At the time it came out four years ago in 2015, Sergio Ch.‘s first solo album, 1974 (review here), seemed to take shape directly from out of the third offering from his band Ararat, 2014’s Cabalgata Hacia la Luz (review here). The two shared several tracks, among them “La Familia y las Guerras,” and both had an overarching purpose in introspection, an intimate feel that manifested in experimentalist-tinged folk in one and brash heavy punk/rock in the other. Still, they were linked, and with Sergio Chotsourian‘s songwriting at the epicenter, they held a consistency that went beyond whatever sonic disparities there may have been. Different appeal, same level of quality between them.

Chotsourian has since gone on to form the trio Soldati and begin to dole out singles and other short releases ahead of an eventual full-length, and he’s also put out the second acoustic-ish album, 2017’s Aurora (review here), as well as several collaborative efforts of various stripes, but I still break out 1974 on occasion, and songs like “La Familia y las Guerras” are a big part of why. Arrangement-wise, there’s nothing outlandish about it, and it’s not as drone even as some of the material on the subsequent full-length would be, but it carries a nonetheless open feel and is spacious thanks to a bit of echo while still staying intimate in a close-up-to-the-mic vocal-style from Chotsourian, who if he didn’t record it live certainly gives a convincing facsimile of having done so.

As to why now would be a time to make a video for a song on a record that was released so long ago, I’d only ask the obvious question: “Who cares?” In addition to the aforementioned and long-bandied Soldati long-player, there’s been word that Chotsourian will do another solo offering under his own name, and that will be something to look forward to, but in the meantime, why not shut up and take what one can get? If that’s going for a backwards walk in some hot-looking desert space, then so be it. One could, of course, do a lot worse, both in the video and in life generally.

I’ve also included the full 1974 stream below, in case it’s been a while.

Enjoy:

Sergio Ch., “La Familia y las Guerras” official video

VIDEO OFICIAL DEL DISCO DE SERGIO CH. – “1974”
PRODUCIDO POR SERGIO CH.
VIDEO REALIZADO POR MILAGROS ARROM Y LUCAS MARTINEZ

OUI OUI RECORDS
SOUTH AMERICAN SLUDGE RECORDS

Sergio Ch., 1974 (2015)

South American Sludge Records on Thee Facebooks

South American Sludge website

South American Sludge Records on Bandcamp

This new Viaje a Ixtlán must be really good, and I say that not just because I dig space rock or because I dug the advance songs they threw out to the public ahead of time or whatever else, but because if I can be in as much of a fucking wreck of a state of mind as I am and still be like, “Wow, this is pretty cool,” then yeah, they’re clearly up to something. The Argentinian four-piece released the 2LP, or two-part, or double-album — I don’t really know, but each half has its own Bandcamp page — on May 20, and those two halves of Calma each comprise four tracks of sparsely-vocalized, synth-laden astro prog. I think it’s right on, and right now, I don’t think anything’s right on, so yeah, dig in. Both halves of the release are below streaming.

Karate chop:

Viaje a ixtlan lives in constant movement, through perpetual change, stepping out of our zone of comfort, researching and processing the sounds that enticed and influenced us.

Taking as a starting point dark and ambient musical passages, the band has developed a personal aesthetic where the typical song format fuses with the sonic experimentation and the electric volatility.

Starting this journey in 2013, the band surges from the necessity of Mariano Bertolazzi (guitars, synths and vocals) to defy the limits of his musical universe. This shapes the first album of the band: Vol. 1. The second album: Vol. 2 follows this steps and deepens them, taking the experimental approach of our first album further, enriching the sound with several layers of synthesizers and electric guitars unlike the first effort.

“Calma”, it’s the name of our new work, a double album where the tranquility and the fury find themselves face to face, leaving the listener in the middle of the ensuing storm.

The current lineup of the band is completed with Andrés “el Jeque” Raffo in Rhodes and synthesizers, Cherman in bass, and Lionel Fortunato in drums and electronic drums, Each of the 4 albums produced by the band is a leap in a different direction, embracing change as the only constant they have.

This ride is about advancing, proposing and changing. Defying the listener and inviting them to leave all behind.

