Well, I did it…I finally found one good thing about 2020…Makunouchi Bento has released two albums. Earlier this year it was “Ghostophonia,” and now we get what “could be the soundtrack for the imaginary sequel of Bodrog.” But even if this new one, “Drowned in Bodrog,” is a sequel, you don’t need to know anything about its inspiration to enjoy this one.
The first track “Across Irradiated Furnace Suns” is a good example of what you’ll get throughout this album, and an example of what Makunouchi Bento does so well. On the surface something seems slightly off kilter, like a malfunctioning music player. But there are also layers of slightly unsettling sound vying for your attention. In this song, I also like some of the random synth keys; it felt like Sun Ra sending messages from outer space. For the rest of this album you’ll catch quite a variety of noises, including little rhythm breaks, piano melodies, slight tension, lost signals, and probably ghosts. They even include a long track at the end that is a mix of the entire album, in case you want to listen without any interruption; I think it would be an excellent soundtrack for a walk on a quiet night.
At this point, the Makunouchi Bento boys (Felix Petrescu and Valentin Toma) have proven they are absolute masters of their craft, consistently creating fascinating and captivating soundscapes.