As it is often the case with
Francisco López's material, this CD was released without a booklet or tray card and with as the only information available the name of the artist, the title, and the label's address printed on the disc itself. Even for those accustomed to López's art,
Untitled #104 came as a surprise. This is one continuous 43-minute piece. It takes 80 seconds before the listener actually hears something: What sounds like a short sample of an electric guitar chord, repeated every ten seconds, slowly gaining in volume and speed. At 5:21, hell breaks loose as the listener is treated to an extreme drums/bass/guitar death metal piece. Is it sampled? Is it real? Honestly, it's anybody's guess, but drums pound and guitars chop. At times the music is clear and focused, but in other places it sounds like there are two or three "bands" playing at the same time. This sonic aggression continues with occasional shifts in the textures (and chords) until 32:37 when everything stops without warning and only complete silence remains while the CD player's counter keeps on ticking up to 43:00. The listener is left puzzled, to say the least, uncertain of the reality of what he heard, uncertain of the artist's intention, uncertain if he was robbed of his money or not.
Untitled #104 could be recommended only to the hardcore
Lopez fans or to experimental diehards looking for strange emotions and uncertainty. ~ François Couture