- Doom rock
- Sludge rock
- Art rock
- Avant-metal
- Improvised music
- Experimental rock
- Avant-rock
- Post-metal
- Angst rock
Comment: Los
Pilotos is the solo project of Keith Helt with a swarm of rotating
musical collaborators. In fact, Keith Helt has headed a prolific
Chicago, the US-based imprint, Pan Y Rosas Discos for years and it is
obviously one of the most represented if not the very most
represented project in the discography of the record label.
Regrettably I have to admit my experience with the oeuvre by Keith
Helt is being moderate because I have reviewed just an album (
The
Process Of Learning, 2016) before the recent one. However, by
comparing these issues I have to assume the releases are quite
different ones by their accents and formats.
The Process Of
Learning was more motorik, psychedelic and electronic music
soaked and obviously krautrock influenced but on
Under The Breath
Keith Helt does away with any electronics and synths. On the other
side, this 10-notch whole is a fascinating result due to its
repetitive chords on rough yet vibrant guitars and basses and a bit
interrupted, convulsive singing manner (yeah, his voice does convey
strong passion and intense pain) as if a weird bastard between doom,
and sludge rock/metal being subjugated to an improvised algorithm. In
a sense, the sparse instrumental premises put huge pressure on the
artist's technical virtuosity and aesthetical creativity. At times
the listener can perceive even cinematic hovers atop the
aforementioned guitar and bass built scaffolding as if some kind of
salvation for compensating artsy suffering and fear. All in all, the
result is impressive due to Keith Helt's ability to balance between
expressive playing style, and a creative formative output. This
interaction as a result is truly worth on its own.
