"Sans Soleil" is Ceschi's second installment in his final trilogy of albums using the moniker "Ceschi." Today, Dimxsk & I (Trylemma) bring you a track by track review of the album.
1. Nonchalant (Eulogy by Mestizo)
Trylemma: Wow, what an intro. Factor's melodic banger comes across like a marching anthem with a crazed Ceschi as the drum major. Technically, these are some very impressive raps - I'm not surprised that Cesch drew inspiration from battle rap to craft them. The multis in particular, combined with the drawn out flows, stand out (e.g. "aliens" / "cane again.") I can already pick up on a different tone here when compared to "Sad, Fat Luck" (SFL.) While societal criticism is still at the forefront, Ceschi's delivery on this track comes across as a bit more brutal. If SFL laid the groundwork for an enlightenment pool, this track is Ceschi coming out of that pool and slapping society in the face...while still recognizing that he's a part of it. I also loved the Mestizo outro, excited to see what's next. RIP Caddy Ron and Alias. [Looks like Factor's wife got on backing vocals too!]
Dimxsk: A great opening track, Nonchalant gives us Ceschi railing against hypocrisy in art and everyday life with classic cynicism and rage. The beat can only be described as ominous, with a shouting chorus in the background upping the ante of Ceschi's disdain for racists and celebrity apologists. The sound of it bodes well for what's coming and Mestizo's eulogy at the end is touching and heartfelt. A good Ceschi joint, not one of the standout tracks in my opinion but a great one to get the blood pumping.
2. Sufjan Is Gonna Die
Trylemma: This short interlude has already got me thrown back to Anonymous Inc. days!
Dimxsk: One of those weird one's here; the guitar work is pleasant and provides an interesting juxtaposition with the synthetic distortion and the eerie vocals. Something you might expect to hear playing on a dusty turntable in a haunted mansion at night.
3. Frank False's Eulogy
Trylemma: We're not only saying farewell to the Ceschi legacy this year, we're also lying the great Francisco False character to rest - and what a memorable way to do so through this track. Frank, a man who's life was full of mistakes, gets put in the ground and with it, Ceschi ponders on the fleeting nature of life and the origins of meaning over a wonderful mix of trumpet and beatboxing. I particularly like that a song focused on ending the Frank storyline itself ends with a reference to another distinct Ceschi track, "This Won't Last Forever."
Dimxsk: The first great track of the album, an honestly tragic piece of work. Ceschi, if you read this we love you. Ahem, a sound that would've been at home on The One Man Band Broke Up, this track seems to serve as a goodbye to fans and a (duh) eulogy to the Francisco False persona we've grown to know over the long years. A beautiful and haunting chorus, with what sounds like mostly live instrumentation. I have to say this is the Ceschi that I love the most, an artist who can craft rap songs out of melodic folk harmonies and make it both dope and beautiful. The more raw sound of the live instruments in my opinion gives this song a weight and depth that can't always be achieved with overproduction and synthetic sounds.
4. Old Graves (Eulogies by Patrick Schneeweis & Sole)
Trylemma: Ceschi has said that "Sans Soleil" is an album based around sorrow, and this straight-forward acoustic tune bleeds that. I really enjoy the constant issue of "fuck it all" being a source of both genius and demise, and Ceschi tackles the issue quite nicely here. I did think the Pat the Bunny and Sole eulogy book-ends to the track seemed a bit out of place, however. I would have enjoyed hearing the tune in solitude a bit more I think. Sole's eulogy was also a bit too slam-poetry to me.
Dimxsk: Ceschi does a bit of a murder ballad style song here. Another standout for me on the album, a fantastic and stirring song with some creative poetry from Pat the Bunny and Sole. Just Ceschi and a guitar, singing that the fuck it all "philosophy" can work for a while, but sooner or later we all need to adjust or die. Very moving for me as it hits home, and tells the story of a few people I've crossed paths with in my life so far. They won't be the last, most likely.
5. Incesticide (Feat. Open Mike Eagle, P.o.S. & Onry Ozzborn)
Trylemma: Easy contender for song of the year thus far. Factor crafts a hectic slapper and Ceschi recruits some of the biggest names in the indie scene to join in on the fun between the amazing hook that is certainly one of Ceschi's best (which is saying a lot.) The theme is early indie rap lives versus current indie rap lives, and I've gotta say that Open Mike shines the brightest overall. Whether intentional on Mike's part or not, I take his verse as a eulogy to both the many great Project Blowedians that never fully reached their potential and the legendary Hellfyre Club collective that met its untimely demise. Hearing about P.o.S.' Warped Tour days, Onry's relinquishing of a baseball college scholarship, and Ceschi's constant pursuit of music for music's sake only adds to the song's greatness.
