Ahleuchatistas
The Same And The Other

These are a bit of those times. They can happen to anyone: fatigue, dizziness, various problems... There would be two ways to get out of it, but since the option "take a break" is rarely considered, the only choice is to accelerate to the point of moving by inertia, until realizing nothing at all. We increasingly need certainties, we dream of the "ready-made", perfection.

It's a film that, at least once, we've all sat through.

In my case, we're talking about quite a foggy period: that famous "film" is a tender brick that doesn't let me react, leaving me with popcorn in hand, waiting. My little psychiatrist instinct makes me think that, for this and other reasons, Math-Rock might provide some relief for this thirst. It's like knowing that 2 plus 2 equals 4. An unwavering pillar to which we all cling avidly, knowing it is one of the few left.

It has recently become a sort of obsession: finding something without smudges, that doesn't leave open spaces for daydreaming, because those times are passing. It's time to set boundaries, to schematize (willingly or not) time and space.

So, I've become fond of Ahleuchatistas: their albums are undoubtedly some of the happiest outcomes of 21st-century Math-Rock; it's pure originality, perhaps the focal point of an entire musical trend. The results achieved by this trio (guitar, bass, drums) are so far amazing, though over time they might lose that typical freshness of their early days.

The fact is, I bring to your attention what I believe to be the most complete and hallucinatory of their works: "The Same And the Other", the shortest chapter of all. After the imperfect debut "On The Culture Industry," our guys decided it was no longer time to cater to the masses' tastes: they thus broke the chains and devoted themselves to rigorous and precise, yet frenetic and engaging composition. A formula that would also work brilliantly in the subsequent "What You Will."

Now, in front of certain statements, the most prejudiced might think (rightly) that Math has a major obstacle that few overcome: merging "mathematics" with a melody (or something similar) that brings pleasure, and is not just a boring lesson in technique/coordination/virtuosity. The so-called negative example might be "OV" by Orthrelm, that inconceivable 45-minute brick nonstop: truly surprising, but certainly lacking the enjoyment needed to entertain any average listener for three-quarters of an hour. Well, the positive pole then is certainly "The Same And The Other", which in its brevity leaves you wanting to listen to it again, even multiple times in a row. Concise and incisive, from the first to the last second.

As with all bands of this genre, however, celebrity is quite a founded utopia. I thought that really few thousand people (very few, I'd say) could have access to these works: in particular, "The Same And The Other" went out of print in a short time. But, needless to say, after some listening and research on the Internet, what do I discover? That just this year, in February 2008, the old John Zorn brought them back up, had them remastered, and published on Tzadik (with 5 bonus tracks)! My happiness reached its limit thinking that the genius Zorn, like me, appreciated this marvelous album and made room for it in his renowned catalog. This gives me the certainty that I will buy it soon, and that perhaps a greater number of you readers will become intrigued. I hope so for your sake.

Don't miss this instrumental gem that touches compositional perfection, besides embodying these new needs of the modern Homo Sapiens music lover (that is, me).