Posted in Whathaveyou on November 12th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
At the time of this posting, there are five (5) copies left of Viaje a 800‘s Santa Águeda available on tap through Spinda Records, and as I watch and listen through to the video for the 11-minute closing track “Al-Yazhira,” I have to think they’ll be gone in no time flat. The desert tones are raw and gorgeous in the guitar and yet there’s an airy effects layer as well that serves as foreshadow for some of the more progressive and psychedelic elements the band would bring to their sound later on. After reissuing their first two records through Spinda, putting out a live album and now this demo — the tape limited to just 50 copies worldwide — I have to wonder if maybe the Algeciras-based troupe might be headed toward the inevitability of a new full-length. I know José “Pot” Moreno is plenty busy with other projects, and Algeciras isn’t exactly short on related bands at this point, but there’s an awful lot going on the last couple years with Viaje a 800 in terms of playing shows and putting out releases for a band who are, you know, not really a band anymore.
If you’re lucky enough to grab one of these tapes, congratulations. You will have beat me to it, thereby giving you bragging rights into perpetuity.
Don’t forget Viaje a 800 also play Spinda Records‘ Spinda Fest this month. Info on that is here.
From the PR wire:
New from Viaje a 800: Santa Águeda, Limited Edition Cassette
A bit earlier than expected… We’ve just started pre-sale for Viaje a 800’s demo tape ‘Santa Águeda’. Ah, and there are only 50 copies worldwide, so be quick!!!
Recorded at Estudios Pinrrel de Santa Águeda in 1997 and 1998. Please listen to this as a demo as that is what it is. Re-issued by Spinda Records to celebrate band’s 20th Anniversary
Tracklisting: 1. El dios de mi mentira 2. Equivocación 3. Solo 4. Cardio Límite 5. Esfera Violencia 6. Al-Yazhira
Viaje a 800 is: José Pot Moreno – vocals, bass Océano Galindo – guitar David Ruiz – drums Carlos Navas – bass Miguel Acuña – guitar
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 29th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Spinda Records will celebrate its second anniversary on Nov. 23 by hosting the inaugural edition of what it has suitably dubbed Spinda Fest. It’s a three-band bill — now that’s the kind of festival I can get behind — with a free warm-up show before that Doctor Sax are playing, and the fest proper will feature Viaje a 800, Bourbon and Grajo. In Algeciras, which is in the Andalusian home region of the bands. Fucking cool, right? Viaje a 800 have done just a handful of shows to this point celebrating the reissues of their first two records — which I very much need to review and kind of can’t believe I haven’t yet; enough that I just stopped writing this sentence and went and looked to double-check that I hadn’t, and nope, not there — and this will be the next one, and they’ll be joined for it by two more than companionable outfits of similar heavy psychedelic intent. What I’m saying here is if you can get there, you should. It’ll be cool.
Here’s the info, as run through a major internet company’s translation matrix and tweaked by me to preserve titles and whatnot:
What better way to celebrate the second anniversary of Spinda Records than with a party surrounded by friends?
VIAJE A 800 / Heavy Psych: after 2 years of celebrations with the reissues of ‘Estampida de trombones’ and ‘Diablo roto dë …’, and their performances at the Festival Sound Isidro de Madrid and at SonicBlast Moledo (Portugal), those of La Novena had to finish celebrating their 20th Anniversary as a band with a pitch at home, where they did not play since 2012. If you did not have the opportunity to see them on their previous dates of this year, do not miss this one because he finds out when they get back on stage … Madness is coming! Ready to scream?
BOURBON / Psych Hard Rock: after kicking Spain with their most recent work ‘Fuente Vieja’ (among the best albums of 2018 according to many national media), those from Sanlúcar arrive at the Spinda Fest to make us fly with their particular way of understanding the hard rock; full of Andalusian psychedelia and folklore. If you have not seen them live, you do not know what you are missing; and if you’ve seen them, your repeat fixed … what if?
GRAJO / Space Doom Rock: like a true steamroller, that’s how Grajo sounds on stage. If you still had a good ear, you have little left because they are going to burst on the basis of the best doom that is done today in Spain, seasoned with a lot of space rock and Andalusian essence. Crushing rhythms and sidereal journeys, with a simply “unique” voice. A little jewel, come on!
