We’ve been on a real Puerto Rican kick lately. Maybe I’m biased (wepa!), but there’s some great stuff being born from the island right now. First we had Ardnaxela, then Davila 666, tach.dé, and Kordan, and now we bring you the sumptuous subtlety of Fantasmes.
The sometimes trio, sometimes quartet, sometimes quintet from San Juan has been around since 2007, ironically, as a solo project by Mario Negrón. He later expanded for live shows, inviting fellow local musicians Juan Arroyo and Darío Morales (and occasionally the percussive talents of tach.dé’s Daniel Sierra). The name came from a love of the spooky, the fleeting, the evanescence of sound (although its meaning is more akin to fantasy than phantoms). But it’s obvious in Fantasmes’ music, that other worldly quality that sticks to you, kind of scares you, but still calms you. They experimented with this mood on two EPs, their debut Reveller and the just-released Sidetracked, and will continue for their upcoming debut LP, Epochs to Move.
“Invisible On the Brow” is from Sidetracked and stands as a sprawling, mellow dose of chill-dark consistency. It’s definitely the kind of song you house in your headphones while lying in bed, only a dim lamp on, staring at your ceiling, most likely drinking scotch? That’s what I imagine contemplation looks like. Perfect for October or…you know…the apocalypse.
Lock yourself in your room, cave, or cell and download Fantasmes’ “Invisible On the Brow” for FREE.
Can’t get enough? Download the entire eight-track EP here, also for a $0 fee.
Main photo by Eliud Echevarría.