Reviews

Flexidiscos

Ataque de Caspa Supongamos por Ejemplo 12″

Once-forgotten demos recorded by this Spanish quintet in 1985 in hopes of snagging a record deal, but when one never materialized, ATAQUE DE CASPA slipped into the cracks of time, with the band’s members shifting their focus away from music in favor of less precarious pursuits (like finishing their university studies in medicine and engineering). Their meshing of dark but dreamy post-punk with starry-eyed primitive pop was met with renewed interest in the late ’00s/early ’10s, when the likes of VIVIAN GIRLS, VERONICA FALLS, et al. had revived a very similar punky/jangly sound and the abandoned Supongamos por Ejemplo tracks started circulating online amongst younger disciples, eventually leading to ATAQUE DE CASPA reuniting and releasing new music in 2014. The band’s songs were apparently always constructed from the bass line up, and the focus on rhythm—the frenetic yet melodic CURE-ish bass bobbing and weaving in “Nigeria,” or the shambolic disco beats clattering through “Crónica China”—lends a certain urgency to their fairly skeletal proto-C86 template of chiming guitar, soft-focus keys, and vocalist Carmen Álvarez’s unassumingly sweet (but not saccharine) delivery. “Viaje a Egipto” casts a shadow like the best Heather-sung BEAT HAPPENING numbers, with sparse drums and a sing-song, almost playground chant-like melody, while “Lalala” and “La Pesca” hint at the gloomier, less buzzsaw pop side of their Swiss contemporaries CHIN CHIN. ATAQUE DE CASPA is every bit as charming as the aforementioned groups; may these songs never fall back into obscurity.

Balcanes Gloria Eterna LP

From the sunny shores of a Spanish paradise comes a cruel and pounding noise. BALCANES wear their love for early-era SWANS and SCRATCH ACID on their sleeves, and it comes together in a way that makes it difficult for me to put down my headphones. Throughout Gloria Eterna’s nine tracks, the band combines bass-driven repetition and guitar loops along with harsh and ambient noise, layering the LP into a dark, sludgy stew. Standout tracks “Futuro @!&*#,” “Ciudad Campamento,” and “La Paz No Durara” show the range of sonic exploits that are in the band’s arson. All of the material comes off very real and genuine throughout the record, closing with “Bona Nit,” a piano-and-sax piece that could hold hands and kiss with Obey-era BRAINBOMBS. Live footage of the band that I found online gets my corroded arteries humming. Great record, get it.

Cromo En Otro Lugar EP

This Spanish three-piece puts out a strong effort here. Kinda poppy, kinda dark, hella catchy. Musically this has elements that bring to mind the MARKED MEN, the LILLINGTONS, and SCREECHING WEASEL while remaining original enough to keep the listener interested. Six songs in total, one of which sounds like SCREECHING WEASEL’s “Hey Suburbia” with the chords slightly switched and in a different key, and one entitled “P.I.D. (Paul is Dead)” which has the vocal pattern of the BEATLES’ “Help” during the verses, which now makes me wonder if that was intentional?

Cromosoma Fuera Plutón / Medicina Fantástica 7″

Two short synth punk jammers from this Spanish band. Veering away from the eggy DEVO-worship that is so common with synth projects, CROMOSOMA reaches back a little further for influences, sounding like a blend of LOS MICROWAVES and OG Spanish synth punks AVIADOR DRO. The two tracks here have clean keyboard lines and crisp drum machine beats with group vocals on top. “Medicina Fantástica” drips with icy new wave atmosphere, all driving bass pulse and echoes. Worth checking out.

Disciplina Limitar Yo Tambi​é​n Yo No LP

A handful of quick and buzzy songs, featuring the oddly light sound of a certain flavor of Spanish punk. Seriously, how do bands like LA URSS and FUTURO TERROR achieve that “distortion cut with clean guitar” sound? It’s too gritty for just a boost, but not nearly full-blown distortion. Anyhow, the music here is bouncy, (usually) punk-moderate tempo, just right for pogoing.

