by Hari Skwatir • March 23rd, 2007
(from eksena.net archives)
Unbeknownst to almost everybody on the scene, our jazz/blues/metal/whatever musical heroes Smooth Friction just released not one, but, a couple unheard albums for this year. Infact, the two albums are so obscure that no radio airplays, no release party, and no PR shit is heard of from the public. The only way you can hear the songs on the new album is by going to their gigs, which to further dissapoint you, not that many these days.
The first release to be (not so) publicly available is something called “Panyero“. It is somewhat a hodgepodge of jazz, blues, stoner rock and whatnots. Some of the songs here are also found on that Popsicle EP they gave away for free(i lost my copy dammit!) last year. Or was it two years ago? Panyero also includes classic live tracks from their previous two albums, 2nd Coming(2003) and Oh Yeah(2001).
The second offering, entitled “Kinasing-kasing Nga Halad“(which gives the title an insane twist. Think: Frank Zappa’s Weasels Rip My Flesh), is more of an Inidoro(Mikmik’s other personal project) rather than a Smooth Friction(or Ismut Priksyon as it was cleverly spelled on the album cover) release. Most of the songs in here are a wee bit off-ish the hook-ish and may sound a bit “unconventional” to the pre-2nd Coming ‘Smooth listeners. Old, albeit heavy, songs such as Kolkog and 3X a Half Day, are also thrown in the album to exhaust the overall album theme. Although I have to say, songs like Sayaw Sa Mga Mahuyang Nga Tikbalang and Ang Paglupad Sa Manananggal could psyche out or amuse(or both at the same time) their average solid-ug-lawas listeners. (Speaking of which, sorry to disappoint all of you Ismut fans but you won’t be hearing a Solid ug Lawas part II on this album.)
Which brings us all to these nagging questions. With the two latest unheard and highly under-promoted albums that they’re currently trying to pull off(or put on), a) are these guys trying to prove something? Or it could be the opposite. (These guys have nothing else to prove, i guess) We also knew that most members are quite busy nowadays(business, job posts, etc) and it goes without saying that most of them are on a lie-low mode, but b) are they trying to make a statement by not making any? c) Is no show now becoming a show? d) is a doble kara(starting with their moniker) band their newfound image?? e) why do they have so many myspace accounts?? f) when will they cease to amaze true-blue fans?
And just like Dylan, we actually thought that these answers are up up in the air.
(Click album image above to stream their new songs.)
Related Links:Smooth Friction @ Soundclick
Smooth Friction @ MySpace
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