Viaje a Ixtlán is:
Mariano Bertolazzi – Bass
Andrés “el Jeque” Raffo – Synth
Fernando Figueiras – Guitar
Leonardo Aldegani – Drums

https://www.instagram.com/viaje_a_ixtlan/
https://www.facebook.com/ViajeAIxtlan/
https://viajeaixtlan.bandcamp.com/

Viaje a Ixtlán, Calma I (2019)

Viaje a Ixtlán, Calma II (2019)

I’ve never actually seen 1971’s Twins of Evil, from which the footage for the new Soldati video was culled, but I kind of feel like I get the point anyway. There’s Peter Cushing, there’s super-red blood, there’s evil, there’s ’70s boobage, the end. I’m sure if you actually watch the full feature film, there’s a plot that’s about Satan or vampires or whatnot, but you know, the gist of it kind of still works out to be the same. I guess I’ve never really been much for the Hammer Horror scene, but, you know, I’ve never really had the chance to sit down with those movies either and really get to know them one from the other. It’s all just a blur of Christopher Lee and the aforementioned Peter Cushing.

But it makes decent video fodder, if nothing else. Soldati posted the single “El Fuego Quema” last month, and at that point, I noted how it was a departure for the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Sergio Chotsourian, bassist Lucas Cassinelli and drummer Alfredo Felitte, in that the latter two don’t play on it. It’s just Chotsourian, and in that regard, “El Fuego Quema” is way more like the solo work he does under the moniker of Sergio Ch. than anything Soldati have yet made public. As it turns out, that may remain the case, as Chotsourian says the awaited Soldati full-length, which is set to record this summer, will be in a more doomed vein. We may have a bit to go until we get there, but we know from Chotsourian and Felitte‘s output together in Ararat that that can work out just fine. I’ll take it however it comes, I guess.

And in case I need to say it, the clip is NSFW, unless you work at a place that’s all about ’70s boobage, in which case you should probably get a new job.

Enjoy:

Soldati, “El Fuego Quema” official video

VIDEO OFICIAL DEL SINGLE DE SOLDATI – “EL FUEGO QUEMA”

VIDEO REALIZADO POR LUCAS MARTINEZ CON IMAGENES DE LA PELICULA “TWINS OF EVIL” [1971]

SERGIO CH. – GUITARRA & VOCALS

GRABADO, MEZCLADO Y MASTERIZADO POR SERGIO CH. EN DEATH STUDIOS
ARTWORK POR SERGIO CH.
PRODUCIDO POR SERGIO CH.

SOUTH AMERICAN SLUDGE RECORDS

Soldati is:
Sergio Ch. – Guitar & Vocals
Lucas Cassinelli – Bass
Alfredo Felitte – Drums

Soldati on Thee Facebooks

Soldati on Bandcamp

South American Sludge Records on Thee Facebooks

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but it’s time for Soldati to hunker down and make their debut full-length. The three-piece led by Sergio Chotsourian, formerly of Los Natas and also of Ararat, and featuring Ararat drummer Alfredo Felitte and bassist Lucas Cassinelli (also Hospital) have issued a handful of singles at this point (discussed here, here and here) as well as their self-titled EP (discussed here), and “El Fuego Quema” works in defiance of everything they’ve done up to this point. Where until now they’ve decidedly been a rock band, “El Fuego Quema” pulls back on the distorted thrust and instead offers a bluesy acoustic guitar line accompanied by some percussion and harmonica. It’s more in line with something one might expect from Sergio Ch.‘s solo incarnation than what Soldati have heretofore put on offer, but then, the problem with that isn’t anything the band are doing or not — the problem is the limit of expectation.

Last time I posted about the band, I said much the same about their getting to work on album number one. Well, I don’t know what the plan is or when that’s happening or whether or not “El Fuego Quema” or any of the prior-posted tracks — “Aurora,” “El Nudo en la Soga,” or “El Latigo y las Riendas” — will be included when the time comes. At this point, there’s probably enough for an LP assembled from the prior digital one-offs and maybe a song or two from the EP if the band wants, but it could also be that there’s an entirely different batch of material that will be put together whenever they get there. What’s important for the moment, though, is that “El Fuego Quema” makes Soldati as a whole a less predictable outfit and greatly increases the scope of what they might do on that album. For those of us anticipating the arrival of such a thing, it’s good to know how far they can push Soldati and still be within the sphere of the band. Chotsourian has never been shy about sharing material between his songwriting incarnations — “Aurora” was the title-track on his second solo album — so who knows how it will all shake out with “El Fuego Quema,” but it certainly captures an atmosphere as presented here.

