I follow both this artist and this label closely. I’m afraid of what I’ll miss if I don’t. That might mean refreshing pages, following bookmarks, signing up for mailing lists and firing up RSS feeds that otherwise contain nothing but discounts on cheap electronics from Mashable. It’s worth it: the present, if not the future, of electronic music in America is being made day by day, gig by gig and record by record, and in the latter regard Santiago Salazar and Love What You Feel are making, playing and releasing some of the truly elite techno records in America today.
The Night Owl is Santiago Salazar‘s third album in the last four years, and my first reaction is it’s the best of the three. “Light The Sage” is techno made with such refined skill that the word that keeps coming to mind is it’s “lyrical.” Through beats and melodies it manages to tell a story with the fullness you’d expect from lyrics and song. It’s followed by the high-pitched stomp of “Loca,” and the high-tech cosmic jazz of “Midnight Oil,” which sounds like a Juan Atkins recording session filled out and finished by Herbie Hancock in his high fusion days.
The Night Owl has a rather unique and I think rather ingenious format. The first four tracks (including the three mentioned above) are on vinyl; a further five (including a Pittsburgh Track Authority remix of “Loca”) are digital-only. I think you get what you need here.
photo by Dean Paul de Leon
Santiago Salazar: The Night Owl / Love What You Feel
Vinyl & Digital:
1. Santiago Salazar: Light the Sage (06:28)
2. Santiago Salazar: Loca (04:48)
3. Santiago Salazar: Midnight Oil (05:00)
4. Santiago Salazar: The Night Owl (05:30)
Digital Only:
5. Santiago Salazar: Chato’s Lament (06:41)
6. Santiago Salazar: Cosmic Creasing (05:09)
7. Santiago Salazar: Chuco’s Groove (05:46)
8. Santiago Salazar: Hey Life (05:25)
9. Santiago Salazar: Loca (PTA Remix) (05:25)
Our House Is Open To Everyone: Originally published in 5 Mag issue 172 with Dawn Tallman, Hot Toddy, Benji Candelario, DJ Rocca, Detroit’s Filthiest & more. Help support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.
