Over the last several weeks in Madrid, Nooirax Producciones has celebrated its eighth anniversary with a series of festival-type showcases featuring the likes of Atavismo, Wooly Mammoth Rebellion and Arabrot. The promotion company/record label continues to thrive with new offerings and a rich scope of bands from Spain and beyond, and for Atavismo, it gave the Algeciras trio an outlet to show off some new material as they make ready to follow-up their 2014 debut Desintegración (review here), which continues to offer sunshiny warmth regardless of the actual listening conditions.

Not much is known about Atavismo‘s second album at this point — things like its title, when it’s going to be recorded or if it already has, how many songs will be on it — the debut had four, each one a gem — and when or if it will be out before the end of the year, but listening to “El Sueño” those things matter far less than they otherwise might. What the three-piece of guitarist/synthesist/vocalist Jose “Pot” Moreno, bassist/backing vocalist Mateo and drummer/backing vocalist Sandri Pow affirm with the new clip is that the hypnotic motion of the debut remains intact and that the chemistry of that material has only grown in the two years since Desintegración first came out (it was also released on LP last June).

That’s invariably good news to anyone who, like me, was and continues to be a nerd for that record, and with the space rock-style push Atavismo had for their recent split with Grajo in the song “Haribo” (info here), I’m intrigued to find out how it all ties together with the progressive, lush psychedelia on offer last time around. I have the vague feeling it’s going to be an impatient wait for their second album, and it seems like it’s time to get that wait started.

Congrats to Nooirax on eight years and thanks to them and to Atavismo for allowing me to host the premiere of this live version of “El Sueño” below.

Please enjoy:

Atavismo, “El Sueño” Live at Nooirax Eighth Anniversary

“El Sueño” (The Dream) is the name of this song that will be part of the second opus from the andusian power trio that will be released next year. Triana meets Motorpsycho and Camel in this easy-driven prog-groovie melting pot…

Atavismo on Thee Facebooks

Nooirax Producciones on Bandcamp

The tracks have been online at Nooirax Productions and La Choza de Doe since December, but the vinyl just reportedly came in this week for the new split release between Spanish outfits Atavismo and Grajo. One song from each is featured along with some decidedly manic artwork, and as you can hear below, it’s a decidedly different take from each group that still resides under the umbrella of heavy.

For Atavismo, whose Desintegración (review here) debut continues to haunt in the best way possible, they give a spacier push on their “Haribo,” repeating the title line in Hawkwindian style and calling to mind a richly cosmic vibe. Grajo, who will reportedly unveil their own debut later this year through DHU Records, present a decidedly doomier take, with dense low end and fuzz guitars topped by ethereal and echoing vocals, the six-minute “Feeding Our Demons” building to a thick head of riffy wash.

Both cuts have something to offer, and since at this point I’ll take whatever Atavismo are willing to give, I’ll take this as a glimpse of where they might at least in part be headed after their first record. Dig it:

Finally in our hands the coveted split 7 ” Atavismo / Grajo… By this time, we only have it available for direct sale at concerts or in hand, but if you want to be with him, you can purchase it through Nooirax Producciones and / or La Choza de Doe.

In Short, more news… Stay tuned!!

1. Atavismo – Haribo 05:44
2. Grajo – Feeding Our Demons 06:13

Atavismo.
Pot: Guitars, Vocals and synthesizers.
Pow: Drums and Vocals.
Pat: Bass and Vocals.

“Haribo” was recorded and mixed in November 2015 by José Ortega at Estudios Tagarmina.

Grajo.
Javier: Bass
Liz: Vocals
Jose: Guitars
Felix: Drums

“Feeding Our Demons” was recorded and mixed in September 2015 by Raúl Pérez at La Mina.
Mastered by Mario G. Alberni at Kadifornia.

Artwork by Antonio Ramírez.