Please enjoy:

Soldati, “El Fuego Quema”

SOLDATI “EL FUEGO QUEMA”

SERGIO CH. – GUITARRA & VOCALS

GRABADO, MEZCLADO Y MASTERIZADO POR SERGIO CH. EN DEATH STUDIOS
ARTWORK POR SERGIO CH.
PRODUCIDO POR SERGIO CH.

SOUTH AMERICAN SLUDGE RECORDS

Soldati is:
Sergio Ch. – Guitar & Vocals
Lucas Cassinelli – Bass
Alfredo Felitte – Drums

Soldati on Thee Facebooks

Soldati on Bandcamp

South American Sludge Records on Thee Facebooks

I wholeheartedly feel like it is to the benefit of everyone everywhere that these two records stay in print for as long as possible. Especially if you haven’t heard them before, they’re absolutely essential, both for sheer listening and for educational value. Especially now that we’re a full decade removed from their last proper studio album — there have been a couple collections since then, but nothing new — it seems like their contributions to heavy rock are in danger of being forgotten in place of an easy “it all came from California” narrative that’s taken hold. Not only for their influence in South America, but across Europe and the US as well, and for the continuing quality of these records, they’re just gotta-have. Both of them.

So get both.

That’s my take.

Info and links follow, courtesy of the PR wire:

LOS NATAS announce album re-issues with Argonauta Records!

Argentinian psychedelic rock trio LOS NATAS has announced a batch of album reissues with powerhouse label Argonauta Records! The band’s first and critically acclaimed debut album, Delmar, originally released in 1998, has sold out every single copy to date. Argonauta Records is proud to reissue LOS NATAS’ pathbreaking album in a second repress, coming in exciting Vinyl editions and remastered from the original tapes, on the 28th of June 2019!

Following up to the successful release of their ’98-full length debut, a year later LOS NATAS released their second studio album, Ciudad De Braham. Still featuring the original master by Dale Crover, Argonauta Records will be as well re-releasing Ciudad De Braham in a first repress since 1999!

Says vocalist & guitarist Sergio: „Since I met Gero and all the Argonauta Records crew I instantly felt them as family, and being part of something bigger than you, in any music and artwork experience, feels great and like home. I think we share a common truth, we have never done this for the reward or the recognition of the crowd, we always did it as a necessary way to keep our demons out, and also to share our joys and personal wars with other people.

20 years later here we are, re-printing our two first albums ever, with this great crew delivering premium quality LP vinyl and CD to the world. Its a true fact and reality we could have never dreamed of when we were kids, just delivering heavy riffs and deep trips into soundscapes. Hope you all enjoy these great releases and being part of our family too, and keep on sharing it with you people as well. From Argentina I personally wish you the best. Just for today let your past behind, let your mind enjoy the little nice things, let you spirit shine with the ones you love and care.“

Delmar tracklist:
1. Samurai
2. 1980
3. Trilogia
4. I Love You
5. Soma
6. Mux Cortoi
7. Delmar
8. Windblows
9. El Negro
10. Alberto Migre

Ciudad De Braham tracklist:
1. Carl Sagan
2. Meteoro 2028
3. Tufi Meme
4. La Ciudad De Braham
5. Siluettle
6. Brisa Del Disierto
7. Paradise
8. Alohawaii
9. Adolescentes
10. 999
11. El Resplandor
12. Rutation
13. Polvaredo
14. Nadha

Formed during 1994 in Buenos Aires, LOS NATAS various musical influences draw from the base of the raw and psychedelic sounds of 70’s bands such as The Doors, Black Sabbath, The Who, Pink Floyd and Hawkwind among many others. LOS NATAS take us on a journey made of basic elements: vintage instruments and equipment to diverse, laid-back and groovy songwriting skills, while the band incorporates the use of the senses and perception of the listener to be part of a sonic trip.

