More info: www.elkapitan.nu
Verdict: Relaxation for rockers (84%)
El Kapitan consists of Kirk Bartholomew and Marc Soucy. This is the band's third release, although this the first time they have come to my attention. Their earlier releases combined post-industrial electro with metal and progressive rock ("Haywire") and delved into techno-house-meets-modern-rock("Danse Dun Backwurdz"). It seems like top of the band FAQ are questions about their name. So to set the record straight and to quell your curiousity it has nothing to do with Spanish and the band actually take their name from the famous mountain cliff site in Yosemite National Park.
The band describe their music on this album as "atmospheric rock instumentals for a new age". It is designed to fill a gap somewhere between New Age, Jazz and Ambient Electronica. The inspiration behind the project are the bands in the 60s and 70s who pioneered the rock instumental genre - Traffic, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Cream, Santana, Jethro Tull, ELO, King Crimson.... They have emphaised the grander, less intrusive side of the music to create relaxing music as a "soundtrack for life for the rocker in us all". Yeah, these guys actually want you to listen to this album whilst doing something else (driving down the highway or reading a book) or just to chill out. Mmmmm...........it is not often I come across a band that want their music to be in the background.
On my MP3 player I had this on just after the Retroheads who were the subject of an earlier review. Sometimes I'd be listening and wonder where the vocals had disappeared to only to realise that the player had moved onto another album.
Of course, before your start any relaxation exercise you've got to get your breathing down to a slow rhytmical movement. What better way to do that than with a cover of Pink Floyd's "Breathe". By covering Floyd on the first track they set themselves a challenge - can they entertain the listener enough or will he simply replace El Kapitan by a Pink Floyd album? "Concord Shores" continues where "Breathe" left off - the same fluid guitar work, albeit with a more definite drum beat. With "Camerada" we move from the work of Dave Gilmour to that of Carlos Santana as the inspiration. It is usually this track where I realise that the transition on my MP3 player I discussed earlier has happened. Latin-flavoured jazz-rock with a neat little piano section stuck in the middle. The album's standout track.
"Mysteria" sees a move back to the more "spacey" guitar driven tracks and a hint of the masters of synth rock - Tangerine Dream. The oddly titled "Bowie In Traffic" moves things back a little further with more of 60s feel. In fact, this track also reappears, but with an acoustic treatment, as the final (bonus?) track on the album. Whilst the electric version here is OK, I prefer the acoustic version. After all this relaxing, you'll need something to stir your senses again and this comes in the form of title track, "Retroscape" which has a more urgent feel than the rest of the album as is powered along by overdriven guitar. Relaxation is the name of the game again on the melancholy "Trail Of Tears". Those of you old enough will remember a cop show called Miami Vice and perhaps the famous theme tune. "Marblehead Vice" plays homage to the composer of the theme tune - Jan Hammer.
"Southwind" is a bit of a "hotch potch" of styles as the band seem to be playing tribute to Deep Purple, Jethro Tull and possibly a few others. "Imagine That?" returns to the style of "Mysteria" - a slow backbeat with fluid guitar work on top. As mentioned earlier the acoustic version of "Bowie In Traffic" closes the album.
This album sits nicely in the background when you're doing something else. Want a short break from whatever you're doing and it will work it's way to the foreground and catch your attention when maybe you'll be inspired with a new idea and you can get back to what you were doing before. Initially I found the concept behind this album a bit strange and expected to hear "muzac" that annoyed rather than relaxed. Instead I've found it "does what it says on the tin" - rock music you can relax to.
