“Prelude to Smoochfest” is the latest, experimental, fusion, prog-rock album by Arcachata, with his usual energetic, focused, immersing playfulness and vast palette of musical ideals.

“Prelude to Smoochfest” is an older style LP set with 7 tracks, however, extending way beyond an EP length, including some fascinating musical journey and experiences. It is only available at Bandcamp for listening and for digital download purchase.

The challenge with Arcachata’s art is to give the right mindset and the time to understand it and let the songs in to actually feel them.

Let’s discover the album and its different characteristics.

Track 1, Life After Death, Part 1: is laying the foundation and serves as an unexpected intro, guiding the listeners into the musical mind realm of Arcachata. The low surrounding pads smoothly shift into playful brass and before we realize it transforms into the next track.

Track 2, Life After Death, Part 2: after the very smooth transition from part 1, a light piano sonata play morphs into the fusion jazz and progressive rock as we were listening to an early King Crimson part. Then, a bit oddly, some comfortable electronica take places as the third act, welcoming back some of the brass.

Track 3, Life After Death Part 3: it is the longest of the trio and once again a very different style. We get a good progressive rock drum-kit sequence with some classic guitar over it. Most probably the emphasized bass line functions as a quasi-vocal and the trademark digital brass as a counterpart. It is interesting how Arcachata is using the instruments and ideas to talk without words and paint a canvas without a brush. From the mid-part the song turns into a series of ideas loosely linked with a jazz overlay. This is the most experimental and attention requiring segment of the song.

Track 4, A Breach Of Microscopic Fauna: is an extended length, partly hardcore, partly trip-hop infused future-trap with stripped off drums and repetitive bass line. We hear a very picturesque storytelling and as it is most often with Arcachata’s compositions a soundtrack-like partitioned rough cuts are in between the smaller parts of the song. The mid-part is a dissonant piano chase with the vibe of uneasiness. As it progresses, we hear again some of the hardcore but mostly a jazz-electronica outro.

Track 5, Distant Melting Sunday: it comes with the most ear-friendly harmonies, we can say from among Arcachata’s lighter music pieces. A bit of a reminiscence of the early computer games – and that works well. Also, the song does not want to be more than it is, making it one of the most “pop” in Arcachata’s back catalogue. The outro has a good and catchy brass melody and the repetitive synths give us a nice ending.

Track 6, Footpath to El Higo: anyone who listens to Arcachata knows, he is quite good at playing the piano in Beethoven style and he starts this easy-mind song with that, too. Then we hear some vocalization, mixed as an extra instrument and this ends with a progressive rock drum program and a returning jazz style over it.

Track 7, Prelude to Smoochfest: this album namesake song in itself is EP length, yet, completely on spot and easily one of the best records. The combined and mashed electronic pulsation works well with the wondering piano and the digital brass harmonies. In the second half of the song with a significant tempo change we rush into a more digital sound, almost like an 8-bit game sound but it is resolved with a slowjazz-rock ending. The true secret in this piece is the drumprogram and the soundscape of the brass line.

Ultimately, “Prelude to Smoochfest” is an interestingly, curiously made, experimental rush and a sound-painted storytelling by Arcachata.

“Prelude to Smoochfest” is a great listen for the fans of experimental music and can be used well for stage plays as well.

Meet and listen to Arcachata on his:

website: https://www.arcachata.com/

Bandcamp: https://arcachata.bandcamp.com/album/prelude-to-smoochfest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arcachata/