Prosthetic

The mastery and vision of the enduring Marc Ribot shine through on this release. Although there have been many attempts to produce authentic indigenous music of various cultures, most have fallen short; this album succeeds in the wake of failure. Ribot delves deep into Cuban rhythms, and indeed the album is a tribute to the Cuban master Arsenio Rodriguez. Here Ribot finds an authentic Cuban sound employing traditional instrumentation: upright bass, wood blocks, cherke, and other percussion sounds. The performance is inspired, and the band consistently tears through Rodriguez's material, as well as some of their own. Ribot's guitar work nears perfection, and he proves himself to be the most soulful white alive. Songs like "Aqui Como Alla" and "Postizo" confirm these assertions.

This album was recorded in the summer of 2021, when we were just beginning to be able to emerge into the musical world with some amount of regularity. I had originally planned to capture some live grooves to build on in my home studio, but the interaction between myself, Aidan and Julius was so harmonious I knew I had a project that spoke to my current emotions after our single 4-hour recording session.