2009
¡Mira qué lindas! Expo
Wed/October/28 2009
¡Mira qué lindas!, an expo of record covers from Latin American artists recently opened in Spain. It features Fax's cover for his "Yo Recuerdo" album, designed by Rubén Tamayo, the Fax himself. The expo features record covers from Latin artists from the sixties until today, including iconic images from bands like Babasónicos, Miranda!, Julieta Venegas, Nuevos Ricos, Javiera Mena and Cafe Tacuba. The expo has been hailed as vindication for graphic artists from Latin America by the Spanish daily El Mundo. The expo is currently touring Spain, with a Zaragoza opening on the 15th of December.
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Vicente Garcia Landa
Thu/October/08 2009
Cruz Del Sur / Southern Cross, a video and sound installation by Vicente García Landa (One Second Bridge and Fonogram), has premiered at the Museo de la Ciudad in Querétaro México. You can visit it until Nov 29th. The installation presents "eight stations of a viacrux inspired by gnostic tradition". The installation has been described as evocative, raw and misterious by Queretaro's local media. Watch a portion of Cruz Del Sur.
A shake of static babies
Mon/May/25 2009
The latest free download from Static Discos is called Blended Stock. It is a one-hour-plus mix-DJ-set by Cubenx, where he blends the more danceable tracks from the Static Discos catalog. Included are new tracks by Microesfera, Fax, Macario and old faves by Terrestre, AAM, Latinsizer, Fussible, F_cka5, AAM, Métrika and Duopandamix. We will be distributing the download cards at Mutek_10 this week in Montreal. But don’t worry, to have the download card is nice but not necessary to obtain and listen to the Blened Stock. Just head to our Blended Stock page and download the magic. Yes, miracles can still happen.
Entrevista with the AAM
Mon/May/25 2009
Antiguo Autómata Mexicano (Angel Sánchez Bórges) was interviewed last week by Reforma Radio in México City, where he discusses with interviewer Jesús Pacheco his latest album and the influence of kraut rock on Mexican avant garde music. Plus he spills the beans on his newest project, Danceable Solutions, a weird disco mashup concoction that could only be imagined by the fertile mind of Sánchez Bórges. Sorry to our non-Spanish speaking friends, but the interview is in Español.
Entrevista con Antiguo Autómata Mexicano (MP3)
Ay mammá, me estoy gammeando.
Sun/May/24 2009
Fax has released a cover version of The Alan Parsons Project’s Mammagamma. Created as a birthday gift for Ejival, Static Discos’ CEO, the track is a lush techno homage to the original’s groovy and cosmic vibe. In related Fax news, his Colorante EP will be released on Germany’s Level Rec on June the 5th, Fax is streaming the songs from that EP through his Myspace page.
Fax - Mammagammatesta (MP3)
Chicago here we come, again.
Wed/May/20 2009
The lovely Chicago peeps in charge of producing the FMEL (Latin Electronic Music Festival) are preparing its third installment for the last weekend of August in chi-town. Details are still sketchy, but here is what we know so far:
Antiguo Autómata Mexicano will play on August 27th @ Chicago Cultural Center
Alvaro Ruiz’ Algorythm & Blues, Arturo En El Barco and Manrico Montero will play on August 28th @ National Museum of Mexican Art
Fax, Luis Flores, Plankton Man and Leo23 will play on August 29th @ Sonoteque
Looks good, ¿huh? Be prepared to be swept away not by the wind, but by some of the most intriguing electronic music from Latin America. See you in Chicago.
The meaning behind Chez Nobody
Mon/May/18 2009
Antiguo Autómata Mexicano’s Chez Nobody EP is released this week. It has been slowly gathering support from the likes of influential radio stations like N.Y.’s WFMU and Urb Magazine just said that the album is crazy, bizarre and beautiful. Cool, but what the heck does the name of the album mean?, according to AAM’s Angel Sánchez Bórges “Chez Nobody is the name of the hall where young people went to dance in Absolute Beginners, the 80‘s film by Julien Temple. The film tells the story of how corporations take over the culture that is generated in the streets and return it as a commodified teen novelty. A tale about of the end of popular culture substituted by the ‘modernism’ of institutionalized interventions. Chez Nobody is the place of no one and everybody, of this and of that, a place where languages fuse and where the need for experiences emerge. A place where all the possible experiences in the world are immediate and forever”. AAM imagined the Chez Nobody ep as an alternate soundtrack for that place.
