One Second Bridge is the quiet dream-pop duo of Vicente GarcÃÂa Landa and Matias Bieniaszewsk, originally from Mexico City and Buenos Aires, respectively. Part of Symbolic Interaction’s ongoing Pragmatism series, this release is a regular EP and remix EP in one, pairing five originals with five reworkings.
Of the originals, the opening two are instrumental, with “Song of Time” combining ambient electronics and a pop-rooted guitar hook. “Briza” follows a similar formula but is looser overall, while “My Intentions” introduces pleasantly mopey vocals. “Are You Listening?” is little more than a minute long, which contrasts hugely with the 17-minute “The Trip is Long”, an epic track that doesn’t exactly build or flourish. Instead, it just goes on and on, in a sort of drowsy, repetitious tedium. It slows even further in its last section, too. Some may enjoy its prolonged approach and tidal refrain, but it requires patience.
The remixes not confined to tracks included on this EP are appropriately dreamy, from Bill Van Loo’s twinkling minute-long take on “Dos Minutos” and Crispos’s ultra-chill “Ventana” to Winterlight’s fragile, vocals-couching remix of “My Intentions” and Strand’s folktronica version of “Everywhere”. Best of the bunch is the Di Maggio Baseball Team remix of “Briza”, which seems to flirt with chillwave but arrives at something uniquely watery and mysterious.
Doug Wallen