Posted in Features on August 6th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
This coming weekend, the kinda-reunited Andalusian outfit Viaje a 800 — who for my money are one of heavy rock’s all-time most underrated bands, period — will take the stage at SonicBlast Moledo in Portugal. With members having moved on to outfits like Atavismo and Híbrido over the years, the reemergence of Viaje a 800 is all the more a special event, and Spinda Records, which has overseen reissues of their first two albums, 2001’s Diablo Roto De… and 2007’s Estampida de Trombones, has rightly decided to celebrate.
Spinda put out Estampida de Trombones on vinyl last year and from the opening riff of “Los Ángeles Q Hay En Mi Piel,” the album’s moody sensibility and melodic/rhythmic intricacy comes through with a subtly progressive flourish. It’s heavy and definitively of Spanish folk lineage as much as it’s psychedelic and far-ranging, and yet, more than the debut, the second record had a dark streak in its guitar and hooks, something tense that carried through it as a thread uniting the songs. It’s not a vibe I’ve ever heard anyone do in quite the same way, and if you don’t know the album, you should.
Accordingly, here are 20 download codes courtesy of Spinda. Start at the top of the list, and if that one doesn’t work, just keep cutting and pasting until one does. If the last one doesn’t, well, I guess they’re all gone. You can still listen to the album via the stream below, but I think you’ll agree when you do it’s one you’ll want to have on hand, so don’t hesitate.
Jan. 21 marks the release date of I (review here), the debut album from Spanish psych-prog four-piece Híbrido. It’ll be out through Spinda Records and is aptly-named both in terms of being the band’s first release and for their being a hybrid of influences and ideas. The lineage is complicated, but Algeciras, where the band is based, has played host to a heavy rock and psych scene for decades spearheaded in no small part by Híbrido‘s members. Guitarist Jose Angel “Oceano” Galindo and bassist Jose “Pot” Moreno played together in a group called Viaje a 800, who released their final studio album, Coñac Oxigenado (review here), in 2012. Moreno would go on to form Atavismo with drummer Sandri Pow, who had also played in the space-rocking Mind!. If you haven’t heard them, Atavismo‘s releases to-date — 2018’s Valdeinfierno EP (review here), 2017’s Inerte (review here) and 2014’s Desintegración (review here) — are increasingly progressive gems that presage some of the ground Moreno, Pow and Galindo cover as well in Híbrido, working alongside Los Bradlys guitarist Zoa Rubio.
It’s a complicated family tree — and I’m by no means claiming that’s the entire narrative of it — but even if you were to go back and listen to Viaje a 800, Los Bradlys, Atavismo or Mind!, that wouldn’t really give you a full picture of what’s happening with Híbrido, in no small part because that doesn’t seem to be an entirely settled issue. That players so familiar with each other could manage to turn around a record that sounds so much like a debut is an accomplishment in and of itself, but indeed, one of the great strengths of I is the promise it shows for future development, and that’s in the harmonies of the Floydian apex of the 13-minute “Le Pilules Vertes” as well as the quick turns and the fuzzy hook of “Nada, Nadie,” which follows the previously-premiered opener “Pensando en un Eco de Instinto Interior” that unfolds such a sense of progressive tonal warmth in the guitar and bass and the fluidity of the drums pushing them along their plotted course. As side B comprises just “Les Pilules Vertes” and the accompanying 10-minute closer “Ente,” there’s a bit of a dual-personality for the record, but that too adds to the sense of their aesthetic being (perhaps willfully) unsettled.
The closer, even more than the shifts in sound between centerpiece “Escarlata” at the end of side A and what follows in the second half of the album, is most indicative of all of the breadth Híbrido are harnessing, and while everything before it might be seen as at least in line with what the members have done before — that is, I has its own identity, but shares aspects in common with past work of the players involved — “Ente” takes a stark turn, changing from the dreamy clean vocals to a harsh, black metal-style rasp in its second half. To complement this, the track has a particularly progressive feel in its guitar work, moving from a tense forward push to nuanced classic-prog winding that remind of some of the math Opeth once did in combining elements of extreme metal and ’70s-style progressive rock. It’s a shocking moment on an otherwise peaceful I, and a surprise that leaves one curious as to just where Híbrido might go from there in terms of their sound. That’s one of the best impressions a band can make on a debut, to establish a foundation of quality craft and remain unpredictable, and I wouldn’t dare guess what another release — perhaps called II — might do to build on what I brings to bear. Really. It happens at about 7:40. The first time I heard it my brain didn’t believe what my ears were telling it.
Although I isn’t officially out until Monday, of course Spinda has it available to order now, and I’m thrilled to be able to host the album streaming in full. Yeah, I did the premiere for the opener before, but I think this is a special case where going deep and really hearing the record front-to-back is entirely warranted. I hope you agree and I hope you enjoy.
