Out of the Anonymous

The last time I had the pleasure to review Out of the Anonymous within these pages was way back in 2004 with their sophomore release, Masked Media.

And this trio of extremely adept musicians has now shared more than a decade together and the individual members have always gelled intuitively. On record, they seem deliberate and planned, which is fine. But live, they are a whole different animal.

And like animals, wild animals even, this band's moves and reactions can be unexpected, whimsical, full of guts, and quite fun. It is always a pleasure to see good musicians do their thing. But these three know each other so well, the actual process is pure bliss to witness.

Perez, I imagine, tinkers away in his home at all hours of the night. And this imbues the music with a cultured outlook on world sounds as well as a streak of paranoia at home with Japanese mecha films, David Lynch dreamscapes, and lucid morning moments.

There are elements of Middle Eastern and Eurasian music -- not to mention well-crafted amalgams of organic and digital sounds, and pop sensibilities. These are mostly instrumental tracks that veer toward electronic, acid jazz, and trip-hop. But they are also pretty rock 'n' roll in their own right.

Going back to Out of the Anonymous's greatness on the live plane, CD Number Four is the band's first official release that truly captures the jam in its primal form. And repeated listens have revealed endless layers.

While I'd hate to nitpick and single tracks out, it's cheeky to note that the opener "Midnight Deceptions" does a good job of deceiving with its upbeat tempo and exhilarated execution. But the rest of the album is a run through dark alleys of future dystopias, ghostly vocals and the possibility that robots will one day rule over us. These are long and beautiful jams -- dark, mysterious, complex, affordable, engaging, evolving. These are the sounds of a cavernous psyche. - Miami New times

For many years I've regressed into the darkness of my home armed solely with the music these fuckers make. Why? Because it is good. It is ambient, it is paranoid, it comes from left-field, and it is made by some of the most unsung of unsung heroes we have here in South Florida: Out of the Anonymous.

Henry Rajan's been involved in a myriad of projects. From punk to funk to lounge to rock to electric-futuristic Italo-disco, he's held down the bass for many down here. Buffalo Brown's been hot with the elasticity of the Elastic Bond as well as numerous one-offs and sandal-clad mosh-pits across the tropical-scape.

And Ulysses Perez ... lordy-lord, talk about going back home and redrawing the blueprints. This man's been a quiet part of South Florida's aural history for the last twenty-plus years, making electric amalgams of free-jazz, trip-hop, rock, and whatever-you-got. I've been sitting eagerly since 2004's Masked Media, a guided tour of low-ends and delicious cacophonies that define the very best of the genre, if you can even peg a genre on.

These are thought-out jams that belie a crux in the time-space continuum. It's not for us to understand. It is for us to enjoy. Let us rejoice within their timelines.

The animation at the beginning of their just released 8+ minute video of "This Should Be the Place" is so simple, it might as well be a part of South Park's opening credits. But then color treated trees jump into the shot, and a dizzying sample of landscapes and lamp posts take over. Should we be wearing 3-D glasses for this?
- Miami New times