Recorded during COVID lockdown, the title (translated: With You in the Social Distance) captures a sense of togetherness during one of the hardest – and most divisive -times in recent memory, and the feel-good heart of Mariachi music is a great way in which to do so.
The cover shows the musicians involved, each illustrated in separate, stylised images and playing their preferred instruments, circling the MES logo. It’s an evocative series of images, drawn as if all captured at night, and with the glow of screens and laptop lights hazily beaming out. The views through the visible windows and artefacts smattering walls, combined with that familiar glow really does capture the kind of isolated, compressed lives that we led during the worldwide lockdowns, but in a soft and positive way that shows that creativity can still flourish, albeit in a different light. The rear of the cover shows a really great image, a mariachi musician playing guitar near a lazing woman, head cupped in a hand, gazing up at the night – seemingly on the end of a pier - but the flecks of night/light behind them could well be a metaphor for the world, or moon – as if their private world is captured in a snow globe, it works well with the cover imagery. The image is quite striking, and I do wish that the text on this side was slightly more subtle, so as to draw more attention to the art. Below the image is a list of all the musicians involved, whilst the track list runs down the centre.
Inside the sleeve is a glossy sheet, on one side of which are some paragraphs covering the creative process behind the album - overcoming the issues at hand, and generally giving off positive vibes and messages. On the flip side of this is a more informative version of the track list, this time showing the writers and composers involved. Below this, the general album information can be found. I am a fan of the backdrop artwork to the text on both sides – a wallpaper of classic mariachi instruments in grey on a dark background. The record itself is reflective of the ‘MES’ logo used on the album cover, in that it’s coloured half deep purple and half light blue, it’s a great-looking record, and the shade of purple used (my favourite colour) does call to mind evenings spent creatively and calmly.
Track-by-Track
SIDE A
Opening Suite – Halo – Shimmering violin and choral vocals open the record, delicately hovering over gentle percussion and bass. After a short break, guitar joins in with a horn section. The production feels cosy and somewhat live in presentation, as if you are hearing a band playing in a bar that you are walking past. Turning the record up loud really lets you catch all the wonderful room sounds that give it the characteristic warmth. In terms of the song itself, It’s an unusual opener as it is relatively understated, not showcasing the gusto that we know will be shown later in the album. It’s more of a casual, introductory opener than, say, kicking open the saloon doors, whilst shaking maracas, tap-dancing in cowboy boots, and then ordering a round of tequila.
Battle For Glory - PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds – The first of several vocal-led tracks on the album. That instantly recognisable mariachi trumpet (an incredibly evocative sound) plaintively calls out over hand-strummed acoustic guitar, a passionate intro to Alana Urbano’s rich vocals. Simple lyrics that sing of battle and unknown futures, her voice is perfectly suited to the emotive, powerful acrobatics that the track calls for. The second verse – a lyrical repetition – ramps up the passion in the vocal delivery again, until the third revolution is thick with layers and backing vocals. All of this is backed up with cascading violins and a real sense of urgency in the playing. I’m usually dubious about vocals -and especially the lyrical content – of music from video games, but here, the force of delivery and way in which the track uses the lyrics and melodies as foundations to build upon as the instrumentation also raises in intensity really pulls you into the song, and I find it a genuinely rousing experience. One thing I’m really starting to notice from the many listens I’ve had of the album is that – possibly due to the circumstances under it was recorded and mixed – there’s no danger of over-production or a false sheen here, which is a strength, due to the celebratory, ensemble ‘go for broke’ - sensibility. With each listen you pick up on tiny, wonderful, and natural imperfections that bring life and a human touch to the record, good.
Zeromus - Final Fantasy IV – Panicked trumpet and bubbling bass lead the pack over violin and guitar that lay a tonal foundation here, in a track that almost has a ‘70s movie intro feel injected into it through the mariachi blood. It’s a track that completely projected a video short in my mind, following the energetic musical themes.
Knights of Cydonia – The first track to bring in distorted guitar, vocals and all instruments come together to form a rousing intro. The guitar used has a boxy, sustained sound with light wah that drops out to let a clean guitar play one of the most beautiful melodies on the album over a surprisingly galloping beat, the juxtaposition of the rhythm and melodies set my trousers on fire, especially as the strings join in - you can hear the fret noise on the guitar, such is the level of intimacy in the recording. After a horn section interlude, it becomes clear that the guitar was hinting at the approaching male vocal melody – a voice that called to mind Cherry Ghost’s Simon Aldred -backed up by Alana Urbano once more. This was a track that stood out to me upon first listen, and the clean guitar line reached out of the speakers and gently caressed my face. Good. The song almost reaches for a false finish as washy distortion wah-wahs out, but this is a mere trick as layered vocals come in over dancing violin and pulses of bass that again build and build to take us to a single-note guitar riff that adds an extra shot of rum to the punch, as the vocals repeat the choral melodies over the top. A highlight of the album that almost demands an instant relisten to capture everything that the song has to offer.
