For someone who had taken the world of funk and alternate rock to new levels,Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciantes latest solo offering is a revelation into his introspective mind that has churned out his thoughts with experimental psychedelic music. Frusciantes 10th solo album,The Empyrean,is an interstellar journey through the complexities and profundity of human mind,spun with ominous and pensive themes of darkness,light,God,heaven and himself entwined with psychedelic sounds,progressions and a prominent vocal jaunt transporting listeners through the wormholes of space and time. The versatility of this king of funk,who otherwise belts out crazy tunes and even crazier live performances on stage,is elemental as he tones down to express his dark side which is morbid at some level and sometimes soothing,or spacey at other times. His creative fire and experimental quality has him picking up all sorts of guitars,bass,synthesisers,keyboards,piano,drum machine and vocals,devoid of any theatrics or vibratos to expound his talent as a singer,musician and song writer. Frusciante has also roped in his buddy,the immensely talented RHCP bassist Flea,to provide brilliant grooves on most of the songs. The Empyrean begins with Before the Beginning that starts with a subtle guitar progressions accompanied by indistinct drums,which builds up through changing guitar tones and fiddling the distortions all the while playing the same progression for full nine minutes. Frusciante takes the listeners through introspection,bliss,melancholy and realisation by cleverly pulling the strings through his melodies,grooves and even calling in the Sonus Quartet strings to provide an unusual dark perspective. Unreachable and Enough of Me is a space fest that catapults you straight into 60s acid-rock scene,with Fuzzbox guitar solos and wah-wahs,while his unassuming,yet haunting vocal with delicate falsettos swoops and glides in God as he sings So each day would be new I build you to sleep,thats the idea of dying but youll just have to see. Dark/Light is a two-part song,driven by intense vocals and somber piano in the first half and a bass driven progression accompanied by thudding Drum Machine and synthesised vocal attacks in the background in the second half. Central almost sounds like RHCP with an electric shocker solo from Frusciante. One more of Me ends with a brilliant dark piece from the Strings quartet. The album also features a much-covered Tim Buckley song ,Song to the Siren. As Frusciante says: Ive listened to it a lot for the psychedelic experience it provides, suggesting the album be played as loud as possible and it is suited to dark living rooms late at night. John Frusciante: The Empyrean Rs 395
