Gu Vo – II

Seville which is located towards the south of Spain is best known for its vibrant flamenco culture, stunning Moorish architecture (like the Alcázar palace), world-class tapas, and major festivals such as Semana Santa (Holy Week) and the Feria de Abril (April Fair).

Meanwhile the name Gu Vo both refers to a small, unincorporated community located on the Tohono O'odham Nation reservation in Pima County, Arizona and while less excitingly its also a specific series of shallow, gravelly soil. One hopes that the band were inspired to name themselves after the former rather than the latter; speaking of which they are a trio from the aforementioned Seville and are comprised of Drummer Edu Escobar (Blacanova, Tannhäuser, Trisfe), Bassist Raúl Burrueco (Combray, Tannhäuser) and Alejandro Ruiz (2020) on Synthesizer/Vocals. II follows 2022’s S/T debut and I’m very hopeful that the band’s four year absence will have proved beneficial on this their long awaited sophomore release.

A key component of Gu Vo is the absence of Guitars, so if you were wanting overdriven powerchords ala AC/DC then prepare to be disappointed. This point is particularly highlighted from the start with ‘Sorcerer’ and its driving motorik beat common with vintage 70’s Krautrock and the likes of Kraftwerk (the traffic cone era) and Neu! A strong start. ‘Drill’ has a more contemporary feel which recalls any number of bands from the Rocket Recordings label, particularly The Utopia Strong and Teeth of the Sea. The progressive ingredient of those bands is particularly prevalent but thankfully not of the ponderous kind which would render the listener into a coma. In fact the track is far more accessible and engaging than what those bands produce due to the more user-friendly running time, smart, very smart. A cough might begin ‘Yukio’ but don’t go expecting ‘Sweet Leaf’. Rather than a tribute to weed you are instead greeted with something far more Psych and Space-Rock inspired, think Hawkwind’s Nik Turner solo output as well as Farflung and you’d be in the right ballpark, superb.

‘Martian Dust Devil’ refers to whirlwinds which happen on Mars and which are several times larger than what we have on planet Earth. Bearing this in mind the music is appropriately dark sounding, an omnipresent threat like feeling never far from the surface. Furthermore the 1986 film ‘When the Wind Blows’ comes to mind, particularly the scene where the nuclear bomb drops and the resultant devastation, stunning. ‘601’ is the album’s longest track at nearly seven minutes and its most hypnotic what with the intermittent Vocals and insistent ambient vibes ala Brian Eno and Popol Vuh. Speaking of the latter there is a slight New Age-ness about the track but thankfully its handled in a dignified fashion sans incense and pseudo hippy psycho babble. ‘Penguin Land’s dub inspired Basslines are positively infectious and the driving force behind this particular number, while the minimalist, synthesizer-driven scores with tense, moody atmospherics are not far removed from John Carpenter’s godlike soundtrack work, stunning. ‘Frog Rug’ both with its title and improv jamming is not a million miles removed from that of Can and all the better for it, finally, ‘Ebb Tide’ is a little Jazzy with some major drones going down reminiscent of Earth’s post reunion material. As a fan of that band this was always going to appeal, an excellent if unexpected conclusion to the record.

Good things come to those who wait and so is the case here. The band have produced a Krautrock and Psych inspired classic well worth your time and investment. Tune in and drop out, it’ll be well worth it.