Marble Zone - Sonic the Hedgehog – This is simply gorgeous. When I knew that I was going to cover the album, I couldn’t help but listen to this on Spotify (I was incredibly excited that I was going to discuss a mariachi-themed VGM record) and I remember the very moment – I actually stopped walking down my hallway when this came on, and closed my eyes to drink it in. The punchy upright bass, violin, and mariachi trumpet play this out like lovers dancing across a varnished ballroom as the rest of the instrumentation circles them in a seductive ballet. This could have gone on for ten minutes and I would have cared not, kind sir! One of the greatest interpretations of music from the Sonic the Hedgehog series I’ve encountered, beautifully realised in a way that brings a smile to my face each time I hear it.
Gangplank Galleon - Donkey Kong Country – A daintier song here, as three-note bass runs, staccato guitar and flute lead the way, eventually speeding up, like a parting wave to allow the soaring horn section to enter. The tempo brings the southern party heat, and rocks along until the music drops out almost completely, and what seems like everyone in the band – and their children – end this, the first side of the record in a glorious group vocal. The younger voices and “one more time?” that end the track adds to that sense of fun, community and warmth that the production and style of the album conveys through each track. Lovely stuff, and a glorious way to end the first side - as it feels like the intermission in a live show.
Side B
Welcome Horizons - Animal Crossing: New Horizon – This is the song that I knew would be a favourite of my fiancée, a woman who has spent hundreds of hours in the world of Animal Crossing. It’s wonderfully captured here and is a calming and lightly ethereal way to open the second side of the album. The use of dynamics reminds me of Across the Worlds - which I covered earlier in the year - in that the full scope is utilised in the mastering. The organic vibes almost demand that you crank the volume up to appreciate the record at its fullest as it moves from delicate, organic moments to full-bore action.
Sayonara Wild Heart - Sayonara Wild Hearts – I adore this song, and it hit me out of nowhere. The double-tracked vocals of Alana Urbana here are sung much more elfinly and delicately than in Battle for Glory, her voice is sweet and innocent as it delivers some of the strongest melodies on the album, and I dare anyone not to be swept away by the subtle beauty of the chorus to this song. The music is no slouch, either – a great repeating melody comes courtesy of the horn section as the violins reach straight for the heart strings. Another track that I’d be happy to be tripled in length. It’s a song that seems specifically designed to crack my heart.
Beetlejuice – Beetlejuice – Well, I did NOT expect a version of the Beetlejuice theme on here! It’s perfectly judged, though, and if you are a fan of the film, I’m sure you’ll almost be able to visualise the spinning, zany introduction to the film as you listen. Is this a hint at a future MES album that will delve into mariachi versions of movie themes, or simply a fun diversion? Who cares? It’s great fun!
Strike the Earth - Shovel Knight – A game I’m very familiar with, this brought memories back as it launches in, guns blazing, trumpet at the fore, pumping out that well-loved score. It’s a track that follows on well from Beetlejuice, keeping the blood pumping and wailing out the theme to one of the most celebrated pixelated games in recent memory.
Bonetrousle – Undertale – More gold from a beloved modern classic, the trumpet continues its merry jaunt across the song, this time moving thematically with the other instrumentation in a shorter loop that adds more with each revolution. Filmic hand claps act as percussion until the trumpet hands the reigns to violin, giving this an oddly cinematic vibe that harks back to the MES take on Beetlejuice, with extra daintiness courtesy of the woodwind section.
Costa del Sol - Final Fantasy VII – A bossa nova guitar riff kicks in, bringing a sexiness to the album that reminded me of the MES version of Marble Zone on the previous side. There’s a smoky, sultriness that comes through in the low-slung bass, woodwind section, plucked violin and saucy trumpet. This is cocktail party music for incredibly beautiful people…people who are possibly spies, and in love with each other. And it’s great.
Vega - Street Fighter II – As we approach the end of the record, the penultimate track brings back gutsiness and a nod to a more classic style. Flugelhorn, trumpet, and piccolo all work wonderfully off each other over an explosive backdrop, it’s a track that lets all of the instruments have their moment in the sun, culminating in a wailing guitar solo, which is absolutely fine.
KK Mariachi Shop Closing - Animal Crossing: New Horizon – A track that starts off as a ball of sunshine, soon fades to a mournful and very Disney-esque, violin-led moment, calling to mind cartoon characters under a starry night sky. A slow waltz to end the album in a sleepy and filmic style that acts as the perfect bookend.
Mariachi Entertainment System has given us a wholesome, enriching, and warming album that brings together quite an eclectic mix of songs that has a natural cohesion due to the way in which they are captured by the band.
There’s a real sense of camaraderie that bleeds through, that feels especially poignant due to the circumstances under which the album was recorded. I’m not overly familiar with the mariachi genre – my exposure to it has been mainly through films - but it’s a style that really lends itself to new twists on familiar songs, and can deliver anything from fast-paced action, to swooning seductiveness, and heartbreak – I really hope that this is the first in a series of MES records that continues to dive into - and add that Mariachi Entertainment System twist to – VGM music.
Record Label – Troggo Studio
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