When Gui Boratto released his 2007 debut, Chromophobia, it was celebrated for the way the São Paulo musician blended minimal instrumentation with ambulated melodies. On Pentagram, his fourth LP and first in seven years, Boratto has managed to keep his arrangements simple, but his sense of adventure has been traded in for a comfortable state of familiarity.
Over 12 tracks and 60 minutes, Boratto drenches his songs with effects and moods, but unfortunately, much of the music on Pentagram could be found on any run-of-the-mill electronic LP. Tracks like the rock box-influenced opener "The Walker" and the '90s Euro-dance number "Spur" show Boratto demonstrating a vulgarized version of his multi-coloured beats.
But even when Boratto does try to move out of his comfort zone, like on the cascading slow jam "Scene 2," he sounds maudlin and forced, while "Hallucination," featuring a vocal performance from a resurrected B.T., attempts to follow the dreamy mood suggested by its title, but comes off simply unfocused.
On Pentagram, Gui Boratto seems uninspired, but worse, unsure of what made his music so inventive in the first place.
(Kompakt)Over 12 tracks and 60 minutes, Boratto drenches his songs with effects and moods, but unfortunately, much of the music on Pentagram could be found on any run-of-the-mill electronic LP. Tracks like the rock box-influenced opener "The Walker" and the '90s Euro-dance number "Spur" show Boratto demonstrating a vulgarized version of his multi-coloured beats.
But even when Boratto does try to move out of his comfort zone, like on the cascading slow jam "Scene 2," he sounds maudlin and forced, while "Hallucination," featuring a vocal performance from a resurrected B.T., attempts to follow the dreamy mood suggested by its title, but comes off simply unfocused.
On Pentagram, Gui Boratto seems uninspired, but worse, unsure of what made his music so inventive in the first place.