Fax (Ruben A Tamayo) may be best known for his work as a DJ/producer of discrete techno and micro-house sets but his latest offering ‘Primario’ signals an alternate sound path. His third full-length album with the Mexican based Static Discos label, rekindles the memories of his early musical influences and the joys of his first principal instrument – the guitar. The opening track, ‘Soulsong’, is a gentle mix of crunchy minimal beats, samples and lullaby guitar loops. Alex Ayuli (of AR Kane) brings what he has famously coined his ‘dreampop’ style of soft, reverberating vocals to the track as he croons, “does anybody choose to keep, their soul asleep?” This sets the emotional pace for the rest of the album, which slides and meanders effortlessly on its abstract slow-rocking journey till the end, finishing upbeat with ‘Paracaidas’ where subtle layers of percussive elements, dubby loops and lazy bass create an atmospheric space for resonant guitar melodies to float, verily. The spirit of his early work remains but overall ‘Primario’ represents a deeper engagement. There is a warm sense of intimacy, introspection and maturity throughout.
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