Dimxsk: Ceschi reunites with Factor Chandelier as well as guests P.O.S, Onry Ozzborn and Open Mike Eagle for a pretty epic banger, touching on the old days and the way things have changed in the indie rap scene. Open Mike Eagle provides his first ever collaboration with Ceschi, opening the song with his trademark laid back genius wordplay. P.O.S comes through with cynicism and wit. Then Onry offers a unique look at his background in music, revealing he left behind a scholarship to pursue his love of rapping. Always love hearing from Onry, probably one of my favorite rappers alive. And finally Ceschi's flow is in top form as well, describing the state of despair brought about by the drug abuse and death around him, and his disgust for the capitalist agenda that slowly takes over every life and sucks out the spark that would've had us creating works of beauty and meaning, so that instead we mass produce the same boring mediocrity we've had to eat our whole lives. The same process that slowly drove Kurt Kobain to suicide...
6. Britney
Trylemma: This somber slightly distorted cover of Spears' "Baby One More Time" will probably get the skip from me on future replays. I've unfortunately heard one too many "dark" covers of the song over the years for this to reach me personally...
Dimxsk: Well there's this. I've always believed that the pop artists of the late 90's / early 00's were selling tunes that had potential. Before you laugh at me consider that the worst things about boy bands and girl pop is the inanity of the lyrics and the utter insincerity and lack of artistic merit that went into the deliberate marketing of said tunes. They were written by someone else for someone else, maybe they had a personal message but it was diluted by too many cooks in too many kitchens. That said, Genie in a Bottle had a sick beat, and Ceschi crafts a decent little interlude out of Hit Me Baby One More Time. Not exactly a standout moment for the album, but amusing and not unpleasant to listen to.
7. Ceschirito
Trylemma: This track has been floating around live for a bit I believe. A recent DNA test showed that I'm at least 95% Korean, but luckily I spent about 4 years living and growing up in Honduras, so my Spanish is pretty good. I sort of view this as a companion piece to SFL's "Daybreak." Amidst grief and exhaustion, Ceschi finds clarity, even if briefly, in anarchist hopes and a love that inspired even if it didn't fully work out. I think Tommy V's guitar was ultimately the right instrumental move, but apparently this was originally supposed to be over a Reggaeton beat. As a big Reggaeton fan (I'm guessing Ceschi isn't as much lol,) I would have loved to hear that.
Dimxsk: Sadly my grasp of Spanish is limited to slang cursing and basic vocab. I can understand bits and pieces of this track, but lyrically it totally leaves me behind. That said, we have a Toca-esque joint here, which is always welcome. Catchy work with the finger piano and guitar, with Ceschi bringing us both melodic and rhythmic vocal work. A good track.
8. Cici Atlas
Trylemma: This little interlude has Ceschi reciting some old Xololanxinxo lyrics over his brother and niece's riffing on drums and keyboards, respectively. Another moment that calls back to the Anonymous Inc. and (obviously) Toca days.
Dimxsk: A weird little interlude. Not much for me to say about this one, kind of spacey and tripped out in an Anonymous sort of way. Provides a good introduction to the next track.
9. Christ On A Cross
Trylemma: We got an acoustic version of this earlier this year and I was excited to hear the final product. Ceschi and Factor cleverly rework SFL's "Say No More" to address modern Christianity's portrait of Jesus as a strict detached moralist. Ceschi offers up, instead, a portrait of Jesus as a hated communal teacher. In "Say No More," Ceschi appears to cry out to the proverbial "God" amidst losing his friends to arrest. In "Christ on a Cross," Ceschi appears to address the judeo-christian god amidst a realization that the story of Jesus might closely mirror his own (and perhaps his friends in "Say No More" as well.) Amazing track.
Dimxsk: An interesting reflection on Ceschi's lost faith, although it's a little bit unfortunate that this has the same chorus as Say No More, which he already did a remake of with Sad Fat Luck. It is a beautiful chorus, and it was by far my favorite track on Elm St. Sessions. And he does give us some new lyrics to contemplate. I think a good way to look at this track is less as a remake of the original and more of a part 2. I believe that's how it was intended, and that's how I receive it.