Vinyl release info follows.
Dig it:
Heavy Psych & Alternative Rock from Algeciras (Spain). Including members of Viaje a 800, Mind!, Atavismo, Medicina & Los Bradlys.
****OUT ON 21st JANUARY 2019****
Híbrido’s debut album ‘I’ is released on: -Vinyl 12″ 150grs Classic Black Edition (218 copies worldwide) -Vinyl 12″ 150grs La Novena Clear Limited Edition (110 copies worldwide) -CD Jewel Case (330 copies worldwide)
All music by Híbrido.
Recorded, mixed and mastered at Trafalgar Estudios by Curro “Snortil” Úreba (El Palmar, October 2017). Artwork by Antonio Ramírez (Mentes de Ácido). Edited by Spinda Records.
Track-list: SIDE A 1. Pensando En Un Eco De Instinto Interior 2. Nada, Nadie 3. Escarlata SIDE B 4. Les Pilules Vertes 5. Ente
Algeciras-based trio Medicina, which brings together drummer David Ruiz Donoso and bassist Jose “Pot” Moreno, both formerly of Viaje a 800, with Alberto Ruiz Gonzalez on guitar and vocals, will release their first album, Turboacido, through Mai Lei Bel on Feb. 22. Preorders for the 10-track/45-minute offerings start on Jan. 4, and to preview the LP’s arrival the band have put together a video for closing cut “Histamina,” which at 6:20 is also the longest inclusion on the record, blending influences from grunge, heavy rock and shoegazing post-rock with spacious flourish and the occasional bit of desert-minded riffing. Songs like “Sobredosis” and the side A finale “Pirotecnias” (premiered here) careen between garage stylizations and headier fare, the identity of the band cast as much in underground classics as in the forward-thinking progressivism underlying their superficially simplistic structures and moods alternately laid back and driving. Despite the lush feel of “Sensorial,” Turboacido does not seem to need to make its impression in a wash of effects, instead letting the consuming layers as they are eat away at the consciousness, gradually escaping with brain matter and, I don’t know, maybe your eyeballs if they’re not too wrecked by the shimmer.
The dug-in grunge of “Hermanas” and the indie-vibing opener before it “Infarto Juvenil” give a distinctly ’90s-inspired presentation, but the production itself isn’t dated and there’s not so much as sense of the band trying to recapture something long-since lost as interpreting their own take on that spirit. Some of the record’s most effective moments are in its mellower stretches, “Sobredosis” or the extra-bassy “Ensamble,” which though it puts the low end in the forward position mix-wise, uses that extra space for some post-rock expansion in the lead guitar. As the finale, “Histamina” follows the push ‘n’ wash of “Soluble” with whatever space rock might be if it was exploring the ocean instead of the outer reaches of the cosmos. Or maybe it’s just some watery planet in some far off star system? Either way, it brings together the intense thrust of motorik rhythmmaking with something still definitely gravitational, and by the end, shows itself to be winding off in a direction all its own. So it may be the case with the band (here’s hoping), but the nuance of their approach shouldn’t be lost as one calls out this influence or that. Make no mistake, the highlight of Turboacido is in how Medicina take these elements and own them outright.
“Histamina” was directed by Juanjo Crespo and goes wild on some footage that may or may not be in the public domain.
Please enjoy:
Medicina, “Histamina” official video
Second preview of our first lp turboacido, which will see the light on February 22, enjoy and share the “Histamina.” Video Realizado por Juanjo Crespo.
Medicina is a trio formed at the beginning by Alberto and David, veteran musicians of the local scene in South Spain (They’ve playing together since the early 90´s in several bands like Ballet Violencia, Xudor Barato, among others).
David Ruiz was the drummer in the well known stoner rock band Viaje a 800 (from 1996 to 2008), and also in Buenamuerte Trío (From 2010 to 2013); After multiple line-up changes, Jose “Pot” (Viaje a 800, Atavismo…) finally joins the band as bass player in 2018.
Band members: Alberto Ruiz Gonzalez (Guitar and Vocals) David Ruiz Donoso (Drums) Jose “Pot” Moreno (Bass)
Grunge meets heavy psychedelia and straight-ahead rock in the expanses of Medicina‘s first long-player, Turboacido. Arriving Feb. 22 through Mei Lei Bel (say it out loud), the 10-track/45-minute LP is lush in tone and patient in delivery, but ultimately clearheaded about what it’s looking to accomplish in terms of songwriting. As the Algeciras-based trio features two former members of the defunct Viaje a 800, there’s an immediate level of interest, but Medicina — who have three EPs out dating back to 2015 — are quick to distinguish themselves in moments of all-out ’90s reimagining and the occasional bit of footgaze, which is like shoegaze, but with x-ray vision.