Disciplina Limitar Ausencia Ganadora LP

Hooked on the first play. After releasing a four-track demo as DISLI in 2021, this Valencian quartet has evolved so much on their debut LP Ausencia Ganadora, on which they revise their demo and add several new tracks. Pure Spanish punk with nods here and there to post-punk, but with an overall sensibility towards well-crafted and catchy songs. With members of FUTURO TERROR, MAUSOLEO, and MORENAS, DISCIPLINA LIMITAR gathers the essentials for a great band. Bangers from start to finish.

Enemic Interior Enemic Interior cassette

Amazing cassette with five songs in Catalan. I feel like they have some post-punk moments and some Oi! moments, and I really, really appreciate that. The track that really catches me from this tape is “Les Vies,” ‘cause I love some hardcore drums and then some “tupa tupa,” but I mean, every song on this cassette is fucking great.

Finale Vision de Futuro LP

If you check out their Bandcamp page, you’ll see Valencia, Spain four-piece FINALE tagged as DEVO-core or egg-punk. While I’m certainly a fan of bands that have borne those labels, it was refreshing to dig into this LP and find neither to be appropriate. This lacks the hallmark herky-jerkiness of DEVO-core and isn’t really wacky enough to qualify as egg-punk (though, to be fair, I think I heard a faint mouth harp on one track—that’s pretty wacky, I guess). There are a couple of tracks on here that flirt with some funk rhythms, but for the most part this LP is full of loose, garage-y KBD punk with some great quacky vocals. It reminds me of BITS OF SHIT with cleaner guitars or, on the slower tracks, EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING. I’m into it!

Hogar Todos Contra Todos LP

It’s just like me to wait until the end of summer is in sight for the perfect record for the season to fall in my lap. This tight ten-tracker is bright, fast, and sharp, with more hooks per capita than I can keep track of. Firstly, the bassist is a mad scientist. So many bass players forget how much melody they can pack their toolbox with. Not so with mononymously-credited Javato. I’m spending a lot of ink (or RAM, I guess) to focus on this because he’s so goddamn good. The bouncy tunefulness of early GREEN DAY in the least corny way possible, and it anchors the whole three-piece’s sound, which is chameleonic in how it can slip from hazy, golden hour heavy pop to necksnappers from track to track. Highest marks, though, go to a song the repeat button was made for, “Intruso.” It’s that riff we all love, you’ll know when you hear it. But it goes places with it you don’t expect, and with the whole band backing up the vocals you can’t help but shout along. This is a joyous blast of punk with the faintest whisper of garage—if this were a martini, the garage would be the vermouth and have just rinsed the glass, but I’m damn glad it’s there. Celebrate the end times of summer with this stunner from Spain.

Katarsi Katarsi LP

It always blows my mind to hear a solo project that sounds more realized than the average fully-outfitted band. Case in point: KATARSI. Born out of desperation and anxiety in Bilbao, Spain, this synth punk project pulls a few threads and weaves them into a vibrant tapestry. Catchy, melodic tunes are subtly infused with a sense of anguish manifesting as a dark undercurrent coursing throughout the album. There is a harkening back to bands of decades past such as the VICIOUS and MIND SPIDERS, but with an eye to the present as well. KATARSI fits neatly into a space between HOME FRONT with a similar tinge of French Oi!, and CUIR who are a bit more direct. All eight tracks here are deftly crafted, hook-laden, and memorable. No small feat for a one-person undertaking. Excellent.

Los Tarzanillos Todo Lo Que Quieras + Lo Mejor De Lo Peor cassette

One-man DIY project from Barcelona, Spain released by the Valencian label Flexidiscos, featuring two separate releases combined on an eighteen-track cassette. Bedroom synth punk with songs heavily influenced by political stances, and an anti-music position that erupted from a boring life mainly because of the pandemic (according to the artist statement of David Garcerán, ex/current member of ALGARA and IRREAL). It’s filled with anarcho-punk affirmations and in some ways takes on forms of guerrilla warfare, like the recorded statement of ethos and principles in the middle of this release, for example. Reverbed monotone vocals, with electric drums and garage-y strings following. If you dig synth punk and things of an eggy nature, you may find this interesting. I personally enjoyed the first half better, and the synthesized statement in the middle that invites the listener to a sense of guerrilla audio. Suggested track: “Hartos.”