Edited by:

Nooirax Producciones
La Choza de Doe
Fuzz t-shirts
Aladeriva Records

LCDD 008

https://www.facebook.com/Atavismo-233096556878903/
https://www.facebook.com/grajorockband/
https://nooirax.bandcamp.com/album/atavismo-grajo-split
https://lachozadedoe.bandcamp.com/album/split-7-atavismo-grajo

Atavismo & Grajo, Split 7″

Spanish instrumentalists El Páramo are gearing up to issue a DVD called Live at Ritmo y Compás that captures a full set in multi-cam professional style taped at the Madrid venue Ritmo y Compás — now defunct, as I understand it — for what was dubbed the Madrid Stoner Festival Showcase. Dutch acts The Machine and Sungrazer also played the Feb. 19, 2013, show, as part of a tour they were doing together at the time. It was a packed house, and if the video of El Páramo is anything to go by, a killer vibe, and the desert rocking four-piece made the most of the good company they were keeping, playing a total four songs in 38 minutes.

Three of the cuts they played had yet to be released at the time. El Páramo put out a self-titled debut (review here) in 2008 via Alone Records but had been heard from little since. In 2014, they would release a second album, also self-titled, through Nooirax Producciones, Gran Sol and their own La Polvareda Records imprint. It was recorded late in 2012, so by the time they played the Ritmo y Compás for this show, the record would’ve already been in the can for a couple months, but it would be more than a year still before it was made public. Still, though they may not have heard the LP, the room doesn’t show any sign of trouble getting into “Turbina,” “Aspid” or “Llano Alto,” and with the warm tones and thick, immersive grooves it’s little wonder.

Captured with brilliantly clear audio production and right-on camerawork that makes the most of the very, very red lighting that the Ritmo y Compás seemed to have on offer, the El Páramo set rounds out with the engaging jam “La Polvareda” from the debut, beginning just before the 27-minute mark in the video and carrying the band — guitarists David López and Jorge Garcia, bassist Santiago González and drummer Santiago Núñez — through to their finish with lush ebbs and flows that never seem to lose their fullness of sound as loud or quiet as they get. I don’t know the release details on when the DVD version of Live at Ritmo y Compás will be out, but the video’s available to dig into now, and I have the privilege this afternoon of hosting the premiere.

Please find El Páramo‘s Live at Ritmo y Compás on the player below, followed by some background on the band, and enjoy:

El Páramo, Live at Ritmo y Compás DVD

19-02-2013. Ritmo y Compás, Madrid
Madrid Stoner Festival Showcase: El Paramo + Sungrazer + The Machine

1 – Turbina (0:00 – 09:38)
2 – Aspid (09:39 – 15:35)
3 – Llano Alto (15:36 – 26:49)
4 – La Polvareda (26:50 – 38:29)

Cam and video edition: Adrián Rios, Raul de Lucio (Proyecto Huracán)
Sound recording and edition: Victor Caldera (Proyecto Huracán)
Sound engineer: Raúl Lorenzo

El Páramo was formed at the beginning of 2005 in Madrid. After Sou Edipo split up, drummer Santi Núñez and guitarist David López (Sou Edipo) searched for a new band where they could convey their musical aspirations. Jorge, partner guitarist with David in Adrift, joined the band together with bassist Santi, forming what would be the definitive band members of El Páramo, creating an instrumental, progressive and atmospheric music that arouses mesmerizing, cathartic and desert-like connotations.

From their very first concert in 2005, El Páramo has played live concerts in Spain as well as abroad. At the end of 2007, El Páramo recorded their first analogue live album (No title) edited by the Málaga record label Alone Records.

El Páramo has played in national music festivals, such as Costa de Fuego or Aloud Music Festival. Moreover, they have performed with the most outstanding bands of the modern scene, like Colour Haze, Motorpsycho, Nick Olivieri (QOTSA, Kyuss…). In 2014’ s spring El Páramo released their new album. To publish it, they have created their own record label La Polvareda Records, which together with Nooirax Productions and Gran Sol, distributes the album, without title too. Now David also play in Toundra and Jorge in a new band called Viva Honduras!

El Páramo on Thee Facebooks

El Páramo on Bandcamp

Nooirax Productions