They’re not cosmic-averse either, which is fortunate since that’s where closer “Histimina” seems to be heading at full impulse speed. That track caps side B, but if you want to hear the one that does likewise on side A, you can stream the clap-along-worthy “Pirotecnias” on the player at the bottom of this post. Mei Lei Bel has preorders starting on my mom’s birthday (it’s what every mother wants), and you can find more background on the band and their noble mission below, courtesy of the PR wire.
It’s right under the art, which is looking directly at you.
Thusly:
Medicina – Turboacido
Release Date: 22/02/2019 (Pre-Orders will be available January 4, 2019) (Mai Lei Bel, Austria) (https://maileibel.bandcamp.com).
– Recording Info: Recorded and Mastered by Curro “Snortil” Ureba at Trafalgar Estudios (El Palmar-Vejer) during August/October 2018. Produced by Medicina & Curro “Snortil” Ureba.
Medicina is a trio formed at the beginning by Alberto and David, veteran musicians of the local scene in South Spain (They’ve playing together since the early 90´s in several bands like Ballet Violencia, Xudor Barato, among others).
David Ruiz was the drummer in the well known stoner rock band Viaje a 800 (from 1996 to 2008), and also in Buenamuerte Trío (From 2010 to 2013); After multiple line-up changes, Jose “Pot” (Viaje a 800, Atavismo…) finally joins the band as bass player in 2018.
Medicina began playing in 2012, performing a mix of genres like Shoegaze, Grunge, Post Punk and Space Rock, but anyway they prefer to call it Expansive Rock. Their main influences are bands like: Loop, Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Spacemen 3, Suicide, Telescopes, The Stooges, Lagartija Nick or Nirvana, among others…
They have 3 EPs (self-released), the last one called: #3 includes new incursions in another music genres not previously explored as Ambient and Dub. They have announced a LP called “Turboacido” that will be released by the Austrian label Mai Lei Bel Records next year 2019.
Talking about live shows, they´ve been playing in several places of their country with bands such as Atavismo, Cowboy Lovers, and many others ; also played at festivals such as the Picnic Intestelar in Seville among others. Nowadays they´re preparing themselves for a next Tour during 2018/2019, due to the presentation of their new upcoming LP.
Meanwhile….they keep experimenting in their laboratory.
Band members: Alberto Ruiz Gonzalez (Guitar and Vocals) David Ruiz Donoso (Drums) Jose “Pot” Moreno (Bass)
Posted in audiObelisk on November 5th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Think of it more like galaxy rock than space rock, because to some degree, space is chaos and galaxies, at least viewed from the unfathomable distances we see them, have shape, order. So it is with the progressive psychedelic heavy rock brought forth on the debut album, I, from Andalusian four-piece Híbrido. The arrival of said LP might seem pretty quick, as it was only last month they announced signing to Spinda Records, which has also released records for related outfits, but the truth is Híbrido have been bubbling under the surface for at least the past four years in one form or another, and the moniker could hardly be more appropriate given the breadth of influence which the five-track/46-minute debut showcases, with vocals handled by all four members of the band — guitarists Jose Angel “Oceano” Galindo (ex-Viaje a 800) and Zoa Rubio (Los Bradlys), bassist Jose “Pot” Moreno (Atavismo, ex-Viaje a 800) and drummer Sandri Pow (Atavismo, ex-Mind!) — and a lush depth of sound that’s as gorgeous melodically as is it is malleable in presentation, shifting between Floydian pastoralism and coastal vibes from their native Algeciras. Those familiar with the work of the much-loved Atavismo or the defunct and much-underrated Viaje a 800 will find recognizable elements at work throughout, but the form that Híbrido‘s work takes is distinct nonetheless.
