Carne.

Horoscope

Wharf Cat Records, 2019

http://horoscopenoise.bandcamp.com

REVIEW BY: Tom Haugen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/02/2019

The Brooklyn label Wharf Cat Records has historically never been short on unconventional artists, but this time they've really pushed the boundaries of modern day indie rock with this third album in the stunning trilogy from Miami native and New York resident Horoscope.

The recording moniker of Rene J. Nunez-Cabrera, as Horoscope, the eclectic artist brings traditional Cuban music influences to this extremely abstract and autobiographical peek into the mind of an iconoclastic thinker. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

“Cintura” starts the listen with tribal drumming and a raw recording of distant vocals, and “Epiphany Steps” follows with experimental hissing and ambience that's as perplexing as it is engaging.

Elsewhere, “Descarga #1” recruits wandering, spacey sounds and shrieked vocals alongside congas and frequencies that might startle your dog, while “Violetas Graphica” moves with calculated, hypnotic droning.

The back half of the record is equally unusual. First come the scattered effects of “Besa El Anillo Con Tudo Tu Alma,” where soft chanting vocals blur into what almost sounds like an alien craft landing on a distant planet. Next up is “QUANDO TU,” which at over 6 minutes, reels in all sorts of aberrant noises, including haunting, whispered voices.

Deeper cuts yield the busy “Labios De Cobre Pintado De Blanco,” which unfolds like the backdrop to an operation in a factory that exists in another dimension, and the seemingly only 'normal' tune, “Corazon,” which recruits soft, elegant singing for a mere 30 seconds of a cappella. “Maraca Llena De Pledras De Tu Nacimento” ends the listen with wild horns, fuzzy textures, and manipulated vocals on an intimidating yet fascinating conclusion to a very unorthodox record.

Though Nunez-Cabrera handles synth, tape, clave, effects,, and singing on Carne., his friends contribute saxophone, vibraphone, and additional vocals – though, really, the ingredients listed don't even come to describing the compositions here, as Horoscope finds entirely new territories to construct his intimate, innovative vision.

Rating: A-

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© 2019 Tom Haugen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Wharf Cat Records, and is used for informational purposes only.