Tony Da Gatorra Vs Gruff Rhys - The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness Album Review

The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness came together when Gruff Rhys visited South America for his new road-trip movie Separado! Where he met musical innovator Tony Da Gatorra, a Brazilian TV and VCR repair man. As you might expect from Gruff Rhys these days, The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness warps the boundaries of weird to queasy new heights.

The album kicks off with the seven minute plus O Que Tu Tem, a repetitive song played largely on a unique instrument invented by Gatorra - a mix between drum machine and guitar. Half of the songs are sung in Spanish, in Gatorra's own monotonous style, unlike anything you have ever heard before. Esprito Liz and Voz Dos Semterra offer more of the same Hispanic weirdness, falling somewhere between rock music, pop music and dance music; it really is unlike anything you have ever heard before.

Half of the songs are sung by Gruff Rhys, such as In a House with No Mirrors (You'll Never Get Old), which Is still a million miles away from the Super Furry Animals back catalogue. The songs are chaotic and messy, often threatening to spill into pure noise which does indeed happen on the final track (peidiwich ac) OVNI. It is an interesting listen to say the least.

If you are a fan of the Furries, and you are looking for more of the epic pop strains of tracks like Juxtaposed with You, or Something for the Weekend this probably won't be one for you. The Terror of Cosmic Loneliness goes down as more a curious oddity than a Gruff Rhys classic. It is definitely a one for the die hards.


Ben Walton