Confusion – MK-ULTRA

Chile is still in turmoil. The streets are chaotic and full of rattling noises, as are the minds of the people who cross them every day, their shoes worn out and their hearts beating with uncertainty.

It’s 2020, but time feels like it is not linear anymore, if it ever was. Still, we resist, and are thankful for all the support, like the one in this previously reviewed compilation, or this project CrimethInc. is doing, as well as the letters, videos, songs and comments, among many things.

In the midst of all the chaos, it was hard to keep track of all the new songs, new albums and new bands, but I can’t leave this stuff behind, I just can’t. I love hearing and sharing what people are creating and feeling here, so let’s just dive right in.

Junko Records is one of my favorite labels from Chile. Based in Temuco, they always have something for everyone, a wide range of bands and sounds from different places.

Released shortly after the protests in Chile began, MK-ULTRA by Confusion is simply a fun banger that you need to play at full volume on your buzzing stereo. Though it’s not your typical raw and monstrously fast punk record, it has the same kind of frantic energy you’re always looking for. This EP feels like a sweaty teenager writhing in his dirty room, saliva dripping from his mouth onto the floor where he’s rolling around in the middle of a hot summer. Like something you would hear on K Records.

The lyrics seem rather silly and light-hearted at first glance, but they are self-conscious at the same time. It’s kind of like a sweet fuzzy drink, I guess. Shutting off your brain from stupidity, consumerism, and all delusions of simple fun is the core of these short tracks, the longest of which (“Ya No Voy A Pensar En Nada Más”, track one) clocks in at just 2:36. It’s hard to miss the point here, they just spit it right at you.

Confusion already released a noisy self-titled EP in 2017 and their only LP to date, Sungazing, in 2018 (later reissued by the folks at Gemelo Parásito). MK-Ultra follows the same path of playfulness and irony in these tracks. They still manage to create a hectic atmosphere with lo-fi sound and distorted sensations, but I have to admit that it is not as daring or amusing as their LP. Maybe because it’s shorter, simpler and more straightforward compared to their previous work.

Not that I don’t like the music being like that, but “Sungazing”, my personal favorite, had a lot more opportunities to reveal all the different aspects of the band and what they are capable of. But it’s okay. It’s not like they have to please anyone but themselves, and I can hear them having fun with every beat and note they write. Cheers to them.