release date: Oct. 20, 2020
format: digital (9 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: John Frusciante
label: Timesig Records - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Brand E" - 2. "Usbrup Pensul" - 3. "Flying" - 7. "Amethblowl" - 9. "Anja Motherless"
[ full album ]
11th studio album by John Frusciante following a series of releases under the moniker of Trickfinger with the album She Smiles Because She Presses the Button (Jun. 2020) as his most recent album, but already as of Mar. 2020, Trickfinger released the EP Look Down, See Us; however, his most recent album under his own name remains Enclosure from 2014. Frusciante began experimenting with electronic music about a decade ago, which saw him form Trickfinger as an outlet for mostly instrumental electronic music, but at the same time electronica became a strong influence in his other solo releases, and Maya appears as his first full electronic album to be released under his own name. Apparently, Maya was the name of his beloved cat, and this album is Frusciante's tribute to her.
Maya is made with breakbeat sampling at the heart of the compositions, and they simply sound much like Frusciante's own attempt with Brittish breakbeat anno 1992-ish - say, strongly The Prodigy-inspired compositions making it a bit of a strange experience. Some of the tracks here still sound great, although, altogether it's difficult to listen to without thinking the 1990s dance scene - but then again: it was a great and influential period, so why not reminding everyone about it?! And then, I think this is bettering his idm-fused acid house debut as Trickfinger.
