Non-Consciousness by Singlelito, a 2025 album.
Juan José Pinto Abadía, known by his stage name Singlelito, is a Colombian multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer born in 2006 in Magangué. Despite his young age, he is considered one of the most promising figures in the modern international Neo-Canterbury and Avant-Prog scene.
You can read his biographical notes in the profile dedicated to him.
Non-Consciousness, as stated on the cover and official presentation, was…
“Composed, played, recorded, mixed, mastered, designed and produced by Juan Pinto (Singlelito)
Recorded at my home in Magangué, my apartment in Barranquilla and at Universidad del Norte during the most radical time in my life, from January 13, 2024, to February 11, 2025.
”
Both the CD and the presentation feature this text, which serves as a sort of subtitle:
“EVERYTHING TURNED BLACK
AND THE STARS SETTLED ON YOUR CEILING
AND THEN...
NON-CONSCIOUSNESS"
The album's material was composed and recorded over thirteen months, between January 2024 and February 2025, in three different locations: the artist's birthplace in Magangué, his apartment in Barranquilla, and the studios at the Universidad del Norte, where Pinto began his academic studies in music.
Pinto oversaw every single aspect: he played all the instruments, handled the mixing and mastering, and personally created the cover artwork. The album is dedicated to his partner Ale Beltrán and was conceived as a therapeutic journey to process personal suffering and states of psychological alienation (hence the title "Non-Consciousness"). The liner notes state:
"This is a musical journey through grief, the result of several traumatic events."
Singolito has defined the entire album as a "journey through pain," that of the death of a loved one, which pushed him into a state of "non-consciousness," dissociation, and mental alienation, to protect himself from reality.
Some tracks on the album directly reference deep interpersonal conflicts, hypocrisy, and disappointments suffered by those close to him, described as moments of radical disruption in his social life.
The move from Magangué to Barranquilla for university, coinciding with these crises, accentuated a sense of isolation. Pinto described this period as "the most radical of his life," characterized by a forced solitude that led him to take refuge in obsessive composition.
A simultaneous collapse of the emotional and social spheres transformed into music through what he himself defines as a "process of musical catharsis."
Thanks to the support of French musician Tom Penaguin, whom I have spoken about extensively in his album reviews, Singlelito's work has spread beyond South America to the áMARXE label, specializing in avant-garde and neo-Canterbury music.
The liner notes include beautiful acknowledgments:
"Dedicated to my sweetheart, Ale Beltrán.
Thanks to my mom and dad for the support, i wouldn't be making music if it wasn't for them.
Thanks to Alfredo Castro, Luis Eusse, and Ricardo Santiago for making my dream of playing my music live come true for eight months.
Thanks to Ainner Navarro and Ivan Insignares for helping me reboot the band along with Luis Eusse.
Thanks to Tom Penaguin for being very kind and helping me find this label.
Thanks to Rafa from àMARXE for getting me into the label and being very kind too.
Thanks to all my countless friends, both in real life and online, for all the support."
The album contains seven tracks totaling approximately forty minutes, plus a bonus track, "A Lullaby For You, But You Didn't Sleep," from the album "Flight," recorded in December 2022.
Leave, Left, Gone opens the album with electric piano and excellent organ lines, with a nostalgic yet rhythmic melody. It's a fusion of the Canterbury sound with the eclectic sound of Gentle Giant.
Out! It's a short track that follows the same pattern of influences, with the beautiful, theatrical voice, at times reminiscent of the great Hammill. After about two and a half minutes, there's a chaotic moment that brings the song to a close.
Oral Auto-Expression takes us back to Canterbury with the theatrical vocals and playful tone, a very well-played song.
And Sometimes... You're So Awful begins with a syncopated, dissonant opening, almost entirely rhythmic and devoid of melody, featuring acid guitar and a raw percussive section. The mood is serene, and the use of distortion is masterful. There are also spoken vocals that are very reminiscent of Gong's style.
Cacophony In Zé Major blends Canterbury and Zehul, with excellent guitar and beautiful rhythm. The vocals are a true Zehul interpretation, as is the uninterrupted progression and endless guitar riff. The drum part and distorted guitar sounds over a clearer, more energetic riff are excellent.
And Every Time... You're So Hypocritical blends the sound we're used to hearing from Gong with that of Magma, with beautiful, wordless vocals that are very Canterbury. The instrumental section is beautiful, with a relentless flow of guitar, drums, and bass, interspersed with spacey sounds and jazzy interludes. The acoustic guitar section is beautiful, with its bass and deep dissonances. This experimental track, in my opinion, represents the album with its remarkable bass groove and essential, incisive drums, the raw acoustic guitar interludes, and the final acoustic guitar section that harks back to the early work of the British psychedelic scene. A great piece, the album's best.
Picture of an Alleycat is a track that opens ethereal and light with beautiful keyboards and light cymbal touches, and then takes off in true Canterbury style with a sunny, relaxed pace. The vocals are beautiful and, above all, believable, theatrical, and interpretive, with excellent intonation. The final ride, with its fast pace and beautiful fuzz organ, features a drumming that rises in quality in the jazzy section with electric piano and a strong bass line. The distorted organ is beautiful in a beautifully sophisticated progression.
"A Lullaby For You, But You Didn't Sleep" is the bonus track, a nearly 11-minute suite with beautiful organ and bass parts and filtered vocals, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The vocals are almost disturbing, and the guitar is raw in its high-pitched solo. The pace is at times uncertain and suspended. The drums are focused on the mood and the solutions. Studio noises can be heard. There's a more compelling section, with a beautiful syncopated organ and an acidic keyboard riff, when the song picks up speed and intensity, an ambitious piece but under-equipped. But it's a beautiful sound, in the hypnotic riffs, and in the vocals, focused but immature compared to the other tracks on the album.
Among the acknowledgments in the liner notes, one made me think:
"Thanks to Tom Penaguin for his kindness and for helping me find this label." (Singlelito)
It reminds me of one of the thank you notes on Tom Penaguin's self-titled debut album:
"I'd like to thank Ryan (Zopp) for helping me get a deal and for all the great promotion advice he gave me. Without him, you wouldn't have a record in your hands!" (Tom Penaguin)
A wonderful network of artists is being created, a new cultural community, a new Canterbury, new connections and bonds that in this case see Zopp, Tom Penaguin, and Singlelito united by a common inspiration, albeit with different styles.
An excellent album that would have deserved not 4 but 5 stars without the bonus track: I admire the artist's coherence in including it as a complement to the album's narrative, but in a purely editorial context, I would have avoided it since the album ended strongly with "Picture of an Alleycat." This, however, is also part of Canterbury's philosophy, which, with great freedom of expression, gives more weight to the lyrics (the message) than the context. It's fitting, and I like this too. For intellectual honesty, I stand by my assessment, despite this beautiful stylistic approach.
An album that is a MUST for fans of new-generation progressive rock.
A very young artist of immense talent and performance and interpretation skills who injects new energy into a prog scene that is in great ferment, thanks also to the work of other artists like Luciano Margorani, Dario D'Alessandro, and Chris Cutler with their recent album, Triangolazioni. My thanks to àMARXE for introducing them to us.
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. Leave, Left, Gone (5:05)
2. Out! (2:57)
3. Oral Auto-Expression (3:06)
4. And Sometimes... You're So Awful (5:09)
5. Cacophony in Zé Major (5:03)
6. And Every Time... You're So Hypocritical (5:21)
7. Picture of an Alleycat (5:43)
LineUp
Composed, performed, recorded, mixed, mastered, engineered and produced by Juan Pinto (Singlelito)
