I’m not surprised to discover that Peruvian artist Sebastian Alvarez, aka Spirit Elevating Brains (SEB), is more of a visual artist specializing in performance art than a musician. The title of his free online album and the album cover attest to an artist that is fluent in the visual and the poetic.

This is not to say that the music on Raw Adventures of The Strident, Harsh and Sweet Returnee is any less realized. In fact, SEB’s music is a complex sound painting made of samples, complex beats, and mesmerizing melodies and riffs. Partly collage, partly world beat, and partly electronica, this is a very enjoyable and surprisingly accessible journey into the artist’s mind and travels. As busy as his beats and glitches are, none of it is filler. It all comes together like a well wound watch. This is SEB’s first album and it marks him as someone to pay attention to.

The album is available in 320kbps MP3 as either separate tracks or album zip.

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