Richard Ramirez + Government Alpha – Sol Suave CDr (Xerxes)
Collab album recorded live in person in Tokyo, Japan Dec. 14, 2003. Released in 2005.
Neither artist go full in on their own signature sounds and they meet somewhere in between. Not overtly harsh, each piece is fairly dynamic.
Sol Suave feels much different than a mail collaboration. Since they are performing in the same room, it sounds like they are both listening and playing off each other, actually reacting and improvising live.
If it was a jazz duo, it feels like Richard holding down the tempo as the drummer and Yoshida being the soloing sax player. For some reason, thinking of John Coltrane's Interstellar Space when listening to this just because of the interplay. There is also a great song titled, "Overflowed Jupiter" that plays into the planetary theme.
This leans closer to a more psychedelic Government Alpha sound. Richard completely veers away from any HNW or super crunchy textures and provides more foundational or complimentary sounds and let's Yoshida kind of solo and jam on most of the tracks.
A couple of the tracks are even more experimental and I would have never guessed it was Richard and Yoshida involved if put to a blindfold test.
Unique release and not what I was expecting! Would love to hear a modern day follow up.