R. Mendoza and Cubenx @ Sonarsound
Wed/May/13 2009
R. Mendoza (Panóptica) and Cubenx will play tomorrow at Sonarsound in Washington D.C. The event will happen at the Mexican Cultural Institute (2829 16th Street NW) from 7 until 11pm. SonarSound is an extension of the influential Sonar Festival in Barcelona Spain, which is part of the activities of ‘Preview Spain Arts & Culture 09’ happening in the US right now. Both R. Mendoza and Cubenx most recent releases are available through Darla.
Valentina in Argentina
Fri/April/24 2009
Mexican songstress Valentina will embark on a small tour in Argentina. She has four dates down there in Buenos Aires, where she will take her enthralling loop-based songs to unsuspecting audiences. She will share the stage with Barbara Barale on the 7th of May, then with Atlante on May 14th and with our own Florencia Ruiz on May 17th. Fly Global Music gave Valentina’s debut album a huge thumbs up by saying that “La Valentina approaches the voice not merely as the lead but as the basis for the whole album, as an instrument in its own right. On the evidence of her debut solo album, Valentina Gonzalez has emerged, alongside established artists like Cibelle, as a fresh, talented and exciting chanteuse.”
May 07 at Roots Bar
May 13 at Centro Cultural Recoleta
May 14 at La Cigale
May 17 at Hostel Art Factory
Communikey Festival
Wed/April/15 2009
(Snapshot by Wonze)
Static Discos founder Ejival will make his way this weekend to Boulder Co., to the Communikey Festival. This is the second time the lovely people of Boulder are throwing one of the most low-key and interesting electronic music festivals in the US. Ejival will play a DJ set alongside Nordic Soul, David Day, Spinoza and Ben Trovato in a showcase called Unsung Heroes. This will happen this coming Friday April 17th at The B-Side Lounge. According to its organizers, the Communikey events provide creative forums for the exploration of electronic music and new media arts in intimate environments, reflecting the global organism that is technology based fine-arts.
Murcof rocks!
Sat/April/04 2009
Static Discos founder Murcof has been pretty busy as of late. At the end of 2008, he released a couple of albums, The Versailles Sessions and a collaboration with French trumpeter Eric Truffaz called México. The Versailles Sessions album has been getting excellent reviews by both electronic and classical music critics. Murcof is currently embarking on an European tour alongside Truffaz and Talvin Singh for their Mexico Project collaboration, where the tour will take them through South America in September. Murcof then returns to his homeland in October to the Festival Internacional Cervantino where he will be part of the Mutek program inside the festival in Guanajuato.
07 April Canteleu (FR) Mexico Project @ Espace Culturel François Mitterand
15 April Poitiers (FR) Mexico Project @ Le Confort Moderne
16 April Paris (FR) Mexico Project @ Cité de la Musique
17 April Reims (FR) Mexico Project @ La Cartonnerie
18 April Starsburg (FR) Mexico Project @ La Laiterie
20 April Stans (FR) Mexico Project @ Stanzer Musik tage
24 April le Mans (FR) Mexico Project @ EuropaJazz
25 April Avignon (FR) Mexico Project @ Passagers du Zinc
01 May Engelsholm (DK) Murcof @ Engelsholm Electronic 09
08 May Firenze (IT) Murcof @ Fabbrica Europa
09 May Torino (IT) Murcof @ Chiesa di Sant'Uberto
14 May Manchester (UK) Murcof+AntiVJ @ Futuresonic
29 May Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES)
22-30 Sept Mexico Project @ Central American tour
22 Oct Guanajuato (MX) Murcof+Gabriel Coutou-Dumont @ Cervantino
Cubenx at SonarSound Washington
Thu/April/02 2009
(Photo by Humberto Cuevas)
Cubenx points to Washington D.C., where he will be playing at SonarSound Washington this coming May 14th. Cubenx will play alongside Panóptica (R. Mendoza), Spain’s Del Palo Soundsystem and the ReacTable. The event will happen at the Mexican Cultural Institute (2829 16th Street NW) from 7 until 11pm. SonarSound is an extension of the influential Sonar Festival in Barcelona Spain, which is part of the activities of ‘Preview Spain Arts & Culture 09’ happening in the US right now. Cubenx’s sound was recently described by Textura as “deep, largely stripped-down techno of the kind one might expect from Traum Schallplatten with Cubenx generally holding the listener's interest by smartly dressing up the tracks with wide-screen atmosphere and sweetly chiming melodies”.
