- Palto Flats might be best known for its reissues of Japanese artists like Midori Takada and Mariah, but it's no slouch when it comes to new material. Like those records, Conga Square's Secada Mondatta feels both futuristic and out of time, intelligent yet primitive. It combines electronics, a minimalist and dubby mentality, exuberant solos and a hint of the avant-garde, a recipe that gestures towards the time- and space-collapsing tendencies of the Fourth World. It also inaugurates a new Palto Flats sub-label, PFF, promising "contemporary electronic/experimental/dance releases."
A key trait of the record is the contrast between synthetic and acoustic sounds, like how hand percussion is subtly layered on top of the rhythmic synth line in "Fifth Season." The electronic rhythms are pleasingly twisted and funky, teeming with the subtle quirks of an organic system. Unexpectedly, the track steadily becomes joyful as a synth toys with pitch-bent melodic lines and gurgling modulations.
Similar juxtapositions also drive "Raiders." A flute trills suggestively but no one else wants to play—the spacious arrangement is stark, which isolates the frisky flute. The group toys with near-silence and the subs are surprisingly weighty considering the loose atmosphere. "Raiders" doesn't have "Fifth Season"'s weirdo funk, but its restraint makes for a solemn listen. While "Raiders"' flute and the lead lines from "Fifth Season" are essential to the overall character of Conga Square, it's hard to ignore how strong the moodier elements are in isolation.
Prayers for a more stripped arrangement are answered on the title track. There's steam and moisture in the mix, and the groove, like "Fifth Season," moves in a slo-mo chug in the Salon Des Amateurs vein, producing an earthen quality. The sensation is enhanced by wooden-sounding pitched percussion, which pans above bulbous subs. With these rhythmic and textural chops, Secada Mondatta is a great start for Conga Square and PFF.
TracklistA1 Fifth Season
B1 Raiders
B2 Secada Mondatta