Review Summary: A sweet escape
When I listen to
Camino de Flores, I feel like I’ve discovered electronic/IDM’s rural back yard. The rhythms of contemporary IDM – with notable Latin American influence – are awash in a glaze of ambience and pastoral folk, infusing rich soundscapes with elements of the natural world. It’s customary during El Buho’s second full-length album to hear the rustling of leaves, songbirds, or bubbling streams. It’s also just as common to become
so immersed in the record’s dense, lush atmosphere that the distinction between musical realms is blurred. Synths and drum machines blend into wind and rain seamlessly; existing merely as different dynamic players on the same musical dancefloor. Among these swirling ideas,
Camino de Flores is the point of intersection – this plane where music from all kinds of dimensions can meet up and coexist in perfect harmony.
Primarily instrumental/electronic by nature,
Camino de Flores offers nine tracks to totally lose yourself in. It’s an experience that will transport you to placid sceneries, exotic shorelines, and lavish gardens. The album gleams with total production clarity, affording
Camino a crystalline lens through which El Buho implements everything from flutes to charango. The album employs a wide range of instruments/digital effects that are spread far and wide, resulting in an album that’s constantly discovering new terrain as it progresses. There is even one sparse moment of vocal inclusion – Joaquin Cornejo and Minuk’s feature on ‘Miranda el Fuego’ – which adds familiarity and warmth to the record’s midsection. This is an experience that flows with effortless grace in spite of all the influences at play, a testament to the artistic ability of El Buho.
Camino de Flores is breathtaking to witness. It’s an album that at certain points sounds like it could be the product of S. Carey, Teen Daze, or Justin Vernon; dazzling us with natural aesthetics that merge into the songs with ease. Then you factor in the overarching IDM influence, along with very clear Latin/tropical ethnic strokes, and you have something that’s pretty damn unique, if not entirely special. As a very chill and soothing record,
Camino brings all the right vibes to escape from reality and let your mind drift. At the same time, it feels like so much more than easy listening.
Camino de Flores is a record that could also be celebrated on its artistic merits alone. Either way, El Buho has crafted a winner.
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