Lorelle Meets The Obsolete announce new album Datura via Sonic Cathedral.
Mexican duo Lorelle Meets The Obsolete make a welcome return on June 16 with their sixth album, Datura. Recorded at their home studio in Ensenada, Baja California, it was mixed in Canada by Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes and mastered in Australia by Mikey Young of Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control, among others.
The first single from the album, ‘Dínamo’, is out now on all digital platforms. It’s a direct and discordant aural assault that sees them move further away from their psych-rock origins and into unexpected and uncharted territories.
The video for ‘Dínamo’ is directed by Victor Garay.
Datura is a short, sharp shock of a record with no fat on any of its eight songs. Gone are the psychedelic wig-outs found on previous releases, replaced with bass-heavy post-punk grooves inspired by the roots of The Congos, the no wave of Ike Yard, the industrial hip-hop of Dälek and the dark modular moves of Hiro Kone, all while harnessing the elemental power of Jon Hassell’s Vernal Equinox. “One of the rules that we had when writing was to keep the songs minimal in terms of instrumentation,” explains guitarist Alberto González.
“We didn’t want to do overdubs and endless layers this time around,”
adds singer and guitarist Lorena Quintanilla.
“We limited ourselves to the instrumentation of the new, four-piece line-up and we recorded almost everything live. The songs had to be very solid.” “We get bored with what we do, music-wise, so that motivates us into keeping things fresh,”
continues Alberto, as he explains the change of direction.
“Each album is a good representation of where we are at. We fear the thought of being trapped in the same ideas from years ago.
There’s something about nostalgia that creeps me out.”
Strangely, it was nostalgia that inspired the change. The duo marked their tenth anniversary in 2021 by playing reworked songs from their back catalogue and sharing videos online. The new arrangements saw them swapping between synths and guitars, and this – as well as Lorena’s solo releases as J. Zunz – has informed the new set-up. The ‘live in the room’ feel of the album also came from watching The Beatles do the same in Get Back. (One of a number of inspirations including the poetry of Mario Montalbetti, the TV series Atlanta, Eugenio Polgovsky’s documentaries and Arturo Ripstein’s movies). Jace Lasek was the perfect person to bring this feeling to the fore.
“That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about The Besnard Lakes’ records, And I really think he brought that to Datura. The only note we gave him before the mix was ‘we want this album to sound big and aggressive’.”
says Alberto.
It worked, that’s exactly how it sounds.
Not really surprising for a record that covers cultural colonialism, imperialism, conflicting opinions, intense emotions and insomnia. The title refers to the genus of plants often associated with ancient rituals that are also sometimes used as poison or hallucinogens.
A bit like Lorelle themselves, then. Datura is their fourth album for Sonic Cathedral and their sixth overall. We last heard from them at the start of 2020, when they followed the previous year’s acclaimed De Facto with a new EP and set out on the road in the US, wending their way to SXSW. History had other ideas, however, and they were left high and dry in upstate New York, resorting to a Crowdfunder to get home before lockdowns came into force. The band was paused.
As life returned to normal they played shows, firstly in Mexico and then, earlier this year, they finished what they started three years ago and toured the US with SUUNS. Now, finally, they are set to flower once again with Datura, their most direct and dynamic album to date; proof that nature really is healing. Datura will be available digitally, on CD and on two vinyl variants. The standard version is pressed on translucent blue vinyl, and the special ‘Espejo Rojo’ Dinked Edition comes on translucent red vinyl, housed in a mirrorboard sleeve with a holographic sticker and a postcard.
Photo by Fernando de la Rosa
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete play the following live dates in the UK later this year. More dates will be announced soon:
September 17 – Manchester – White Hotel September 18 – Glasgow – The Old Hairdresser’s September 19 – Newcastle – Cluny 2 September 20 – London – The Lexington September 21 – Birkenhead – Future Yard September 22 – Bristol – Rough Trade September 23 – Falmouth – The Cornish Bank September 24 – Ramsgate – Music Hall