John Frusciante
Estrus EP

LA RECENSIONE

A very rare gem, the vinyl in question, was released in 1997 in a very limited edition by Birdman Records (around 400-500 copies) and contains two songs: the first, "Estrus", already present in Smile From The Streets You Hold under the title "Estress", lasts 2.14 minutes and is a simple and desperate acoustic guitar-voice song; the second, "Outside Space", which occupies side B, was the 10-second outro of "Mascara", a song from the guitarist's solo debut, the splendid and anguishing Niandra LaDes & Usually Just A T-Shirt, and is a 6.27-minute track mostly instrumental, built on a hypnotic and claustrophobic guitar loop.

The overall atmosphere of the two pieces is precisely that of the disturbing and shocking debut album, with a Frusciante whose voice is destroyed by heroin, a makeshift production, and an absolutely crazy, sick, and fascinating inspiration. If you loved Niandra, you will certainly appreciate these 8.41 minutes of destruction and genius; however, if you've never heard the album in question, I strongly advise you to fill this gap: it's truly difficult and disturbing music, almost annoying at first listen, but once you enter the sick universe of Frusciante from 1994-97, you'll be absolutely ensnared, fascinated, and shocked.

 In short, this is a record recommended only if you are already big fans of John.