Customer Reviews

Dream Signals in Full Circles

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Awesome and wonderful. Tristeza are a very special band from San Diego. This second album goes even further beyond their also fantastic first release. Dreamy and hypnotic rock instrumentals, beautifully crafted, that flow and flow. Just to give you an idea, imagine the Cocteau Twins playing Tortoise covers, or Aerial M jamming with Brian Eno and King Tubby...Well, I hate comparisons, non-stop playing it since I bought it last week, and getting better and better. Don't loose time reading this review, go and get it!

Meditative and substantial. NOT new age or Windham Hilly as some have charged. Soundtrack to an imaginary Hal Hartley film. In legion with Pell Mell, Tortoise sorta, Lanterna, Arovane, Raybeats, Tangerine Dream, Rothko. Vocals absent like a phantom limb. Nectarine Dream. Lyrical sans lyrics. Dance while you read.

Jimmy LaValle (also of The Album Leaf) and his cohort, Christopher Sprague, have created yet another intricate guitar masterpiece. The melodic basslines and beautiful keyboards, combined with the warm, gentle sound of the guitars, make this instrumental release another success for Tristeza. Plus, this full-length is readily available -- unlike previous Tristeza recordings that are either out of print or just hard to track down. Excellent.

Tristeza's releases this sparkling jewel after their amazing debut on Makato Recordings "Spine and Sensory". The band consists only of instrumental perfection and beauty nothing else. Picture in your mind/ears lush melodic guitars intertwining - melting into one another, solid full deep bass guitar, crisp clear intricate drums, a layer of ethereal keyboards floating over the mix, etc. The music is much more than that of precise tones mixed with perfect rhythym...they come to represent an undescribale feeling.. one of bliss and passion. Perfect for those depressed moods when your bottle of prozac is empty. If you like anything in vein of mogwai (matador records), tortoise (thrill jockey), aurore rien (sunseasky productions-amazing band, check them out as well)godspeed you black emperor (kranky), paul newman (trance syndicate), appleseed cast (deep elm - new material) then this is must for you. My advice, make it your next purchase.

This cd is just too much to describe in pure words. Which is probably the reason this band consists only of instrumental perfection and beauty. Picture in your mind and ears lush melodic guitars intertwined, solid bass, crisp clear drums, a layer of sparse keyboards, etc. The songs are much more than that of tones mixed with rhythym...they represent an undescribable feeling.. one of bliss and happiness, it makes me very happy when I'm feeling kind of down and unhappy. If you like anything in vein of mogwai, tortoise, godspeed you black emperor, paul newman, red stars theory...this must for certan be your next purchase..my advice go buy it now..or you'll be sorry!

I have been fortunate enough to see Tristeza perform in the living room of a friend's house, and fell hopelessly in love with their sound on the spot. Never before have I witnessed 5 musicians on stage, each one with his eyes closed. The somnombulistic sound will lull you into the most wonderful dream...I promise you won't want to wake up.

I have to say this cd is quite good. I am a big Album Leaf fan, but Tristeza definately has more of an authentic sound. Beautiful hooks that never get old and inspiring melodies dominate the theme to this album. I recommend it. Perfect "deep thought" music. If you enjoyed this album I also recommend "Spine and Sensory" which is a bit different, but along the same realm....

I was introduced into Tristeza just a couple of days ago. Having enjoyed The Album Leaf, where their Jimmy LaValle currenly plays, it is no surprise that I found Tristeza's "Dream Signals in Full Circles" highly enjoyable. They sound very similar. Think mellower Mogwai, and you're pretty close to the sound of these guys.

Though I wasn't terribly impressed with the drum work (the only reason I gave it 4.5 stars), the rest of the instrumentation (there's no vocals in here) is lovely. The album can take you on a journey of self-discovery if you let it. The music goes in certain circles, much like the cover of the album or the title, almost reaching a minimalist state at times, though not quite.

Grab a copy and play it over and over again... you will love it too.

Beautiful, mellow grooves. This is intense concentration music or background music, though. Won't go over well at a party. I can't listen to it all the time, but that's probably because instrumental rock sometimes turns me off. I don't have a lot of instrumental know-how, so I'll make some faulty comparisons: prettier, less menacing than Godspeed You Black Emperor, less metal than Don Caballero (though I haven't heard their new stuff, which I hear isn't as hard).

Beautiful hooks, interesting sounds. Good stuff, sparky. If you like other Trizteza or I-Rock in general, do yourself the favor of a copy.

an album i have enjoyed for a long time now, tristezas "dream signals.." never gets old. well, sometimes. the music is incredibly hypnotic. dub inflected bass and repetitious building guitar lines spiral inward and outward creating avery dreamlike atmosphere. a very hazy one at that. with the excpetion of "shifty drifty" the tracks make a fractal musical landscape. some say the drumming isnt so great, and truly its not awe inspiring, it just does its job. which is to keep the rhythm. it also allows the guitar bass and keyboards do the whirling configurations they do best. other bands have proven to be very good at making songs chock full of riffs and drums (don caballero for one, and dianogah on a nother hand - do check them both out) but that is where tristeza is a different band with a different approach. while some may want to compare it to mogwai, i cant really agree. it doesnt have the explosive quality that mogwai often embodies, and godspeed you black emperor are in another category all together. this is very dreamy hypnotic music for fans of dub and maybe even some dance music. it is a very good album for a late night chill session or an early morning come-down. also great to read too but the bass lines alone had me paying more attention. they just really cement the band and allow the guitars to dance. i would maybe put this more in line with some of the OUT HUD stuff that exists out there. and if you are looking for a tristeza sound that more closely resembles the mogwais and explosions in the sky out there, then i suggest you pick up "spine and sensory" it is their first album and is also very worth picking up. it has a more post rock feel that many would find appetizing. but for a wholly different approach to instrumental rock, do check out this fine release. and dont complain to me if you think it sounds "new age", what the hell is new age anyway? i mean this isn't enya or anything. ^_^