Fax's Colorante artwork revealed
Sat/March/28 2009
Acamonchi prints the AAM shirts
Fri/March/27 2009
Gerardo Yépiz, best known as graffiti artist Acamonchi, has printed some tests of our Antiguo Autómata Mexicano’s Chez Nobody shirt. We printed them on some nice American Apparel asphalt coloured shirts and they turned out pretty neat. Want one?, let us know, we are still deciding if we want to mass produce them.
The screen masks for the shirts.
An Acamonchi visual remix of our shirt.
One of the walls inside Acamonchi’s studio.
The Fax Returns!
Thu/March/26 2009
Sugar daddy Fax returns with some new musical goodness for us all. First off there is a new 12” vinyl release happening on Düsseldorf’s Level Rec, three new dance tracks plus a dubby reggaeton-esque remix by Deadbeat; the EP is called Colorante. Later in 2009 Fax is also releasing a new album called Zig Zag, in which the Mexicali man says he is returning to the dance floor, “combining everything I love, minimal techno, dreampop, pop, new wave, ambient, dub and even kraut”. Zig Zag will feature vocals by AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli and Valentina. Fax has also enabled a website where peeps will be able to see how the album is developing. Hell yesh!, the year of the Fax is dawning upon us.
Florencia Ruiz says goodbye
Wed/March/25 2009
Argentinean singer-songwriter Florencia Ruiz will say goodbye to her album Mayor. She will play it live in its entirety for one last time this coming April 4th at the Recoleta Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. She will be accompanied by her intense but subtle live band, conformed by Jose Aguilar, Ivan Tkachuk, Miguel Pagliarulo, Ignacio Margiotta, Seba Landro and Florencia herself. We also heard from the chanteuse that she is working hard on new songs for a new album. And that little bird on the cover of her album Mayor informed us that Florencia is getting married soon!!!!, so we wish Florencia and her hubbie to be lots of love and luck on this crazy little thing called marriage.
Cubenx + Carrie Live In Guadalajara
Tue/March/24 2009
Cubenx and Carrie will be playing live this Saturday the 28th in Guadalajara at the Festival de la Música. Carrie will play her tweetronic pop at Plaza Universidad at 8PM, while Cubenx will play his drugged out techno at Explanada Cabañas at 9PM. You can download the program of the whole festival here, which includes also appearances by favorites and friends of ours like Mala Rodriguez, Luis Flores, Lumen Lab, Transistor, Marlento, Israel M. and Selma. Did we mention the festival is free?
Cocó Ciëlo tribute album
Mon/March/23 2009
When our dear friend Cocó Ciëlo was brutally murdered late last year, we felt that a big part of Static Discos died with him. Not only did we lost his friendship, but we also lost a great artist. Cocó was responsible for many things happening in Spain in relation to forward thinking music, from his early stints at minimal techno and ambient in the mid nineties with Silvania, his eloquent DJ sets in many Madrid clubs, his lovely electro-pop with Ciëlo and his curatorship in festivals like Festival Internacional de Bennicassim. Our friends at At-At Records have quickly complied a tribue album called Marzo Es Marte, which contains new music from Fax, Balún, Ford Proco, Resplandor, Pepe Mogt (Latinsizer) and Antiguo Autómata Mexicano. The album is a free download.
