In late 2015, producer Fausto made a splash in the Mexican electronic scene with his sleek and sexy EP Yo Mismo. The mini-album garnered Fausto name recognition in national indie circles and critical praise that resulted in an Indie-O Music Award nomination for Best Electronic Album. With significant hype having built up throughout the year, Fausto is now launching his newest production Pseudopraxis, a musical essay on art and the origin of creative thinking.
Fausto defines Pseudopraxis as “something all modern humans share, a manner of thought as important as instinct.” He elaborates by suggesting that humans aren’t born knowing how to create, but through our experiences, we select traits and tastes that mold our ability to create something new and truly original. Fausto’s philosophy serves as a lens for the theme of Pseudopraxis, leaving plenty of room for a conversation on dope and cerebral music.
Before he was a buzzy production talent, Fausto was a gifted indie rock guitarist, expertise he puts to good use on this record. Kicking off the collection is “Antídoto,” a tale of remorse and inevitability told through Fausto’s meticulous beat layering, ethereal guitars, and fuzzy synths. “Asesino,” the EP’s first single, again prominently features Fausto’s guitar playing, this time taking on the effects of a Japanese samisen over a cool, restrained trap beat. These songs conjure images of overcast cityscapes and distant opium dens, whereas “La Viga,” his droning final composition, acts as a cooling agent, guiding the listener out of doom and into calmer, smoother waters.
Keeping with the idea that all new things stem from something prior, Pseudopraxis also features three excellent remixes from some of Fausto’s brightest contemporaries. SLDJS remixed “Asesino” into a chic and highly commercial pop gem, while Sotomayor imbues “Antídoto” with their signature jungle cumbia flair. However, the most exciting of these remixes comes from TINA, Tony Gallardo’s newest and most mysterious side project to date. His version of “Antídoto” is demented and nearly unrecognizable from the original, pushing Fausto’s concept of pseudopraxis to its logical extreme.
Pseudopraxis plays like a vivid dream: blurry yet familiar, with unclear beginnings and endings. It’s a bold step forward for Fausto, and a very different trajectory from the one he took on Yo Mismo. A versatile creative mind capable of weaving dreams and captivating, energetic electronica, wherever Fausto leads us next, we can only hope it’s a direction we haven’t even dreamed of yet.