Grapefruit - Grapefruit

by Maarten Schiethart

published: 12 / 1 / 2013

Label: Audio Dregs
Format: CD

Lush and cinematic debut album from Portland, Oregon-based synth musician and composer, Grapefruit

Review

Grapefruit is the moniker of the Portland, Oregon synth musician and composer, C. Salas-Humara, and as 'Grapefruit' we find him creating lush percolating brain cinema music, aptly described in the German language as 'Kopfkino'. Analog computer dreamscapes and progressive sci-fi psychedelia tend to rock Grapefruit's boat. Sometimes the trip is a relaxed and bucolic night drive, which soars across the desert sky as the golden sunbeams melt below the horizon and sinks down into the calm dark of night. Otherwise Grapefruit's debut album is a record of dense and foggy darkness. Irate to some extent, the music is far from what could be labelled as fruity. A drizzly atmopheric sound pertains the mood. Previously Salas-Humara has performed in Portland aluminaries as The Planet The (5RC), Panther (Kill Rock Stars, Fryk Beat), and Sun Angle. After a brief experience in time travel, he has returned to us with a new focus. Zoning in on synthetic music making, and pushing the limits of emotional technology, we see yet another side to his rich musical output. 'Monte Carlo' is, for example, pure cassette new wave Formula 1 music. One of the album's highlights must be the ever switching panels of sound on 'Aleatoric Tone Tunnels', which has almost a looped church organ sound. Closing off with the glowing 'Amaryllis' this smooth ride has gone full cycle to the best effect.