Mexecho

Album review

Bernard Xolotl is one of new age music's true originals (he was Fortuna's first artist, dating back to 1979), although most of the musical transitions may not seem so original to the experienced ear. In fact, the musical journeys of Mexecho are like a travelogue through the various musical styles of Jarre, Lynch, Tri Atma and other familiar-sounding motifs of various genre maestros. Mexecho is part of The Edition Silent Beauty from Erdenklang, which, along with Koch and Krauser, are blessed with both a poetic beauty and an appealing commerciality. Mexecho ranges from the dreamy to processional, with percolating, bubbly elements playing off of layered undercurrents. While Xolotl's dedication is to Native Americans, past, present and future, most of the cultural inspiration is clearly south of the border, with evocative titles like "Veracruz 1864," "Granada," "Balboa," and "Mazatlan, Parts I-IV," with its distinctive "fiesta feeling." Nifty rhythms and effects are given lots of space with several pieces longer than six minutes, and his well-developed pieces are at their best when the authenticity of his feelings transcend the stylistic shortcomings.
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