On His Third Studio Album, Santi Is Back To Exploring Deep Sonic Waters.
When Santi’s debut album, Mandy & the Jungle dropped in 2019—it was a monumental highlight for the alté movenent and in many ways the crowning jewel of their mainstream infiltration, that resulted in numerous plaudits from their pop counterparts who didn’t shy away from utilizing their art as highbrow muse.
However, the dawn of the decade saw the emergence of new pop superstars that could dabble in the abstract soundscapes like altés and also churn out mainstream smash hits, while presenting in the same visual aesthetics that endeared alté to the general public. Ever since, their cultural stakes have dwindled but Santi has managed to stay on top of the new budding pulse of the underground and has also been instrumental in platforming some of its breakout stars. Now with the co-signs of some of the aforementioned underground stars, Santi is keen on returning to his glory days of wacky adventures.
Subaru Boys is arguably the most divisive album of the decade and for good reason. While the LP was incredibly ambitious with its underground water odyssey and late night party shenanigans, it prioritised avant-garde presentation over accessibility and alienated a whole lot of people. Indeed, Santi’s music and the alté movement has always been an acquired taste but there was a fine balance that the best records tread that Santi didn’t bother exploring, however that sentiment seems mostly gone here.
The hyper-pop beats, animated guitar riffs and chaotic drum rolls persist but there’s a through line to follow on Bomberman. The 4-track opening sequence does borrow familiar story beats of rebellious uprising and licentious sexual living that was prevalent In SB, but it’s certainly less bogus here. On Bomberman, Santi uses bombing as a modern allegory of upending the status quo which is apt for the actual contemporary meaning of hustling to make a difference.
International Collector following suit makes so much sense because the aspirations of a rockstar’s goal to amass wealth is to splurge it across the globe. Stubborn is much more soulful despite having the same mara-coded drums the opening tracks have and Santi takes the chance to get a little introspective to admit that he knows his time has passed but he doesn’t plan on going anywhere, alluding to the fact that he’ll keep evolving despite alté dwindling relevance. Gypsy Gowns infuses 80s synth-pop and larger-than-life violin chords that gives the LP a befitting cinematic feel to its storytelling ambition.
Santi is at his best when he deplores wavy melodic rap musings of debauchery over dancehall leaning beats and he does just that on Nutty Duchy and Game Of Death, albeit the latter takes a more ominous, self-deprecating angle towards sexual pleasure that isn’t exactly new territory for Santi. Oz is cut from the sonic fabric of the formless, malleable type of pop music that defined Santi’s debut project and it recruits Jeriq, one of the country’s most exciting Hip hop acts on a drill beat. It’s not this writer’s cup of tea but you can’t deny the brilliance of two masters at work. On psychedelic production like this, rhythm and flow is more important than narrative and they get the assignment.
The beat on Rolen is bare with nothing but xylophone ticks rumbling under synth-pop keys. This writer respect the quiet and intimate ambience that’s being aimed for on the track but the vocal perfomances fall short in conveying the needed emotions, as well as the lyrics. Big Drop feels like the spiritual sequel of FINAL CHAMPION with similar pop aspirations and manic uptempo grooves but with better execution, as a result of more measured flows that calm the crashing waves of its production. It is a pleasant thing to see Santi learning from previous pitfalls.
Orcad Trust and Kentro are more somber album deep cuts that actually work. The former layers an electro-funky instrumental over a trap beat and the latter is heavily nostalgic in the vein of retro arcade game instrumentals. Santi is up to no good on both tracks and as always, the narrative rarely deviates from sexual shenanigans but that’s simply a design so the listener is more enamored with the production and sonic environment.
Mavo who has a reputation for phoning it in on his recent features, manages to pull off an infectious chorus on Siesta but Santi doesn’t exactly rise to the occasion and turns in an underwhelming, one-note verse. Benin Bounce on the other hand has a more psychedelic bounce that elicits a fever dream feeling. The album’s curtains finally close on Heaven Is In Pain where Santi and Indi form a formidable duo with a compelling back and forth that works due to a good contrast of their vocal textures.
As it is with all Santi’s albums, The Bomberman Chronicles is heavy on ambience, sound design and production. Santi prioritizes an album experience that’s steeped in world building and sonic environment but repetitive and one-note in narrative. While his expedition here isn’t as immersive as it is ambitious, it is a notable improvement on his previous album.
Final Verdict:
Sonic Cohesion: 1.6/2
Expansive Production: 1.5/2
Songwriting: 1.2/2
Delivery: 1.1/2
Optimal Sequencing: 1.3/2
Total: 6.7/10
