Ending up the week in Madrid with another set from La Radio Encendida Festival in March of this year.
Tonight it’s Mohama Saz, a four piece group who, like so much of what’s been going on of late; mashing up styles and genres. This time it works.
Mohama Saz is a one of a kind entity made up of members from other Spanish musical projects with cult followings such as: RIP KC, Melange or Novak to name a few. Their unique sound is made up from a blend of Javier Alonso electric Bağlama; the hypnotic rhythm of Sergio Ceballos on bass guitar and Adrian Ceballos on drums; and Iñigo Garcés (Cabezafuego) on synth and samplers. In addition, the use of various percussions, sax, clarinet, different Mediterranean folk instruments, and, in general, any imaginable sound artifact is common on their albums.
Their diverse influences span from Erkin Koray, Ersen, Triana, or Las Grecas to Coltrane, Goat, or Neu! Mediterranean psych gurus with a flamenco touch and an Anatolian vibe.
So many bands take a minimalist approach to crafting their songs these days. Modern mixes have grown sparse, erring on the side of caution. Take Billie Eilish’s hit single “Bad Guy,” for example. It’s a slick sound, with a simple backbone that forces the audience to listen to Eilish’s vocals. And there’s nothing wrong with this approach! However, it’s always refreshing to hear a band buck the trends. Enter Mohama Saz.
Hailing from Madrid, Spain, Mohama Saz borrow liberally from Sun Ra, Coltrane, Ennio Morricone, and Talking Heads. Out of this ooze of 70s influences, the members of Mohama Saz have crafted a psych rock sound that is bold and beautiful.
Further evidence it’s okay for musicians to take one from column A and one from Column B and toss them in the air and see what happens. It’s inevitable, especially since the tried-and-true genres are getting somewhat tapped out. True, everybody comes to the table with a different point of view, but lately I’ve been hearing a lot of music that sounds dangerously the same, even lacking a point-of-view.
I think it’s a given that music is not destined to die, because people who come along now are making discoveries out of their own comfort zone. The business model sucks, but the actual nuts and bolts of putting notes to paper is still alive, although moribund in places. It’s looking for the explorers and the outliers to lead the way.
Can’t predict the future but Mohama Saz is coming pretty close to being the future.
Press Play – you know what to do.