10. Yoni's Electrocardiographs
Trylemma: The original "Electrocardiographs" was the only track on SFL that I didn't care for. This version, however, is superior to the original in pretty much every way. Sonically, Yoni's production kicks into gear much quicker which I appreciate. I think his more quirky beat choices work better for the song as well. Lyrically, I like all of Ceschi's additions (e.g. the ICE stanza) and minor tweaks (specifically the Freestyle Fellowship "griot" reference.) The redone layered closing hook also improves upon the original. The track is still a bit disjointed imo, but, unlike the original, I likely won't be hitting the skip button on replay.
Dimxsk: A remake of Sad, Fat Lucks Electrocardiographs, and in my humble opinion a much more interesting version. It's amazing how far Yoni has come since The Early Whitney EP as a musician, this track is both catchy, complex and orchestral. The new instrumental work allows the lyrics to come through more clearly, and the more percussive but less cramped production gives the song a much more epic build up to the climactic chorus. Everything falls in line, like electrocardiographs when we die. Not a bright message, but delivered with sincerity that instills the listener with hope for the possibility of something more. Another standout track no doubt.
11. 1998 (Feat. Anonymous Inc.)
Trylemma: I believe some version of this was on the Broken Bone Ballads pre-order CDR. In any case, the song is a beautiful tribute to Ceschi's childhood and general childhood naivety over some proper 80's synths and drums. I am very excited to see the video for this one when it drops.
Dimxsk: So I was lucky enough to get to hear a CDr I apparently shouldn't have, and there's a demo version of this song featured on it. This plays a bit like a Trent Reznor remix of that demo version, with harder hitting drums and a crisper overall sound. Ceschi's melodic falsetto vocals perfectly complement the mood of nostalgia and fond reminiscence that the tune and lyrics convey. I am a bit reminded of 1979 here, the tone and driving beat match up, with the titles possibly playing a role in that connection. But 1979 may be one of my favorite rock songs ever written, so I'm not complaining. A great song, both as a demo and in the Anonymous Inc laced remake featured here.
12. Pepe on the Game (Feat. Pepe)
Trylemma: Such a strong eulogy that is advertised as a "Eulogy to the Game" but comes across much more as a "Eulogy to the Player" insofar as the "Game" continues to operate as normal as the state protects its drug interests against would-be competitors like Pepe. We've heard these stories a lot from Ceschi - it's nice to hear them from another voice within a Ceschi experiment.
Dimxsk: The title says it all. Ceschi's views and lyrical content have been forever altered by his experience with the American "justice" system, and this Pepe guy who's voice is distorted most likely to protect the innocent gives us a very succint description of what the game offers you in the end. It ends quick, no parting gifts, just long waits and no goodbyes. Interesting little number.
13. Animal Instinct (Feat. David Ramos, Shoshin, & iCON the Mic King)
Trylemma: At this point, it certainly feels like it's not a proper Ceschi album if David, Shoshin, and Icon (collectively known as "Counterfeit Quartet") don't show up together for a track. Unfortunately, I think this is one of the weaker of the crew's collaborations. The Factor beat is a bit too subdued for my taste and while I shouldn't be comparing, it's hard not to pair this track up against the earlier "Incesticide." The hook could have also been much stronger (maybe David just screaming the "Animal" portion?) The rhymes on the police state do hit hard and Shoshin, in particular, gives an amazing performance (his cadences are crazy on the track.) In the end, however, I wasn't too extremely moved by the song as a song.
Dimxsk: When I heard Sad, Fat Luck I was wondering where these guys were! David is absolutely brilliant, always, Icon is a genuine vet with a serious rep. Shoshin I only know from his work with Ceschi and a single track on Farewell Archetypes, but he's pretty damn good. These rappers come together once more (for those who don't know we've had a track with this lineup on every full length official Ceschi solo work since They Hate Francisco False) to give us a straight up rap banger, with a beat that allows each artist to rip the song to shreds. It's not my favorite track on the album at the moment, but it's something that might grow on me as I start to grasp the message. It appears to be a rant on the ways in which some of us are held down until we either break or attack, and then held accountable for the damage we never meant to cause. I might be wrong, but I hear in David's verse some meditations on seeing his brother in prison. It does lead me to think further on that whole scam played on those of us born with the least power, and the anger I feel matches what I hear on this track. For that it's got my attention.