Mausoleo Absolución LP

MAUSOLEO it’s a post-punk band from Valencia. They call their sound “devotional punk” and certainly there’s a spiritual quest quality to their music: super melodic and dark arpeggiated riffs, deep and throbbing bass lines, and pounding drums. It’s Andrés Sanabria’s voice that gives the band an almost ethereal idiosyncrasy. Sonically, they thrive in the space created by their hometown’s ANTIGUO RÉGIMEN and the legacy of Spanish bands like DÉCIMA VÍCTIMA, or, at least in vocals and lyrics, GOLPES BAJOS. The record is great. “Mausoleo” is a hell of an album opener, somber and beautiful, “Paredón” quickly takes us to a sort of celebration of personal dismay. My favorites: “Sodomizado” with that irresistible SISTERS OF MERCY type of guitar riff and “Dogma,” with a crystalline guitar tone and a fast and interesting riff, like KILLING JOKE without the metal leanings. They also have a pretty cool cover of Valladolid’s punk band QLOACA LETAL. Get the vinyl, the artwork is awesome. You won’t regret it.

Morreadoras Morreadoras y Ya Está cassette

Flexidiscos has been releasing some of the best synth punk out of Europe over the last year or so, and they continue the trend with London’s MORREADORAS. This sounds like Halloween punk to me. Like BOBBY “BORIS” PICKETT with one hell of an edge. I mean this in the best way possible, and it is in no way a slight. As with most of the Flexidiscos releases, the synth drives everything, and it is hauntingly chilling. The fun kind, not the scary kind, like the soundtrack for an ’80s Scooby Doo special. Again, not a slight. That’s a compliment! Top-notch stuff here, and just in time for the spooky season.

Nunca Nada Discordia LP

This was a total surprise. Composed of two ex-members of Spain’s darkwavers ANTIGUO RÉGIMEN and another one from TERCER SOL, Discordia is NUNCA NADA’s first album. It has a really stern sound: lyrics are direct, pointing out the futility of life, while guitar, bass, and drums sketch impressionistic sketches of gloom. Love the way the band allows each instrument space to breathe. It makes the sound truly expansive, like the songs could last forever and nobody would mind. The band takes its cues from WIRE’s precision and their less-is-more approach, the more melodically rich end of British post-punk guitar, and the doomy tones of the always magnificent WIPERS. They manage to make a personal and distinctive sound out of these key influences. Discordia is a pessimistic record you can dance to. A really good companion to the long night of capitalist decay.

Ortopedia Técnica Sentencia cassette

A unique fusion of sounds here from ORTOPEDIA TÉCNICA, out of the Spanish province of Castilló. The majority of these songs are a driving post-punk with stomping beats that flirt with an OI!-type feel, but softer moments like the chill “Mirame” and the wistful “Rosas, Cruces, y un Cenicero” (“Roses, Crosses, and an Ashtray”) add depth to the album. Singing in Spanish, the band has a penchant for clean, anthemic head-bobbers aided by spectacular wailing guitar leads, but my favorite track is the infectious closer “Sociedad Industrial,” with its rousing chorus and warbled hook that eventually descends into a digital madness. Everything here is very well done.

Satélite Otra Era LP

SATÉLITE is a Spanish band with a dark, melodic, and beautiful post-punk sound. Otra Era was released in February but it missed my radar. The album’s second song “Estado Hipnótico” condenses the themes and sounds of the whole LP: prominent bass lines, chorus pedal guitar, gorgeous melodies, and vigorous drumming with lyrics that paint paranoiac landscapes of capitalist desperation and the urge of getting the hell out it, into a new era, with new ways of living. There’s a sense in all of these songs of trying to escape the new systems of control. Some of my favorites are the pretty “Otra Era” and the disquieting “Nuevas Maneras.” If you’re into Spanish post-punk bands like DÉCIMA VÍCTIMA, or early CURE, this is for you. You can get it both digitally or on vinyl. Really cool cover design, too.