To wit, the back and forth interplay of lead guitar in the 13-minute penultimate track “Les Pilules Vertes,” which by then has already unfolded nearly 10 minutes of proggy exploration, or the heavy, choral push in the hook of second track “Nada, Nadie” that follows the opener “Pensando en un Eco Instinto Interior,” which gracefully sets its bed on the bass and drums as the guitars set an airy atmosphere for the increasing echo of the vocals. Balance is the key. Think of a hybrid plant. They’re bred for specific characteristics, and in that way, Híbrido function much the same. Each member of the band brings something of their own to the proceedings, and it’s in the blending of those aspects that the personality of I is cast. “Pensando en un Eco Instinto Interior” makes its way into a hypnotic apex of winding lead guitar, reverbed vocals and energetic drum crash, but that it fades out should say something about the mission overall of Híbrido in that it’s less about where any individual piece ends up than how that piece contributes to the whole of the album. In that way, the record too is a hybrid of sorts. Following “Nada, Nadie,” centerpiece “Escarlata” brings together weighted low-end push with vocal harmonies and what I can only call an Andalusian shuffle, insistent rhythmically but still ultimately mellow enough to make a natural shift into the guitar/Mellotron-led second half. Soon enough, that leads to the heavier, fuzzier start of “Les Pilules Vertes,” but that’s only the first of many sides that song has to offer ahead of the 10-minute closer “Ente,” which takes a more rocking approach early and surprises after passing the 7:30 mark by including black metal-style rasping vocals amid all the surrounding melody.
They’re deep in the mix, but they’re there. I’m not imagining it. And they immediately change the context of the album, which ends with held out notes and a swipe of fingers on strings, to give a natural, in-studio feel to the curious last impression the band makes. Does anything really go in this galaxy? The way those screams are handled, they’re almost snuck in at the finish, and the message seems to be that Híbrido aren’t interested in constraints, and they’ll no more be bound by genre lines than they will by the expectation built from their own songcraft or past work. Fair enough if it works, which oddly, it does, both to be willfully jarring and sonically cohesive.
But that’s the message of I overall, in case the point hasn’t been made: That these various sides can come together and create something new, finding new forms of resonance along the way. I don’t have an exact release date for the album, and they’re not revealing the cover art yet, but keep your eye on Spinda Records for preorders and whatnot, and I do have the pleasure today of hosting the premiere of “Pensando en un Eco de Instinto Interior,” which, as the first track on the LP and the first audio made public from it as well, is a great way to get yourself introduced. And you want to be introduced.
SandriPow was kind enough to offer some comment and you’ll find that as well under the player below.
Please enjoy:
Sandri Pow on “Pensando en un Eco Instinto Interior”:
The progression of this track brought some kind of balance to the whole record; a persistent and effective bass leads the rhythm this time, taking the hand of the drums, while both guitars dance together, combining an smooth and intense playing, changing in every moment…pure prog, rock, delays, and psychedelic lyrics.
Híbrido is: Jose Angel “Oceano” Galindo – Guitar/vocals Zoa Rubio – Guitar/vocals Jose Pot – Bass/vocals/synth Sandri Pow – Drums/vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 17th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
There isn’t any audio yet to share, but you’re going to want to watch out for this one. Híbrido‘s debut album arrives after a year-plus of murmurings about a side-project from Poti and Pow of Atavismo that reunites the former with his ex-Viaje a 800 bandmate, guitarist Jose Angel “Oceano” Galindo, and now it’s announced that the record is mostly done and will see release through Spinda Records sometime in the coming months, presumably in the New Year. I don’t even have track titles yet, but its centerpiece is a 13-minute jam that goes from fuzzy roll right into prog-psych wash with a fluidity that’s nothing short of splendid. Again, keep an eye out.
Expect more to come on Híbrido one way or the other as we get closer to the release of the album, which has suitably been dubbed I, including I assume some form of audio/visual media, which you won’t find here because there’s nothing to directly share, although the link at the bottom of this post goes to some rehearsal footage from Thee Facebooks. In the meantime, the label and band announced their union thusly:
Says Spinda Records:
Have you ever been onto something very big and that very little people know yet? We do, the feeling is brutal and soon we will give you all the details… at the moment we can only advance that the algecireños Híbrido join the #spindarecords family for their debut debut.
And who are Híbrido? Very Easy, cream of #lanovena: Poti (Atavismo, mind!, Viaje a 800), Zoa (the bradlys), José Angel (Viaje a 800) and pow (Atavismo, mind! ). Almost done!
Says Híbrido:
Four years ago we started a beautiful project, which took us to see the light as it deserves, but… today is a reality.
We are excited to announce that Híbrido will release our debut album with Spinda Records, who has trusted us to get our musical manifesto, that in which we have so much effort. Thank you infinite.
This has just begun, little by little you will discover what we are… soon in your ears!
Híbrido is: Jose Angel “Oceano” Galindo – Guitarra Zoa Rubio – Guitarra Jose Pot – Bajo Sandri Pow – Batería
