19 September 2023

DOROTHEO – Nada Escrito (2023, LP Halfshell Records/Six Tonnes De Chair Records)

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Halfshell Records/Six Tonnes De Chair Records

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Rose Crystal translucent vinyl (with Metallic silver ink on arena smooth archival speckled paper), 300 copies

Release Date: 16 June 2023

Dorotheo is another cool groovy band hailing from Guadalajara, Mexico (the other one is UAY), they started back in 2011, they released their debut “Dorotheo” CD album in 2013, and their last album “Como Es” was released in 2021 by Half Shell Records. Dorotheo is a neo-psych-latin-krauty-Experimental Rock band… The Seattle-based Half Shell Records collaborated with independent French label Six Tonnes De Chair Records for Dorotheo’s new album entitled “Nada Escrito” which translates to “Nothing Written”… All music was composed by Dorotheo. The band consists of Benjamín Zárate (Voice, Baritone Guitar), Cyn Estevez (Voice, Synthesizers, Transverse Flute, Clarinet), Anton Cerda (Bass, Vocals), Efraín Valadez (Synthesizers), Otto Malgesto (Drums, Voice), and special guest Vicco (Guitar).

Dorotheo’s Bandcamp page says:

“Nada Escrito is Dorotheo’s third full-length album and a reflection of the band’s evolution through the years. The project’s progressive nature and their psychedelic rock foundation have blossomed in a different sonic direction, reminiscent of hauntology music, echoing the experimental spirit of bands like Broadcast, Stereo Lab or Silver Apples, yet landing ideas from latin-american and Eastern music among many other influences with their signature song-writing, channeled by the production hand of Hugo Quezada (Progreso Nacional, Exploded View) and the musical possibilities…”

“Nada Escrito” contains 8 tracks, 4 on each side of the LP album. The opener “Creciente” starts in a synth spacey way with female narrated vocals under a dark slow Space-Rock environment. The next one is one of the best moments of the album (personally speaking), it’s called “Las Nubes”, Dorotheo unfolds a hypnotic slow kraut-spacey trip-hop and dream-a-like soundscape with warm female vocals, and slowly the track transforms into a Psych Tropicali-a-Delic imaginary anthem! “Dia” is a rhythmic Psych tune, becoming heavy at times, flirting with Prog and Kraut, you can trace Middle Eastern influences while the track is ending in a cool shoegaze-y way… “Humano” uses male/female vocals, it’s a Latin-Psych-Spacey song with an addictive kind of intermittent synth beat, Krauty flirting (of course!) with an experimental touch… “Intencion” opens side “B”, starts in a trippy and spacey way but slowly becomes an upbeat Kraut-Proggy heavy tune… “Carpicho” is a slow Spacey-Poppy-Proggy piece of music drenched into melancholy, a rather Dark atmosphere becoming Psych-otic towards the end… “Cristina” uses a slow creepy Psych-a-like environment with male and female vocals, touches of Tropicalia, Psych, and Kraut, emerging a strong experimental feel… Eventually, the album comes to an end with “Desvanecido”, a dive into dark hypnotic Psych, again with male/female vocals, a balladesque song with a quite trippy background, and a fascinating Psych-Shoegaze ending… “Nada Escrito” is a very cool and good album but the most surprising/fascinating thing about it was the irresistible way that Dorotheo has to mix all these sub-genres (Space, Kraut, Psych, Pop, Prog, Latin Rock) to create a NEW amalgam of Neo-Psych music… TimeLord Michalis