Sistema de Entretenimiento Sistema de Entretenimiento LP

Fantastic synth-heavy, drum machine punk from across the pond (Valencia, Spain). Diverse flavors in each track—well, as diverse as you can get with punk music. The first half of the album sounds like EPOXIES and GRAVY TRAIN!!! with a hint of ’90s Euro house. The rest are a mixture of classic DEVO and what could be described as a modern-day MUMMIES. I know drum machines aren’t for everyone, but I’m a sucker for them. Really adds to the band’s motif, and I don’t think a real drum set would do the music justice. Judging by their YouTube presence, their live shows look fun as all hell. Hopefully we’ll see them stateside soon enough. Lovely record here. Well worth a spin if you’re into melodic dance punk.

Tatxers Tatxers LP

In the last warm days of summer, I love listening to a record like this. There is a shimmering sadness, like dappled light on a body of water while the sun goes down and you didn’t think you’d need a sweater. These songs have a yearning core to them, melody and longing being the driving themes perfectly suited to the clean guitar tones that drive home lovely, mopey pop songs. With the stabbing guitar of the stunning second track “Labanak,” I realize it might well have just been called “Pamplona Calling.” There are even traces of what we used to call “college rock” in songs like “Iruñea,” with a staccato jangliness I’m always thirsting for. Song to song, though, this isn’t a band retreading old ground, but rather bringing a bright vitality to melodic punk rock with an old-school cool. I feel like there are plenty of bands right now that bring out this feeling of nostalgia for an era that never really existed. Or nostalgia for the now? TATXERS is exactly the kind of band I reach for to rebuke someone telling me they “stopped listening to rock music” a long time ago. The good times are still here (musically anyway), and they’re fleeting as always and full of joy and sadness, just like good rock music should be. A tender little record I’ll be spinning for a long time.

Tentáculo Cansados de Esperar LP

Straight from Triana and Nice (Spain/France), TENTÁCULO is a punk band that treads a fine line between mid-tempo melodic punk and hard rock, or NWOBHM and post-punk, with the chops and attitude of those great working class heavy metal Spanish bands from the ’80s. Whatever, we don’t need to pinpoint TENTÁCULO down anywhere: these eight songs give no-frills rock’n’roll with existential dread-themed lyrics and hook after hook after hook. “Extrañas Luces” shines with an old-school hard rock riff in contrast with the bleak pessimism in the lyrics and the energetic singalong of the chorus. Have to highlight the guitar work on this record: simple at times, but extremely melodic in a HÜSKER DÜ kind of way. The three last songs on the B-side are some serious bangers: you can imagine yourself singing with your pals in a sweat-drenched embrace at a dark small club or spitting this street poetry into a hot and humid night after a really bad day at work. Beautiful cover and design work. 

Tord Epònim EP

TORD is a solo recording project of Barcelona artist Blai Subirats Nuez, and this release appears to be their first solo effort (after a couple of splits). The EP is made up of four tracks of drum machine post-punk, pairing CURE-esque guitar atmospherics with industrial-ish beats. Some quacky vocals and a dash of eggy quirk help to keep this from being a totally rote affair, but it’s hard to say this packs any big surprises. This stuff ends up sounding best when they opt for harsher textures like on the track “Què Faràs Demà,” but everything here is listenable. A perfectly OK record!

Último Templo Nuevo Hechizo Punk de Amor y Mística cassette

Formed by veterans of the darkest Spanish punk and post-punk scenes, ÚLTIMO TEMPLO’s debut is of a remarkable blackness. A very particular voice delivers dense and catchy melodies that give a touch of expressionism to each song. This band has an original and powerful sound, with lyrics of powerful imagery that invite you to be part of a private occult ceremony. Brilliant and mystical.