Seraphina Lotkhamnga on September 17th, 2014

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Some may recognize Gabriel Garzón-Montano‘s voice from his work with big band EMEFE and in his funk project Mokaad, but the Brooklyn composer and multi-instrumentalist slows things down a bit for his solo material. His debut EP “Bishouné: Alma del Huila” is a captivating collection of songs featuring minimalist structures yet leave a big imprint on the audio senses as much as they do on the mind. Its standout track “Keep On Running” provides social commentary on life’s rat race-like aspect (also illustrated in its Ryan Bock-directed short film above) while also leaving its simple funky melody with you. Eclectic textures is a strong thread throughout Garzón-Montano’s EP; elements like the empty space around the claps in opening track “6 8” come by way of recording at Henry Hirsch’s famed Waterfront Studio, which was renovated from an old church. Even the closing track “Me Alone” layers Garzón-Montano’s vocals in such an intimate way that it becomes a sensual plea to his lover. “Bishouné: Alma del Huila” is out now via Styles Upon Styles.

||| Live: Gabriel Garzón-Montano performs Thursday at Fifty Seven.

||| Also: Check out the video for “Everything is Everything.”

Photo by Jessica Lehrman