Making Amigos with M.G.R. y Destructo Swarmbots
Otherwise known as guitarist Mike Gallagher from Isis, M.G.R. (short for the Vonnegut-inspired moniker Mustard Gas and Roses) has been quietly releasing albums and collaborations since 2005?s Nova Lux premiered on Neurot. After allying with SirDSS for 2006?s Impromtu (also Neurot) and releasing Wavering on the Cresting Heft on Conspiracy in 2007, Gallagher and Destructo Swarmbots guitarist Mike Mare have combined their efforts to the end of Amigos de la Guitarra, released under the appropriate name ?M.G.R. y Destructo Swarmbots!
Since both the individual parties essentially make instrumental ambient music, the safest bet is that their collaboration will as well, and Amigos de la Guitarra doesn?t disappoint on that front. With just one 42-minute track, ?Amor en el Aire,? the album achieves a cohesive drone minimalism, offering bass and noise samples as fellow hypnotizers to the guitar. It won?t lull you to sleep, but neither is it booty-bumping or beer-swilling party music. That should go without saying.
I?ve always seen M.G.R. as a kind of private outlet. Not necessarily a vanity project, but not far off. Gallagher, in stepping away from his highly influential main outfit, engages in something far more singular. Certainly Nova Lux had its lonely moments. Amigos de la Guitarra, despite its subdued approach, is full and engaging. There are parts that sound like the quiet movements of an Isis track, it?s true, but that?s hardly fair when one takes into consideration that Isis took their cues from ambient works in the first place and incorporated them into a heavier context.
?M.G.R. y Destructo Swarmbots! maintains a secretive feel, and the album slowly unravels to its satisfying close, demanding a patient, focused listen. Not everyone is going to be willing to donate the attention called for, but drone-loving heads and those given to being awake in the middle of the night will find the work of these two artists makes for suitable and enjoyable companionship.
