ARTIST: Uvi.Lov
TITLE: Uvi.Lov
LABEL: Abolipop Records
GENRE: Instrumental
BITRATE: 161kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 44m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-00-00
RIP DATE: 2007-03-17
Track List
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1. Una Parte De Mi Esta Fascinada 4:06
Con La Autodestruccion
2. Cancion De Cuna Para La Luna 3:46
3. Vamos A Jugar A Que No Tenias 5:51
Miedo
4. 16 Millones De Colores 6:49
5. Me Perdi En Un Tunel Azul 5:41
6. Caminando En Circulos 9:47
7. Mientras Tu Dormias Yo 3:51
Pretendia No Estar Ahi
8. 4 Caracoler 5:07
Release Notes:
NOTE: There's very few vocals in this, and when they're used, it's like Sigur
Ros where the voice is another instrument and isn't really decipherable. A very
nice EP though. Enjoy. Certainly recommended if you like Sigur Ros or Mum.
This self-titled EP is Uvi.LovÆs second foray into the music world, the first
being the similarly titled Ivi EP. But considering the relative youthful status
of the band, combined with the fact that theyÆre from Monterrey, Mexico, youÆd
be forgiven for letting their name slip beneath the radar. However, while you
may not have heard the band before, itÆs easy to hear the familiar sound of
IcelandÆs Sigur Ros and M·m stitched into their songs. The tricky question which
we need to ask is: "do Uvi.Lov bring anything new to the table, or do their
songs constitute imitation (despite how well-intended this imitation may be)?"
Such questions are always difficult to call, and I remember making a similar
mistake in the past by dismissing EitS as an inferior Mogwai-meets-Godspeed. But
as this comparison illustrates, just because a band sounds like their
influences, itÆs not to say that they arenÆt important in their own right, or
wonÆt become so given time.
That said, the influence of Sigur Ros is largely transparent, and only really
comes to the fore on ô16 milliones de colores,ö a shimmering, radiant track with
all the power of the aforementioned Icelanders but with itÆs own quiet modesty.
The influence of M·m, however forms a much more tangible presence on the album.
Of course, this is largely due to the similarity of the two bands in their
approach to making music; in each case, songs are constructed primarily through
increasing layers of twinkly synth loops and repeating patterns of
reverb-drenched guitar combined with soft vocal utterances. But thereÆs
something more than that; even the specific scales and synth sounds used are
pretty much identical, let alone the identikit obsession with childhood wonder
and innocence, expressed through a preoccupation with space, dreams, love and
(probably) brightly coloured plastic. The sound itself falls comfortably
somewhere between M·mÆs Yesterday was Dramatic, Today is OK and Finally We Are
No One. In the case of ôIntroduccioni a un mundo de estrellasö and ôChico
caleidoscopio,ö the playful nostalgia of the former springs to mind, while
ôVamos a jugar a que no tenias miedoö and ôCaminando en circlesö echo the more
adventurous outer-space-seafaring quality of the latter.
But, in spite of this inescapable comparison, I find myself really enjoying the
songs on their own merit, noticing indicators of original ideas just waiting to
become fully realized. Take ôMe perdi en un tunel azulö for example: the track
begins almost like M·m-by-numbers -- you recognize the twinkling synth lines,
delayed guitar and so on, but pretty soon the band has incorporated a vocoder
and raw shoegaze style lead guitar. The outcome is fantastic, and only hints at
the groupÆs potential, if they are able to break free from the bands which have
influenced them, to find a space of their own. Of course, the real test for the
band will be whether they manage to achieve this on their next release. But
considering what theyÆve managed to achieve already with this EP I for one
remain optimistic about their potential.