14. Joanna & Anna (Eulogy by Squalloscope)
Trylemma: This apparently combines two covers of songs by Joanna Newsom "A Pin-Light Bent" and "Sadie." I'm not familiar with either of the originals, but Ceschi certainly makes them work together here, fully displaying the melancholy feels of the passing of time and life. Squalloscope's eulogy to his grandfather is the perfect outro.
Dimxsk: A pretty and quirky song, not one of my favorites as it seems a bit forgettable but it is nice, and the lyrics evoke some interesting imagery. Squalloscope's eulogy at the end is probably what makes this song most worth a listen. It's a great tribute to her Grandfather, who sounds like an interesting man and certainly changed the way she sees the world in crucial ways. I don't know much Squalloscope but I like what I've heard. Time to get familiar.
15. Stop & Smile (Feat. Tommy V. & Ashley Crevier, Eulogy by Barfly)
Trylemma: A somber and quirky tune where Oldominion's Barfly gives the album a new twist by eulogizing the notion of rest. In an album dealing with death, decay, and passing, we're asked to view these things as just continuous entries along the constant line of change. I'm not sure if this is re-assuring or even more horrific. Tommy V's intertwined nostalgic vocals mesh extremely well with Barfly's lines.
Dimxsk: A simple song about remembering the dead fondly. Nothing in a phenomenal world is ever at rest as it says, and considering Ceschi's exploration of the darker side of death in his music, a song like this is a pleasant break from the more solemn numbers. That's about all I can say about it, mostly a spoken word jazz influenced number. Nice but not incredible.
16. Red Emma
Trylemma: Here we get a riffy eulogy to a long-term relationship, or rather perhaps an attempt to eulogize a long-term relationship while realizing the difficulties of letting go of the small things. As Ceschi asks about the state of his ex's dishes, the album's theme of sorrow is perhaps the strongest yet.
Dimxsk: A good breakup song where Ceschi strums his guitar and wonders what his exes life is like without his presence. Something we've all wondered when relationships end with the finality of a serious fight or the kind of harsh words we can't take back. I have one person in mind specifically. A solid folk song, not really amazing but good.
17. Seeds Of Revolution
Trylemma: A quick jazzy static piece whose swift lyrics ponder the speed of change. Solid interlude.
Dimxsk: A short spoken word piece where Ceschi reflects on the role art plays in real social change. Trippy percussive background and turntable work make this an interesting interlude.
18. My Bad (Feat. Gregory Pepper & Kenny Dennis)
Trylemma: Possibly my favorite track of the album. To begin, the song samples Gregory Pepper's "My Bad" which fits the melancholy, yet left-field, tone of the project perfectly. Lyrically, I love the idea that when someone passes, we not only lose the person we knew, but the person we didn't fully know (yet could have.) I also love the idea that this realization can be used as fuel to more fully embrace our own lives. Having Serengeti close the song pushing for such embracing is so well done.
Dimxsk: Okay, UGF loves Gregory Pepper, and any time two great artists like Ceschi and Peps work together we can expect something good. And Ceschi does offer a great poem, unfortunately it's over a remake of the Gregory Pepper title track off the EP of the same name. It's still a good song, but when I saw the features I was really looking forward to something new and exciting. It's still good, just not as good as I really believe it could have been. And Serengeti as Kenny Dennis? So much potential. Maybe I miss the real point of the song, but it's probably the one I'm least impressed with. Feels a bit unnecessary. Honestly, blame my expectations...
19. Greatest Poem Of 2019 (Eulogy by Mikal kHill)
Trylemma: In the album's notes, Ceschi acknowledges that this poem is not good at all - and I sort of have to agree. The observational freestyles mixed with creed over the cluttered instrumental don't come across well imo. Mikal kHill's eulogy to his testicle lost to cancer could have been given a better home I think on this album.
Dimxsk: Basically an interlude. Distorted vocals with some drums and keys and not much going on lyrically. Mikal kHill eulogizes his missing testicle. Weird one, don't entirely see the point.
20. Better Man / Material Girl (Eulogy by Kaleigh O'Keefe)
Trylemma: From this song, I gathered two competing, though often co-existing, viewpoints as to how we deal with our inadequacies. In O'Keefe's eulogy to her father, she recognizes her father's faults, which may be present in her own life, and vows to do better herself. Ceschi then, with his short cover of "Material Girl," shows the viewpoint of realizing one's faults but embracing them insofar as they are merely a product of some external force. Very engaging idea imo.
