Betty Donelly: Alone & No Title

Bella donna of cracked porcelain

As is the case with many fortunate events in life, my discovery of Betty Donelly and her universe was exclusively due to chance. While running a search for songs with the word "belladonna" in the title (for some reason that is of no importance at the moment), I came across one entitled The Belladonna Saucer Eyes. The melody and accompaniment brought memories of Marc Almond back in his glorious Mother Fist & Her Five Daughters days, while the vocals and singing style were reminiscent of The Cure - but still, the originality of the result as a total could account for a really unique musical identity. The voice had something tormented yet powerful in its "texture", the lyrics told a strange, melancholy story, an unexpected melodic twist in the last phrases of the refrain took me completely by surprise. I was hooked.

Melchiades - Kouki: 3908

Acid post-apocalypse

3908 is the fruit of an unexpected, if not improbable, collaboration between two artists whose diametrically opposite musical temperaments promise an intriguing (at least) auditory experience. The extremely minimalistic cover and laconic, enigmatic title do a really good job at disguising the tumultuous richness hidden within. This is an album that should by all means be seen - and most importantly, listened to - in conjunction with the personal view of art expressed by each one of its contributors.

The Melchiades Estrada Band: Pink Radio (single)

Fluorescent, inspired, fascinating

Pink Radio by The Melchiades Estrada Band boasts an intriguing title and the weird beauty of a composite, multifaceted instrumental melody that bridges the colourful epopy of the '80s with the more introverted sophistication of the '90s, and at the same time illustrates the evolution of the composer's own musical universe and personal mythology. Its parts are held together by the thread of rhythm that unfolds in the background, like a rebellious planet with its own cadence of movement, which strangely keeps the rest of the orbits attuned to the universal harmony.

The Melchiades Estrada Band: Music of Youth

Concentric worlds in fragmented reflections

Besides being the stunningly mature and elaborate work of a young prodigy, Music of Youth by The Melchiades Estrada Band constitutes also a historical point of reference for digitally composed music, since the medium used for the creation of these tracks (Protracker on an Amiga) is now obsolete. But the artistic value of this work is undeniable as well, demonstrating the composer's absolute mastery of his material and means.

JellRoy: Le voyage de Monsieur Fogg

Pilgrimage to the edge of the soul

A journey into the soul and the spirit, borrowing its symbolisms from well-known archetypes/prototypes and uniting sounds and aromas from all around the world in an interesting, attractive blend.