Root Strata founder and San Fransisco native Jefre Cantu-Ledesma has been around forever and each of his releases feel different. Different tabs of acid, melted with stars and goo.

“Faceless Kiss”, released on Emerald Cocoon, really sticks out from the pack. The press release describes his guitar as “descending from Soulvaki Space Station” and that description is accurate in a few ways. “Faceless Kiss” seems like it stems all the way to space — think Best of Emeralds meets Jon Hassel’s “Dream Theory”. It feels like one chord spreads itself through the entire piece, and the endless motion really works.

The other reason why Soulvaki is so fitting is that this comes at the rebirth of shoegaze. This has the same fuel of MBV in their prime — playful with precise power. And considering my theory that Black Sabbath created shoegaze, that’s pretty important.

Check out “Faceless Kiss” at http://www.emeraldcocoon.com/

http://rootstrata.com/releases/