Adolfo Garcia – “Fate Remixes” exposes his art to a varied set of listeners
During March 2021 we reviewed Adolfo Garcia’s 9-track album “Fate”. Adolfo Garcia is an instrumental musician from San Antonio, Tx. Precisely, Garcia is a fingerstyle guitarist. Fingerstyle guitar is described as the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to the fingers, as opposed to flatpicking. We described “Fate” as technically splendid and captured with crystalline sonic clarity, where the pieces displayed all of the percussive and harmonic tricks that make solo guitar both interesting and compelling. Now Garcia has returned with a brand new EP, entitled “Fate Remixes”, which as the title describes, contains 4 differently elaborated versions of the track “Fate”.
If we thought that the “Fate” was well done, then we have to conclude that sonically and musically, “Fate Remixes” is even better. However it should be said that here, Adolfo Garcia takes a totally different approach and is aiming at a much larger audience and not just those who love fingerstyle guitar.
Each track is thoroughly fleshed out, and though Adolfo Garcia’s guitar remains at the core of each arrangement, the sounds, moods, atmospheres and styles, pull the track in a series of different directions.
“Fate Remixes” takes a bold step in the right direction, if Garcia wants to expose his art to a varied set of listeners, and is easily the most daring and mature of any of his recordings. While daring, the opening version “Fate”, sticks the closest to the original script, and feels intrinsic to Adolfo Garcia’s musical identity. Added to the original mix, we have a set of bombastic drums which add an extra booming dimension to the song.
“Fate – Apolxcore Remix” brings forth a resonant piano and a lighter veil of percussion, while Garcia’s guitar still shimmers on the horizon. The instrumentation is rounded off by synth strings which increase the song’s emotional impact. It manufactures a plush sophisticated sonic fabric, with atmospheric filaments at once weightless but vibrant.
“Fate – Ajay Prakash Remix” gives the original track a sunset-colored sheen by the recognizably curvaceous warmth of his keyboard tones set aloft Garcia’s finely placed guitar motifs, and framed by a steady handclapping rhythm. Its interweaving leitmotifs imbue the harmonics with delicious departures of the primary descant, adding transient novelty.
“Fate – Mister Criinko EDM Remix” delivers powerful relishes of EDM rhythmic pulses capped by luminous, swirling tones. The enigmatic four-to-the-floor-beat is imbued with Adolfo Garcia’s guitar silkiness, before the tune escalates into rippling layers of gleaming hues, and trembling with surging dance-floor energy. Nonchalant on one level, yet high-powered and explosive on another level.
“Fate Remixes” is Adolfo Garcia like you have never heard him before. Breaking out of his usual solo guitar aesthetic, Garcia lends his art to diverse interpretations which brings a set of singular visions to the original version of “Fate”.
In short, Garcia’s latest project generates a new beauty for an already great track, which we may have never heard from such different perspectives before. Done with careful finesse, these remixes are thoroughly transcending.
