Nuova Adquisición: Suso Sáiz - En La Piel Del Cruce

A 1980s Spanish instrumental album opened the door for a guitarist's further forays into the worlds of ambient and experimental music.

One of my favorite places to visit and explore is Spain. Between the incredible people, food, and landscapes, there isn’t much to dislike. Though, siesta tends to eat up the best record shopping hours…. But I digress.

I’ve gotten deeper into some aspects Spanish culture and have invested some time in discovering the country’s more interesting music. A figure who remains central to many of my favorite albums is guitarist/composer/sound synthesist Suso Sáiz. I recently scooped up a copy of his sophomore album, En La Piel Del Cruce, and it is the focus of this edition of New Acquisitions.

While digging in, it quickly becomes apparent that Spain is the land of the guitar. A more dedicated person could spend decades mining the depths of the Spanish guitar tradition. Intriguingly, the folkloric aspects of some of this guitar centric music lent itself very well to the surge in New Age and ambient music of the early 1980s.

It wasn’t long ago that I came across the music of Suso Sáiz. For over forty years, Sáiz has produced music that expands upon the roots of Spanish guitar music. He has since evolved into a singular voice in the worldwide avant-garde and ambient scenes.

Sáiz’s story begins in Cádiz, the beautiful port city of Andalusia, where he was born in 1957. His first forays into the music were playing banjo an American folk inspired band. This led to an interest in jazz guitar. Sáiz went on to continue his guitar studies at the Real Conservatorio de Música in Madrid.

His studies with famed Spanish composer Luis de Pablo convinced Sáiz to continue his path into electro-acoustic composition. This led to his involvement in the burgeoning New Age explosion of the early 1980s and the formation of La Orquesta De Las Nubes, a fascinating world fusion group blending folkloric and contemporary music. The group featured Sáiz on guitar, keyboards, and vocals along with vocalist María Villa and percussionist Pedro Estevan, former students that Sáiz met in the contemporary composing course at the Conservatorio.

After two albums with La Orquesta De Las Nubes, Sáiz released his first solo LP, Prefiero El Naranja, in 1984 (I still need to snag this one). Soon after, Sáiz helped coordinate the recording of the studio project Música Esporádica’s self-titled release for Grabaciones Accidentales, which featured Sáiz with his La Orquesta De Las Nubes cohorts Estevan and Villa, guitarist Miguel Herrero, and frame drum specialist and percussionist Glen Velez. This album has become a classic of Spanish New Age and world fusion music.

Música Esporádica’s album began Sáiz’s working relationship with Paco Trinidad’s Grabaciones Accidentales label. Sáiz would be heard playing guitar on pop band Escalrecido’s sophomore album and Herrero’s Iolantha before the release of his first album on the label.

Saiz’s sophomore recording, En La Piel Del Cruce, was recorded at Estudio de Grabacion TRAK in Madrid with engineer Juan Ignacio Cuadrado. Sáiz produced the recording and composed the pieces. He also played guitars, keyboards, sang, and did all the programming.

Sáiz recruited a select group of musicians to round out the orchestrations on the album. Once again, Pedro Estevan joined on percussion, while French-born/Spain-based drummer Toni Di Geraldo played drum kit and bass and Carlos Martín provided additional guitar.

The recording begins with “Máquina De Aliento.” A subtle low frequency establishes an ominous atmosphere, as bell like percussion intermittently sounds. A motorik beat begins emerge as additional tuned and hand percussion give texture and shape to the piece and a low synthesized melody sweeps in. “Roce” begins just as hauntingly but with arpeggiated bass line and a bright electric guitar adding warmth. Interjections of percussion and deftly played bass hint a break in the mood. It is Sáiz’s screaming guitar that tears through the haze and a repeating synth that keeps up the fervor as the piece begins to rock out toward the end.

An insistent rhythmic sequence introduces “Naranja?” Miguel Herrero’s synth guitar adds long washes of tone before an aggressive synth brings an off-kilter melody in over aggressive slapped bass and the wild fusion drumming of Di Geraldo. “Quebrando La Ola” begins with luminous guitar tonalities as a shore for repeating waves of distorted guitar and loud rolling drums to break upon.

The second side of the LP begins with “Detrás Del Silbido.” Warm washes of pastel tones nest more strident calls from Sáiz’s guitar, reminiscent of whale songs sounding in calm, shimmering waters. A tense sequenced synth line introduces “Una Gota De Asfalto,” a deft flute sounding giving an early Kraftwerk effect. Sáiz’s guitar is a balm as guest Maria Villa’s vocals leap, a throwback sound to Orquesta De Las Nubes’ exploratory vocal workouts.

There is an earthy, churning feel to “Tierra Media,” as intense drums and distorted guitar accent a keyboard sequence that Phillip Glass would have been proud of. This might be the most texturally interesting of the pieces, especially as Sáiz solos and a higher, ringing percussive keyboard is added toward the end. The last piece is “Ya son Dos Los Cielos.” Beginning with sustained plucked guitar tones, warm patches of synth and acoustic guitar coalesce into a golden Windham Hill-esque landscape of sweeping heavens over olive groves and arid fields.

En La Piel Del Cruce has an 80s sound that some might love or hate. There are some moments that remind this listener of some of Prince’s more “out” moments, like the wailing bits on “Naranja?” There are also neo-romantic, New Wave guitar tones throughout, which certainly date the recording.

I think it is all part of the charm. The record sits as a bridge between Sáiz’s forays into Spanish pop and New Wave and his burgeoning experimentation with new music. En La Piel Del Cruce opened the door for increased work in the pop world for Sáiz but it foreshadowed deeper things that were to come.

It is especially interesting to listen back to once you explore the music that Sáiz has gone on to make. His more recent recordings are more advanced studies in ambient music and field recordings, where his guitar playing has become ancillary to his soundscape creation.

In December 2024, Sáiz will release a new recording on the Dutch-based Music From Memory label. I hope to cover it soon.