Ernesto Diaz-Infante

Ernesto Diaz-Infante's previous solo album for Pax Recordings was Solus, released in March 2000. An instrumental piano album like its three older brothers, it gave no indication whatsoever as to what direction the man would soon take. In the next three years, he released tons of albums — solo, live, and mail collaborations, from guitar duets to field recordings — on tiny underground, D.I.Y. labels that are extremely hard to find. So for anyone who didn't keep a close record of his activities, this untitled CD is his first major solo work in three years. It brings in focus most of the music he has released in-between in a very elegant and convincing way. If the obscure tapes and CDRs served as a laboratory for this album, they were worth going through. The album consists of 30 tracks between one and three minutes in duration. They form a suite of pictures alternating between street recordings, solo guitar pieces, noise-based improvisations, and sound collages (turntables, radio, piano frame, various objects) and vocals/guitar "songs." The latter are actually lyrics whispered almost inaudibly, backed by repetitive strumming or quiet acoustic noises. These disparate elements, although presented separately, come together to paint a stark picture. Diaz-Infante's music is constantly soft-spoken, looking fragile but hitting hard on the unconscious. His slow and calculated moves turn into a ritual, not unlike Keiji Haino's performances, even though both artists approach intensity from opposite directions. This is not a comfortable listen in any way, but it is a fascinating album, uncompromising to the bone. ~ François Couture, Rovi