Márquez's Haribol (a Hare Krishna greeting roughly translated as "chant the name of God") may remind some EDM fans of the Robert Miles/Trilok Gurtu collaboration Miles-Gurtu, wherein Gurtu murders world percussion instruments while Miles strings ambient, jazzy soundscapes around him. It's a moody thunderstorm of a record, favoring tight parameters over patterns of tension and release. Márquez attempts something similar using the Uruguayan candombe rhythm as a key ingredient. There's no denying the beat's overarching presence, a firecracker of uplifting syncopation. Opener "Sudáfrica" embodies the volume's ambitions: the beat leads with a squelch bass providing melody and all other textures (mostly percussive) peppering the track. It's a stomper. On "Listen," Márquez follows the opener's lead allowing a wild, harmonic minor synth to wind like a kite over the drums until everything shrinks and we're left with Márquez pounding away. But the album doesn't always work. The title track evokes cheesy house and "Sensation of Love for Krishna" feels aimless. It never gels like Miles-Gurtu because Márquez lacks either musician's mastery. Even so, this volume is worth a listen because of Márquez's ambition and discipline, which his contemporaries too often lack.
★★★ (out of 5 stars)