Dimxsk: This song is Kaleigh O'Keefe speaking about her father, followed by a short cover of Material Girl by Madonna. The eulogy is moving, Kaleigh speaks about her feelings before and after the death of her father, and how she had to become the "better man" in their relationship. Sad, thoughtful and well written. The cover is sort of amusing, not sure what the connection is between the beginning and end of the song. Not a bad track, but not a standout.
21. Capsize
Trylemma: Recalling to the first track I'll say, wow, what an outro. With it's eerie melodic keys and flutes, the song traces the depiction of total destruction and the acceptance of that despair. In the notes, Ceschi says that he wrote this song while experiencing such feelings, yet out of such events, arose Fake Four. This fact does make the song, and album as a whole, more interesting insofar as it was written with true feelings in mind yet, as subsequent history has shown, something great quickly followed. For an album full of truth regarding sorrow and pain, perhaps it is vital not to be ignorant towards the possibility of beauty that could show itself in the process.
Dimxsk: This is what feels like the first complete song in a while on Sans Soleil. Vibes and woodwinds gently draw the listener in before Ceschi's falsetto comes in, slowly building into a pretty and complex chorus. A soothing song with an undercurrent of menace, probably coming from the vocal references to descending into the darkness. Reminds me most of what we heard on One Man Band, which I may have said before is probably my all time favorite record from Ceschi. This may be from that era, as he seemed to be on a nautical trip around that time with The Fall of Captain E.O. and Swallowed Salt all referencing death by or in water. A good closing piece that reminds us what's so unique about Ceschi. He can sing in a way that is so unlike what we usually hear in rap, but it fits his style so well and gives him an appeal that spans across all genres of contemporary music.
Final Thoughts:
Trylemma: Before "Sans Soleil" was released, Ceschi appeared to do some pre-emptive damage control by warning people that this album wasn't as cohesive as SFL and operated more as a collage. I respectfully disagree. If anything, I think "Sans Soleil" delivers a clearer, more cohesive statement when compared to SFL. There are certainly more pieces and voices to "Sans Soleil," so I understand the collage comparison, but this only adds to its fullness in my opinion. Furthermore, these days piecemeal albums are common both in the underground and mainstream, so "Sans Soleil" doesn't feel strange structurally at all. Now I personally enjoy SFL more but this is based solely on how much I enjoyed the songs on that album and has nothing to do with how cohesive either album is. As we prepare for the final installment in the series, expectations are certainly high! See you in November!
Dimxsk: Overall, this is not an instant favorite of mine. I have to say at times, especially during the second half it becomes somewhat of a challenging listen. This is not a bad thing, it just means that these songs are the kind that grow on you with time and attention and you have to have enough of the former and the patience to offer enough of the latter to discover you enjoy it. I may find myself in love with Sans Soleil in the years to come. It's subtle, quirky, fun in places and tragic in others, with so much personality it's hard to find the right words to use to describe it. As a fan of Ceschi I have to say I did enjoy it, it has everything I love about the musicians work. If you're not a huge Ceschi fan but are looking for a smart yet hard-hitting album of folk rap, look at Sad, Fat Luck, Broken Bone Ballads or The One Man Band Broke Up. Those are solid albums for anyone who likes music to enjoy. This is for the real Ceschi heads, and in a way I feel this album is even more special for that reason. It wasn't designed to be good or bad, it's not designed to sell and go platinum or to attract the art rap snobs with it's pretense. It's just Ceschi making the music he feels like for the love of it. That will always be a great thing to behold. My biggest actual complaint is in places it lacks totally original material. It feels like a mixtape, with lots of covers, interludes and reprises of older tracks. In fact that's basically what it is, it's a reflection of the entire life of Julio Ramos's Ceschi persona, so it's appropriate that it reflects back. If this were the only official release to come from Ceschi in years, I might be somewhat disappointed. However, taken as the second album in a promised trilogy, it feels appropriate as a little brother to Sad, Fat Luck and an introduction to the forthcoming (and final) Bring Me the Head of Francisco False. I'm a bit sad that we now have only one more Ceschi album to look forward to. I hope he just does what he feels like again, because no matter the result Ceschi is a real musician with an unimpeachable integrity and no matter who likes what he puts out, it belongs in the world for that reason.
You can purchase "Sans Soleil" digitally
HERE or physically on vinyl, cd, and cassette
HERE.
