Music review: Outside the Red Hot Chili Peppers

With a new EP, John Frusciante moves further away sonically from his old band.

John Frusciante is making some strange sounds in his new EP titled Outsides, which has emerged a far cry from what he produced in his previous day job. Listen to it knowing that this music is coming from the man who quit the Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP), twice.

This would perhaps explain why, with Outsides, Frusciante has heavily leaned on an electronica-infused vibe that he has been so keen on in his last few solo records. The EP, (a 10-minute guitar solo besides two other tracks) thus marks a departure from what we are used to hearing from him. It could take some work to digest this for people who are accustomed to his melodic finger picking and staccato riffs that made him so famous in the five RHCP albums.

Take the 10-minute opener ‘Same’, for instance. In it, Frusciante has opted to create a digital track instead of one laid down by a drummer. He has sliced the drum track to lock in with his bluesy guitar which shifts keys cohesively though freeform. The guitar track is mysteriously behind in the mix, lending the synth-soaked frenzy a spacey interplay. Despite some of the bluesy licks, there is no lack of notes here. Sprinkled with legato and speed picking, Frusciante cuts loose with the occasional drills and Olympic-level string skipping.

‘Breathiac’ is a jarring disconnect from the opening track. The fierce rhythmic brawl and time warp in the first few seconds give way to a full-drawn percussive backlash that reaches no climax. Instead, it dips inconspicuously into a blanket of voices with chamber echo atop polyrhythms before ending with a false start.



‘Shelf’ kicks off as an ‘out’ piece but shifts gears to become something much more encompassing. From elements of lounge to techno to R&B, the track is held together by a multitude of effects, wide range of percussions and tinkling bells punctuated by some raucous guitar playing. For all its seemingly complex dips and turns, it still maintains a rudimentary regard for melody.

The bonus track for the Japanese release, ‘Sol’, is perhaps a fitting outro to Outsides. It drags on with intermittent swells that tether on the other side of weirdly melodic passages which miraculously evade the callousness of the polyrhythms Frusciante has so copiously used.

It’s by no means easy-listening. And those who have venerated Frusciante for his role in defining the sound of RHCP will find it difficult to come to terms with this aural evolution. But fans of Acid sections will appreciate the bizarre tempo shifts and electronic beats this 43-year-old songsmith turned soundsmith is employing to break the spell of aging.

Play that funky music

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers have sold over 90 million records worldwide. It would have been near impossible to achieve this had it not been for Frusciante’s brilliant fretwork. Here are some — by no means all — recordings that bear testimony to his knack for writing memorable hooks.

Under the bridge



That reverb drenched tone devoid of bass and treble has entranced so many RHCP fans over the years and the fingerpicked intro of Under the Bridge is one of his finest. Amateur guitarists can’t help but have a go at it, but to really nail it you’ll need more than just the chops.

Otherside



There might be only about four notes in the intro, but don’t let the simplicity fool you. A cover band in each corner of the world is playing this in a café, bar or pub as you read this. And most guitarists are rushing through the riff. Elsewhere, Frusciante is sipping his coffee with a smug smirk.

Around the World



This rompin’ and-a-stompin’ riff is as bold as Mother Russia. Replete with fuzzed-out squeals and bends from hell, the groovy bone-rattler is guaranteed to make you want to climb on the bed and deliver the air guitar performance of the year. Just don’t look in the mirror while you’re at it.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, September 15^th, 2013.