Lead guitarist of the beloved Los Angeles, California-based rock band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante released his third solo studio album, under electronic music moniker Trickfinger, entitled She Smiles Because She Presses the Button, this past Friday, June 5 via Avenue 66/Acid Test. Trickfinger’s latest musical offering is the second project to drop in 2020, following the EP Look Down, See Us which dropped back in March, with a forthcoming third project set to be released this year.

As previously reported on Consequence of Sound, She Smiles Because She Presses the Button“… spans a total of six songs, including early offerings ‘Amb’ and ‘Brise’. Here, Frusciante’s RHCP guitar licks take a backseat to ambient Balaeric and IDM, as well as driving techno and warm house.”

Frusciante’s funkier straight forward guitar grooves displayed on his Red Hot Chili Peppers body of work contrasts with the more ambient and avant-garde electronic stylings that is Trickfinger. On his latest work, She Smiles Because She Presses the Button, the more free flowing stream of consciousness is in full effect as the whole project blends together as a continuous ethereal experience. The spacey synths and layered drum programing give the tracks depth and instrumentally there is a varied amount of experimentation going on, throughout, that is both atmospherically maddening and eerily beautiful.

Speaking on Frusciante’s approach to his latest musical offering, Avenue 66 released a statement on Frusciante’s Bandcamp site, that reads:

“Frusciante has the melodic and programming chops to jump from style to style while sounding only like himself. ‘Amb 21’ is the welcome middle-ground between Balearic and IDM while ‘Brise’ with its quick syncopations and rhythmic groove provide a contrasting fabric. Elsewhere, JF caroms through electro and pastoral, ‘intelligent’ ambient. The common thread through this quixotic journey are his trademark, timeless melodies.”

While hard at work with his latest solo efforts, when the news of Frusciante’s return to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ lineup was first announced late last year, it wasn’t until members of the group confirmed plans to record a new album‘s worth of music materialized into a forthcoming twelve studio album from the illustrious collective. According to the aforementioned Consequence of Sound article, “He and Flea also recently took over Dublab Radio for a two-hour DJ set.”

The aforementioned Avenue 66 statement concluded with, “For years now, Frusciante has immersed himself in machines, learning tracker programs, synths and drum machines inside and out, applying the same, tireless approach he’s exhibited throughout his career. On She Smiles Because She Presses The Button, this period of intense study leads intense creative liberation.”

To listen to Trickfinger’s She Smiles Because She Presses The Button in its entirety, stream below via Bandcamp.