Today's R-tronika makes me think on Revenge of the Nerds. Beyond of get it right with the bass addition, the Latin danceable percussion, and the female background vocals --finally Renzo Ortega found a way to share the mic--, it is a story of personality, dedication and courage. Forget about the aesthetical discrimination era, R-tronika now belongs to the world of music proposals highlighting gigs. Anyone searching for the next level would like to get along with them.
The title reads "Don't Look At Them", which is something unavoidable. Then is this feeling of "Being Next To Them" in that slaughterhouse that serves as a metaphor for "confrontation, agony and death," according to the authors/performers Donis Taveras and Eli Nadal.
Exhaustion becomes relief at the end. This is an observation beyond the one hour-long physical effort by Donis and Eli. As the couple engages in a never-ending relationship in which only they know how to step out of it, a collage of dance, image, speeches and songs allows the audience to identify with the characters. The piece might seem overloaded but there is no accumulation. And fatigue never causes weakness.
The minimal stage and sound designs are key to make this empathy possible as they provide the meditative atmosphere -necessary to digest that collage and bear the agony. The choice of songs and the time between them make the fun part of the piece as it develops like an "unplugged musical" that leads to a fluent ending.
And there is some dark sense of humor that helps to acknowledge the cease between antagonic forces Donis and Eli propose.
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