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BOAN, "Mentiras"
Mentiras may be BOAN's first release, but the duo of vocalist Mariana Saldaña and José Cota (who also record as SSLEEPERHOLD) previously made up two thirds of Medio Mutante, who also mined similar classic synth-centric sounds. Working exclusively with classic equipment and embracing the limitations of such, the result is a wonderfully vintage feeling album of five songs that capture an era while having their own unique identity at the same time.
It has become rather trendy for bands to be heavily invested in using classic analog synth and drum machine technology, but BOAN take this pseudo-Luddite approach even further.Besides ensuring the full production suite is appropriately vintage, they also allow the flaws of this early electronic technology to show through.For example:the slightly out of tune keyboards that open "Babylon" and a few moments of partially off-time sequences that pop up throughout show a true dedication to the flaws of technology like control voltage sequencing rather than driving vintage gear with the inhuman precision of MIDI.
The duo's sound then is unsurprisingly rooted in the early 1980s, as synth technology was moving out of prog rock bloat and academic experiments and into the world of pop music.The aforementioned "Babylon" is heavily rooted in this, with a strongly echoed vocal from Saldaña, a memorable melody and extremely effective rhythms that perfectly capture that transition from disco to synth pop, akin to New Order circa 1982.
The same atmosphere runs through "Secretos" as well.The duo utilize a complex synth sequence to drive the piece, while the vocals alternate between intimate whisper and disconnected flat affect capture a similar feeling.The perky arpeggiated bassline and glassy leads of "Mentiras" keep the tempo up, but there is still a sadness throughout, which cannot be uprooted by the bombastic gated reverb drum programming.
BOAN step out of this framework on a few songs, however."Freak Snake" might feature the fat, thudding drums and percolating synth accents of other songs on this record, but the emphasis is placed on rhythm and a more raw, distorted keyboard lead.It still fits into the record as a whole, but stands out as a unique song.The nearly 11 minute "BOAN Acid" is clearly aimed at the dance floor, with the repetition of the title and a beat heavy sound.The first half may be purely dance floor oriented, but the second deconstructs the piece into less repetitive, more abstract shards of keyboard and rhythm.
Saldaña and Cota's minimalist approach to songwriting on Mentiras, as well as their staunch devotion to vintage technology, is what gives this album its unique character.The simplicity of stripping the music back to the bare essentials of rhythm, bass, lead, and vocals makes way for memorable melodies and gripping drums.This, along with Saldaña's vocals being mostly in Spanish throughout, result in a record that has tinges of familiarity, but also a distinct sound and identity.At its core, however, it is a strong set of catchy, memorable pieces of electronic music, and that is all it needs to be.
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