We’re still a ways off from Cultura Tres releasing their new album, La Secta — due out Sept. 26 — but listening to their new single, it makes sense why the Venezuelan four-piece might want to distinguish the song. “Sal y Piedras” (“salt and rocks”) has been designated a bonus track for La Secta, which is the follow-up to Cultura Tres‘ third offering, 2013’s Rezando al Miedo (review here), and features the vocals of Yvaruma Tapia, aka Yva Las Vegass, known for working with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic in Sweet 75 toward the tail end of the 1990s, and known as an ambassador of Venezuelan folklore and culture through her music.

The pairing with Cultura Tres‘ typically vicious sludge metal makes sense more than it might first seem. The band — vocalist/guitarist Alejandro Londono, guitarist/backing vocalist Juan Manuel de Ferrari, bassist Alonso Milano and drummer Benoit Martiny — have a long-established track record of not only promoting cultural pride in their heritage, but in conveying a fiercely anti-colonial stance and pointed social critique in their songs. This is a part of their character as a group and it bleeds through the seething intensity of much of what they do. Sonically, “Sal y Piedras” pulls away from some of that, benefiting much from Yva Las Vegass‘ melodic command and keeping a quiet initial push that ultimately gives way to a satisfyingly weighted roll. Even four months out from the record’s arrival, one can understand why they might be eager to share this special moment with their followers.

More background on the collaboration, on Yva Las Vegass‘ work and on the release of Cultura Tres‘ La Secta can be found under the video below, courtesy of the PR wire.

Enjoy:

Cultura Tres, “Sal y Piedras” lyric video

Lyric video for the newest single by the Venezuelan psychedelic/ sludge metal band Cultura Tres feat. Yva Las Vegass (Sweet 75, Delusions of Grandeour, Tres Mundos) can be seen below. The song will be included as a bonus track in the fourth Cultura Tres album “La Secta” which will be released on September 26th 2016 on vinyl and CD and digitally through iTunes and Bandcamp.

For the members of Cultura Tres this is one of the most special compositions they have worked on – the song is a tribute to the career of someone who makes them feel proud to be Venezuelan, a person who is one of the most important voices of the Venezuelan rock. This is the reason the band decided to give to this “bonus” track its own space and let its magic proclaim the end of almost three years of silence.

Yva Las Vegass (born Yvaruma Tapia) grew up in different cities, such as Caracas, Barquisimeto and La Guaira, cities where she acquired her love for music and deep connection with folklore. She started singing and playing cuatro (Venezuelan instrument) at the age of 5 and this developed her folk music base. However, her rebelliousness took her to Seattle in the late 80s where she started performing music on the streets, taking part in different bands and playing various genres. Yva’s voice and energy made Krist Novoselic invite her to the recording studio and they formed Sweet 75 shortly afterwards. Yva’s solo album “I was born in a place of sunshine and the smell of ripe mangoes”, was one of the 25 best albums of the year 2012 according to NPR, her compositions were performed among others by Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Herb Albert and endless number of musicians and last but not least, she made many of these world icons play Venezuelan folklore. She is one of those persons whose world is art and whose life is music.

Currently Yva lives in New York City and is taking part in the recordings of the new Hurray for the Riff Raff album in The Electric Lady Studios. She is focused on developing new projects, as a sample of this can be heard in “Sal Y Piedras”. Cultura Tres vocalist/ guitarist Alejandro Londoño: “It has been an honour to have Yva Las Vegas singing this song with us, it is a tribute to the dedication and talent of one of the most significant artist of our country Venezuela. Enjoy it”.

Cultura Tres website

Cultura Tres on Thee Facebooks

Cultura Tres on Bandcamp

Tags: Cultura Tres, Cultura Tres La Secta, La Secta, Venezuela

This entry was posted on Monday, May 16th, 2016 at 10:12 am and is filed under Bootleg Theater. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.