LOS NATAS creates music that changes constantly, dedicated to long and intense jams that give their sound a different meaning and magic every time they execute them, with a sense of freedom in the way of interpreting their tunes, making this experience extremely related to the sensations that both the musicians and the audience receive every time a show begins. LOS NATAS is the pure essence of what should became and titled Stoner Rock.

Mark your calendars, when Argonauta Records will reissue both first albums by LOS NATAS in new and stunning LP + CD editions June 28th! The pre-order for both records, which belong in every well-sorted psych and heavy rock record collection, has just started at: www.argonautarecords.com/los-natas-announce-album-re-issues/

https://www.facebook.com/LOSNATAS/
https://twitter.com/LOSNATASTWITER
www.natasrock.com
www.argonautarecords.com
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords/
https://twitter.com/argonautarex
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/

Natas, Delmar (1998)

Natas, Ciudad de Brahman (1999)

At this point, all of the projects Sergio Chotsourian has undertaken since the dissolution of Los Natas have been in conversation one way or the other, so maybe it’s not such a surprise that the latest single from the trio Soldati — in which he plays guitar and sings — also served as the title-track for the last album put out under Chotsourian‘s solo incarnation and nom de guerre, Sergio Ch., Aurora (review here). Released in 2017, that full-length was in no small part defined by its two-part titular cut, which blended experimentalist drone and folk impulses in a way that is increasingly becoming Chotsourian‘s hallmark. As Soldati bring in drummer Alfredo Felitte from Chotsourian‘s other trio — the somewhat MIA Ararat, in which he plays bass and sings — to replace original drummer Ranz and move inextricably toward their first long-player, “Aurora” is a glimpse of things to come.

And a striking one at that. True to the sense of lumber from the Sergio Ch. version, it’s the most Ararat-sounding Soldati piece to-date, calling to mind some of that band’s extended low-end rumblers and general spaciousness. Again, it all bleeds into each other, but it’s a marked turn anyway, as Soldati‘s 2017 self-titled EP (discussed here) was comprised of more straightforward material, and even the subsequent singles that have made their way out, “El Nuda en la Soga” (discussed here) and last year’s “El Latigo y las Riendas” (discussed here), have come nowhere near the droning aspects of “Aurora”‘s 13-minute pulse.

So is it indicative of where Solati‘s currently-in-progress album might eventually end up? Probably. Also probably not. I think laying one expectation on any Chotsourian-involved offering is doing it wrong. If he feels like playing a certain song with a certain band, he’s going to. If he feels like focusing on two different records at once — recall he also has a new Sergio Ch. album in the making, as recently noted — he’s going to. And in the hands of Soldati, as recorded by the lineup of Chotsourian, Ranz and bassist Lukas Hospital, “Aurora” takes on a suitably vibrant and consuming life of its own.

You can see the video below as directed by Juan Cruz Tommasi. I’ll hope to have more to come on Soldati‘s debut LP as we get closer to the release.

Please enjoy:

Soldati, “Aurora” official video premiere

VIDEO OFICIAL DEL SINGLE DE SOLDATI – “AURORA”
PRODUCIDO POR PATRICIO CLAPYPOLE
VIDEO REALIZADO POR JUAN CRUZ TOMMASI

SOUTH AMERICAN SLUDGE RECORDS

SERGIO CH. – Guitar & Vocals
LUKAS HOSPITAL – Bass
ALFREDO FELITTE – Drums

Soldati on Thee Facebooks

Soldati on Bandcamp

South American Sludge Records on Thee Facebooks

Since he has a new solo album currently being mastered — the title will reportedly by From Skulls Born Beyond — it’s tempting to think of Sergio Ch.‘s — né Chotsourian — new video for “La Heroina” perhaps as a way of saying goodbye to 2016’s Aurora (review here), but the truth is that even after that record came out, he was still putting together clips for 2015’s 1974 (review here), so it’s not exactly like he’s following an album cycle-style promotional model. More like he’s doing whatever the hell he wants, which is probably how it should be for the former Los Natas frontman who’s also at the helm of South American Sludge Records and who fronts Soldati and the somewhat-MIA Ararat. His whims have a pretty good track record, as far as that kind of thing goes.

