Herman Martinez, a self described singer/songwriter/multi-Instumentalist from N.J, has a new album out titled, “Solopsi Radio.” It was produced by Ahmed Mahmoud. The songs have an experimental quality to them that seem to mix different rock genres, while including obscure samples and defying traditional song structures. The very first song, “Phonic Chronicles” is a good example of this. It’s very hard to classify but still rocks just the same. A lot of the songs vaguely remind me of variations of 90’s indie experimental music. The track “Sculptor” has an alternative feel to it, reminiscent of old school Sebadoh. One element that seems to work really well is the way each song continuously builds momentum. Often they begin with very minimal guitars or quiet samples/noise, but slowly work their way up toward bellowing, blended chaos and a darker, fuller sound. With 11 songs total and nearly an hour of music, this album delivers a great variety of content. I’d recommend this album to anyone who is looking for music that isn’t boring. It leaves you with a great feeling of not knowing what to expect.
