when he lets loose, it's clear that he has a point of view and a voice with which to show it. It seems clear that Don gets the whole group concept. His shredded ribbons of alto sound on Me mato un novillo are certainly worth the wait.
Taken in as a whole, Ixtlahuaca is a juicy sound revel from a quartet that digs in and develops seven pieces of organic and compelling band-based Improvised Music. This release has an organic, loose feel that is never stuffy and academic, that's for sure. Listen, fellas, Disaster Amnesiac is living only about an hour or so away from Heroica Nogales. Any chance you could do a tour up that way? Listo!
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