And while From Skulls Born Beyond promises further refinement of his drone-laced folk approach, “La Heroina” serves as an example of how well that worked across Aurora as well. It’s at least the fourth video that the Buenos Aires-based Chotsourian has issued for the six-song offering, and with direction from Milagros Arrom, it’s a returning partnership that once again serves to highlight the track’s experimentalist and, in this case, particularly trance-inducing edge. Centered around echoing strums of acoustic guitar, there’s nonetheless a psychedelic feel gleaned from the effects on the vocals and the intermittent bursts of harmonica, and the naturalist swirl evokes acid folk atmospherics without any lysergic posturing. It’s not the most experimentalist piece on Aurora — that would be “Aurora II,” still awaiting its video last I checked — but it finds a balance between traditional songcraft and an out-there anti-structure that suits it well, throwing kind of a loop in the second half when all of a sudden it just kind of starts over. Pay attention and it’ll still catch you off guard.

Soldati were slated to have an album in progress as well, and they may indeed have one in the works or done, but it’s good news that a new Sergio Ch. offering will be out before 2019’s done as well, as his solo material has proven to be an exploration all its own, distinct from his work in full bands despite inherent ties in songwriting and performance.

Enjoy “La Heroina” below:

Sergio Ch., “La Heroina” official video premiere

VIDEO OFICIAL DEL DISCO DE SERGIO CH. – “AURORA”
PRODUCIDO POR SERGIO CH.
VIDEO REALIZADO POR MILAGROS ARROM

PIRAMIDE RECORDS
SOUTH AMERICAN SLUDGE RECORDS

Sergio Ch., Aurora (2016)

South American Sludge Records on Thee Facebooks

South American Sludge website

South American Sludge Records on Bandcamp

Pirámide Records on Bandcamp

Pirámide Records on Thee Facebooks

The then-newcomer trio Sanador gave a glimpse at their overarching scope on their late-2017 self-titled debut EP when they included the three-part “Hijo del Hombre” as the final three of the total four-included tracks. With members of Humo del Cairo, Viaje a Ixtlan and Lo Bruto working together for the first time and self-releasing through the Errantes Records imprint that also issued the final outings from Humo del Cairo, Sanador benefited from its members experience in eliciting a patient groove of surprising impact, somewhere between post-metal and the nodding tendencies of heavy rock. Ambience was a key factor in the EP, though, and one expects no less as the three-piece put the finishing touches on their debut long-player, set to release through yet-unknown circumstances — could be Errantes, could be otherwise — presumably sometime next year.

That EP is available now as a free download, so yes, grab it, and I’ll hope to have more to come on the album when we get there, however we get there.

Some basic info (and the EP audio) follow here, as per the PR wire:

Sanador – New Album

The name of the band refers to the internal and emotional process arising from the conflicts of human relationships, taking the music as a cathartic and therapeutic method of spiritual overcoming.

Extreme rhythms coexist with oneiric passages inside the band sonic horizons, influenced by transgressive genres such as Post metal, Post hardcore and Post rock.

Based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, founded in 2017, the band is formed by : Juan Manuel Diaz (Humo del Cairo), Guitar and vocals, Mariano Bertolazzi (Viaje a Ixtlan, Narcoiris), Bass guitar and synths. Rodrigo Ioio Vega (Pornobot, Lo bruto) on drums.

Their members have an interesting trajectory on the underground local scene, linked to the heavy music and the DIY ethic, SANADOR implies a different take on music and lyrics.

The first EP was digitally released in 2017 under their own label Errantes records and by the end of that year they played as supporting act for the legendary Neurosis in their first show in Argentina.

Currently they are finishing their new record, 5 songs that will prove the vastly Sonic landscape where SANADOR´s music transits.

Sanador is:
Juan Manuel Diaz: Voz y Guitarras
Mariano Bertolazzi: Bajo y Sintetizadores
Rodrigo Ioio Vega: Bateria

https://www.facebook.com/SANADORBAND/
https://www.instagram.com/sanadorband/
https://sanador.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.instagram.com/errantesrecords/

Sanador, Sanador (2017)