Whether conscious or not, there is something of a movement happening in the world of underground pop music. From the new art empire building focuses found in the works of Annika Zee, Luxe Malone/S the Supplicant’s Sally Horowitz and more is the staggering new masterpiece from the aforementioned artists’ fellow friend and enlightened creative contemporary Agua Viva ⁠— aka Josi Arias ⁠of Buenos Aires band Los Cripis — titled El Hechizo de la Luna (Spell of the Moon en inglés). Following the 2017 Don Giovanni release Piece of Water; Josi’s new record takes a mystic path toward the cosmos that meditates on the metaphysical mechanics that reveal the hidden codes of the moon, the stars, the galaxies, ourselves and shimmering portraits of pure illumination.

The beguiling experience of El Hechizo de la Luna commences with the world warping wonder of “Maracas” that departs from earth for a lunar voyage. The Agua Viva sound blends the organic percussive touches with an electric production alchemy of guitars, pagan keyboard sequences and an atmosphere that is unlike any other. The sensations of stars bending and breaking can be felt on the sparkling “Las Estrellas se Quiebran” that guides the audience into the addictive title track that sets the dials for the heart of the moon’s inner core that reveals clandestine codes and an emanating luster designed to break the conventions of astrology and the calendars that are predicated on the planet’s reflective glow.

Cloud soaring transformations are witnessed on “Soy una Nube”, while mesmerizing rock numbers like “Nada Leve” lead the listener toward the galactic reflective pools of feeling and light that abound on “La Luz le Sienta Bien”, right before taking a turn into the dense mass spaces of the inverse darkness on “La Oscuridad”. Josi arranges El Hechizo as an outing of constant discovery and realization like the revelatory love language narrative on “Derrame”, to the electronically imbued “Long Song” that then deep dives into the slow and soft interlude textures of intimacy on “Lento”. Arias brings the journey toward a close on the reflective and shimmering “Espejo” that gently enters the magical realm of the looking glass to the curtain closing call of “I’m not Walking” that floats off toward distant lands well beyond the immediate reaches of time and space. El Hechizo de la Luna is a ticket to the places and parts unknown that exist in some other dimension that contain the hushed clandestine secrets of the moon’s influential cycles and the overlooked psychic chemistry and synergy that exists within us and others.

Josi Arias, aka Agua Viva penned the following exclusive insights on the album El Hechizo de la Luna en español:

De los sueños a las pinturas musicales — Reflexiones sobre cómo canalizar la visión en la música.

La luna se esconde y cuando se esconde igual esta. Siempre es la predilecta de las almas o por lo menos para mi. Me acaricia cuando cambio.

Que los misterios de la magia nos muestran y nos prueban.

28 es su numero, y todos los secretos que se esconden en el no los conocemos, o talvez si, pero no podemos mirarlos ahora.

Meditaciones y esperanza para el futuro de nuestra tierra.

Ese milagro se siente como que mi corazón va a explotar, y yo quiero explotar o ser simplemente ella, eterna, misteriosa y profunda.

Josi Arias’s prelude to the new album en inglés:

The moon is hidden and when is hidden is still there. It is always the soul’s favorite, or at least it is mine. She caresses me when I change. 28 is her number and we don’t know all the secrets are hidden in it, or maybe, but we can’t look at them now.

That miracle feels like my heart is gonna explode and I wanna explode, or just be her, eternal, mysterious and deep.

El Hechizo de la Luna is available now via Bandcamp & Spotify.

Also behold Agua Viva’s video for “Derrame” directed by Sally Horowitz, assisted by Dorian Onifer.

Also behold the visual for "Las Estrellas se Quiebran", directed by Irina JP, featuring stage coach Sally Horowitz, makeup courtesy of Nina Carelli and styled by Aidan Summer Weiss & Josi, filmed at the El Barrio Firehouse.