Usually, I can’t stand dance music. With all its electronic bleeps and insane repetitiveness, it often bores me. But every so often along comes a cross-genre band who take the bearable elements of dance, and combine them with the fundamentals of other styles, to create something completely different. It is this that James Brackpool and Edric Brown, under the moniker of Los Paranoias, have achieved with their wholly-instrumental debut album, “If Destroyed Still True”.Album opener “Klang und Schönheit” isn’t as powerful as you might hope. Undoubtedly it is very listenable; however there is something missing, that elusive ‘magic touch’ which makes a good track great. “Queen B”, however, which follows it, is quite simply a masterpiece. Those with some musical knowledge will recognise the minimalist influences, as instruments and themes are repeated and layered into a thick soundscape. Elements of dance and rock are thrust together, along with what can only be described as jungle drums, and as odd as it may sound on paper, it really works.
“Reach Around” then shows a different side to Los Paranoias, as Brackpool and Brown peddle their melodic, this time acoustic-driven, musical noodlings. Solomon Burt’s acoustic guitar work on this piece, along with the delicate synthesizer countermelodies pose a stark contrast to the aggressive energy of the first few tracks. Utilising brass and disco drums beats, this track combines more musical genres than there are fingers on a hand, to create something quite unique. This more laidback approach is continued on into “If I Squint They Look Like Stars”, which can only be described as chill-out music: relaxing, and yet intriguing, urging the listener to probe further into the album’s rich sounds.
The album then picks up the pace once more, and takes you on a journey through the minds of its creators on its way to “The Part Of Me That Wants My Friends To Fail”. This, the penultimate track, seems strangely familiar. The electronic drums which introduce it, and the repetitive synth rhythms lead to a more ‘traditional’ dance feel to the music. Here, voices are heard singing no discernable words, merely becoming instruments which add to the layered sounds, and which build to a dramatic, but understated, climax.
Album closer, “Life Like A Film”, is again on the softer side of Los Paranoias’ musical spectrum. With horns and strings joining the synthesized beats on this relaxed track, it is an interesting choice for the end of the album. Whereas most artists wish to leave on a high, it seems that Los Paranoias would rather leave you safe in the knowledge that they do not conform to normality; that they will be different not just because they can, but because they want to. And in doing so, they prove to the listener, and indeed to themselves, that they are a diverse and formidable musical force.
If you’re a fan of dance, instrumental rock, thought provoking sounds, or all of the above, then genre-bending Los Paranoias may well become your new favourite band. This is in no way a perfect debut. As with all albums, there are small flaws and creases to be ironed out; however, there is no doubt in saying that this is a work of great value to those who are prepared to immerse themselves in the music.
You can find out more about Los Paranoias on their website (http://www.losparanoias.co.uk/), or at Faith & Hope Records (http://www.faithandhope.co.uk/).
ES
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