Akira Watts
Man oh man, is this good. Blends a whole bunch of styles together in a way that results in something that doesn't quite sound like anything else out there. While there are moments that briefly remind me of other artists, these guys have forged a pretty damned unique and compelling sound. Definitely one of my favorite discoveries of the year thus far.
Favorite track: Feast of Ascension.
The New Southwest is a raw, mystical place. A land of sun-bleached rock and crusty, windswept desert blues. Magick runs deep in the earth here; a sense of the macabre too. Scoundrels and coyotes roam free, howling at the moon, as a seductive, psychedelic rhythm echoes over the horizon. XIXA, Tucson’s dark, dusty gothic overlords, have their genesis here; it has nurtured them, and it is home. It’s also the setting for Genesis, the new album that sees the band return triumphantly to their roots, and give voice to their most primal instincts.
By turns trippy and devilish, like a jam band getting high on Diá de Los Muertos, XIXA have always been uniquely attuned to the desert and their Latin influences. Combining gritty guitars, the bumping grind of Peruvian chicha, and dark, swirling psych-rock into a mesmerizing stew, the guitar-slinging six-piece have spent years exploring this sonic territory. “We live and breathe this landscape,“ says Gabriel Sullivan, who shares lead vocals and lead guitar alongside Brian Lopez. “So with these songs we let loose, and went as far into that world as we could.”
Genesis is a visceral listen, and very much formed by aesthetics. For its art, XIXA collaborated with celebrated fellow Tucsonan and longtime friend Daniel Martin Diaz on an illustration entitled “The Metaphysical Universe,” together creating the perfect visual representation of the themes explored on Genesis and the balance of darkness and beauty. Diaz’s work blends together ideas of Christian mythology like renewal and ascension, sciences like astronomy and anatomy, secret masonic symbols, a fair dose of hocus-pocus and war-of-the-worlds science fiction into a style all his own.
The album is also transportive; entire worlds can be painted with Lopez and Sullivan’s voices and lyrical content. Edgar Allan Poe, 70s Spaghetti Westerns, and Narco cumbia are all influences. So too are chicha legends Los Shapis. A sense of foreboding hangs over the ten tracks, of danger foretold. All of this lends the music a more somber mood and gives it an edge, as if some unseen menace lurks in the shadows.
But these songs also represent something else. They are the distillation of everything that makes XIXA who they are, and their most complete work to date. “We wanted to establish ourselves as songwriters with this album,” López says. “Every song should be as impactful were it played solo guitar and vocal.” Rhythmically complex, and laced with timeless melodies, Genesis is by turns catchy, mysterious, and intense. Sullivan sings like Leonard Cohen re-imagined as a desert outlaw, and many tracks have a widescreen, cinematic feel – like Ennio Morricone infused with an inky gothic horror.
The air of haunting desolation is accentuated by neat details; the wobbly intro of “Soma,” their instantly recognizable single coil guitar tones, and the ominous chanting of Greenland’s Uummannaq Children’s Choir. The latter appear twice, closing out the Lost Boys-inspired “Land Where We Lie,” and album closer “Feat Of Ascension,” a poised, slow-burn anthem that explodes into an epic psych freak-out. Genesis was produced by Lopez and Sullivan and recorded in Tucson at their own Dust and Stone Recording Studio, the XIXA bandleaders are joined by bandmates Jason Urman (Keys), Winston Watson (Drums, Percussion), Efrén Cruz Chávez (Timbales, Percussion), and Hikit Corbel (Bass). In addition to the Uummannaq Children’s Choir, XIXA is joined on select tracks by renowned artists from across the globe including Sergio Mendoza and Imarhan. It’s as far out as XIXA have ever gone, and represents the ultimate desert trip.
credits
released February 19, 2021
All songs written by XIXA (Brian Lopez, Gabriel Sullivan, Jason Urman, Winston Watson, Efren Cruz Chavez, Christophe Corbel),published by Modern Works Publishing, except ‘Eve Of Agnes’ written by XIXA, published by Modern Works, and ‘Sadam’ lyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane, published by Wedge administrated by Warp Publishing and ’May They Call Us Home’ written by Brian Lopez, Gabriel Sullivan, Jason Urman, Winston Watson, Efren Cruz Chavez and Geoffrey Hidalgo.
All songs performed by XIXA:
Brian Lopez - Guitars, Vocals
Gabriel Sullivan - Guitars, Vocals
Jason Urman - Keys
Winston Watson - Drums, Percussion
Hikit Corbel - Bass
Additional contributions:
Efren Cruz Chavez - Timbales, Percussion on all songs
Geoffery Hidalgo: Bass on 4, 7, 8
Imarhan: Vocals, Electric Guitar Solos,
Percussion on 6 (Imarhan, appearing courtesy of Wedge under exclusive license to City Slang, are ‘Sadam’ lyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane: guitar and vocals, Hicham Bouhasse:percussion, backing vocals, Abdelkader Ourzig: percussion, backing vocals, Haiballah Akhamouk: percussion, backing vocals, Tahar Khaldi: percussion, backing vocals)
Sergio Mendoza: Piano on 9
Uummannaq Children’s Choir (Pipaluk Hammeken, Nielsine Lovstrom, Ruth Sorensen Else-Marie Nikolajsen, Bibiane Qaavigaq): Backing Vocals on 3, 5,10
Recorded and mixed at Dust &Stone Recording Studio, Tucson AZ by Gabriel Sullivan Assistant engineers: Dominique ‘Doume’ Maillard, Brian Lopez
Produced by Gabriel Sullivan, Brian Lopez
Mastered by Adam Boose at Cauliflower Audio
Artwork by Daniel Martin Diaz / Photography by Julius Schlosburg
Management: Christoph Storbeck / Striker Entertainment
For some reason, what I previewed and the real songs was somewhat different - maybe because of the cover art?
But I definitely don't regret something more spacial than expected. The recent Ocean drifting in space. frankwurst
The flac version of this sounds great in my truck... not a crunch, clip or boom to be heard. That, in itself, gets this major points.
This is a lovely combination of early Floyd, U2 and a few San Francisco bands from the '60s with a heavy dose of Helmet tossed in. It's definitely best of breed when it comes to modern psych stuff. Even without a Hammond B3, it gets an easy A+... rick-taylor
Trading majestic drone for smoldering assaults, the iconic Japanese outfit rekindle the leaden aggression of their early period. Bandcamp New & Notable Jul 8, 2020
Oh how I long for this album in vinyl format! Such smoothness. Such warmth. Such execution. This music begs to be taken along and woven into memories. Everyone I’ve shared this album with has loved it. The music speaks far and wide. Shouting out to a fellow follower, Brian Lehmann, for his excellent taste in music. If not for him, I likely would have never stumbled upon this absolute gem! Plinchmo Larduktin