Bruxista - Human Resources (2017)

After ten years releasing under the ESDLCP moniker Jose' Cerda aka Bruxista initiates with Human Resources a new cycle of work. And it is precisely the cycles, phases and rhythmic layering that defines his new persona as one rich in material, with its cut-off sounds that are manipulated and processed yet accommodating to the ear as it rewards the listener with a revelation of hidden features in abundance. Surely to the chagrin of Cerda's resentfully independent spirit, the music nonetheless holds distinct traces of Steve Reich' minimalism, free jazz and dance music but it manages to intermingle its elements with such virtuosity that the past, present and future placidly coexist without the listener perceiving anything but the final result. The track titles testify to Cerda's continued political positioning with their overt reference to human challenges that the music can only hint at. As Bruxista, he particularly rebels against the formulaic manners of dance music as he trials the limits of dynamics from the calm and hypnotic to extreme restlessness. Here we see a clear sign of Cerda's mature style as he allows the music to disintegrate, only to pick it up again in a rich listening experience that keeps the audience constantly on its toes. At times bordering the baroque in his elaborate execution, at others sparse and minimalist, Bruxista is convincingly on top of his game on Human Resources as the album celebrates an artistic vision in full bloom. At the start of 2000 Jose' Manuel Cerda was selling pirated CDs on the streets of his home town Santiago, Chile. One sunny day as he was searching amongst the latest Hollywood mega productions he came across a bundle of audio production software, and he immediately thought that this was his opportunity to provide some direction to his life. Today, Bruxista is Jose''s most recent moniker and even if has long established himself as one of the most relevant and uniquely recognizable Chilean artists he has remained faithful to his working method with the computer as his primary instrument. With a talent that amply makes up for his absence of formal training, Jose' Cerda balances experimenting with affability, novelty and popular music's particular attraction as it is manifest on a string of albums released 2005-2016 under the typically atypical moniker El Sueño de la Casa Propia (ESDLCP, The Aspiration of Owning One's House). Well-known in the North- and South American underground, this journey positioned ESDLCP as one of the most fascinating Latin American musicians.