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maudthemoth trajedesaliva bordandoelmantoterrestre
Artist: Maud The Moth & Trajedesaliva
Title: Bordano El Manto Terrestre
Genre: Dark Ambient / Folk / Drone / Industrial / Avant-Garde
Release Date: 26th May 2023
Label: Self Released


Album Review

The last time I listened to anything… This album is the end result of a collaboration between Scotland based Amaya Lopez Carromero aka MAUD THE MOTH and the Galician dark ambient band called TRAJEDESALIVA which comprises Mon Ninguen and Unavena. “Who are they?” you ask? “Dunno” is my answer. Anyway, this collaboration has conjured up soundscapes to shed light on the art of surrealist painter Remedios Varo. TRAJEDESALIVA have been creating dream-like electronica since the late 1990s and on first listen it’s very dissonant, disjointed and sparse. MAUD THE MOTH on the other hand came into existence in 2010 as the alter ego of Amaya after spending her childhood studying classical music and recording demos on a twin cassette deck owned by the family. This joint venture is broken into three parts of three pieces each using analogue synths and a plethora of acoustic instruments, some found and weather worn which created some interesting tunings and tones.

The first part is called ‘Trasmundo’ and is about Remedios Varo’s exile to Mexico during the tumultuous events happening in Europe during the 1920s onwards and how her identity had to morph in her new home. The sound is very dream-like and floaty. It’s also watery. The sounds take the shape of water on ‘Perdie Pie’. There are drones and stringed screeches that imply depth. ‘Jardincito De Rosa Y Terra’ is a track of vocals that rises as if on a bed of bubbles, the organ sounds feeling effervescent and religiously contemplative. ‘Habitantes Del Desgarro’ concludes this section. A dark drone dominates this piece as female vocals dance around like dappled light wrapping itself around the trunks of trees at a dark forest’s edge.

Part Two is ‘Naturaleza Muerta Resucitando’ (Still Life Resurrecting) is about transformations and transmutations. It depicts inanimate objects coming to life or humans adopting the forms of animals, plants or even tables, chairs or beds etc. A bit like Hamr Leipr in Norse myth. This section is still slow and dream-like with drones and organ sounds throughout and smooth female vocals. I feel like I'm on a pre-Raphaelite / surrealist acid trip. It’s as if the artist is taking delight at those simple things in life that were subsumed under the dark yolk of social turmoil back in Spain.

Final part, ‘Rompiendo El Circulo Vicioso’ (Breaking The Vicious Cycle) is about restored harmony. To me it is about finally accepting that the unknown and uncertain soon becomes that which is familiar and through that a new power emerges. The piece as a whole is still slow and dreamlike. The drones are still present. ‘Circulo Roto’ has piano trinkets that flash like neurons firing inside one's head whilst the final track on the album, ‘Hilos De Fantasia’ (Fancy Threads) had me drifting off on a daydream. Analogue notes sustained, drones, plodding bass, light and heavy twisting and turning around each other newly formed DNA helices rising form lightless abysses.

Well, I like this, but it’s not for listening to whilst on a walk. It’s much better listening late at night whilst supine so all of this slow synth drone can penetrate your barriers to focus. Or even better, sitting on a swinging chair supping a cold beer whilst watching the setting sun flick out its final rays over a crepuscular landscape. The experiences of Remedios Varos are the experiences of all of us at some point in time. Now is where you are at, now is all there is. At some point you will go with it, find your feet and forge a path forward.


Tracklist
Part 1: Trasmundo
01. Perdí pie
02. Jardincito de rosa y tierra
03. Habitantes del desgarro
Part II: Naturaleza muerta resucitando
04. Cuerpo de gato
05. Fruta alrededor de una vela
Part III: Rompiendo el círculo vicioso
06. Perla
07. Círculo roto
08. Hilos de fantasia


Line-up

Mon Ninguén – Synthesizers
Amaya López-Carromero - Vocals, instrumentation and sound design
Unavena - Spoken word
Scott McLean - Additional sound design and guitar in ‘Perla’


Website

https://trajedesaliva.bandcamp.com / https://maudthemoth.bandcamp.com/music


Cover Picture

maudthemoth trajedesaliva bordandoelmantoterrestre


Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10

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