Fax at Brillo Monthly release party
Wed/March/18 2009
That is our main man FAX right there, rocking like a hurricane. He will be spinning some deep cosmic bisquits at the Brillo Monthly release party happening this Saturday the 21st in lovely Ensenada. The venue is called El Punto (Calle primera 829 Altos, Centro) and FAX will be joined by Chica Cometa on the decks. In other FAX related news, we hear that a new EP of his mighty thumping dreamy techno will be released on Germany’s Level Rec. Word also has that he is currently working on a follow-up album to last year’s Yo Recuerdo. Keep on rocking dear FAX, keep on rocking ...
Si Me Duermo what??
Fri/March/13 2009
R. Mendoza explains that the meaning behind the title of his new album Si Me Duermo... choco (If I Fall Asleep... I Crash), is “about experimenting a trip down a long, straight and old road. And while you listen to the album you will find familiar sounds from old songs by Jeanett, Emmanuel, Cocteau Twins and AR Kane, like if you were moving the dial of the radio in the car and found all of those songs from my youth. A musical trip down memory lane, with a spec of nostalgia”. R. Mendoza explains that “throughout the album you will find things that could seem out of place (noise, dissonance and distortion) that help maintain the listener or the driver of that trip aware and alert. The title of the album could also be a metaphor about life itself and as a personal reminder to always push ahead”. Si Me Duermo... choco is available through DARLA.
AAM double whammy in DF
Wed/March/11 2009
Antiguo Autómata Mexicano has a couple of dates in México City. Where he will be personally selling his latest endeavor, the Chez Nobody EP, and if you are good to him and buy him a beer, AAM will probably sign your copy (or maybe not). The firs date is tomorrow Thursday (March 12th) at Perico (Caleta 466, Col. Navarte), where he will play one of his intense live sets alongside drummer Carlos Icaza. The second appearance by AAM will be in DJ form this Friday (March 13th), where he will spin some Mexican kraut at Felina Bar (Ometusco 87, Col. Condesa). So good times ahead for all of you lucky capitalinos.
AAM's "Chez Nobody" Pre-Order
Tue/March/10 2009
Antiguo Autómata Mexicano’s new EP, Chez Nobody, is now available on Compact Disc for pre-order at DARLA. And guess what? it is only $8.00 bucks for close to sixty minutes of cosmic kraut minimal mayhem; more bang for your money. And well, if you don’t care for nice graphics and physical media anymore, you can also buy the digital download at iTunes, eMusic, Beatport or Necodo. And well, if you are poor or don’t like “buying” music and your only possession is a laptop with wi-fi you can always listen to the stream of Chez Nobody at Last.fm. Anyway, you’re golden.
Latinsizer live in TJ
Tue/March/10 2009
Latinsizer will play this coming Friday (March 13th) in Tijuana. Latinsizer’s live sets are getting better and better each time around, his energetic combination of disco, electro and acid always gets our feet dancing. The venue will be Machucas, a nice bar here in Tijuana which is small, comfy and it always gets packed. Wero from Radioglobal and myself will be spinning before Latinsizer hits the stage. Latinsizer’s latest album, 110, was recently hailed by Cyclic Defrost Magazine, saying that Latinsizer’s tracks “manage to carry a visceral sense of rhythmic funk that’s often missing from much of the current electro-house mafia’s day-glo fetishism.” The album on CD is available through Darla.
Valentina y Florencia Ruiz
Mon/March/09 2009
Last year there was a small tour in some Mexican cities by Valentina and Florencia Ruiz, two incredible singer-songwriter artists from our Verdigris sub-label. I’ve found this beautiful slide-show of their performance at the En El Garage club, last fall in Monterrey Nuevo León. Here are a couple of shots:
The rest of the pictures can be found here, at the Garage club website.
The rest of the pictures can be found here, at the Garage club website.
"Si Me Duermo... choco" reviewed.
Mon/March/09 2009
Here is a roundup of reviews for R. Mendoza’s latest album, “Si Me Duermo... choco”. Textura.org, writes that “[t]hroughout this rather distinctive album, Mendoza assembles layer upon layer in the tracks, with vocals, beats, electronics, guitars, and bass built into immense atmospheric structures that exemplify the loop-based repetition associated with dance music.” URB thinks the recording falls short and that the album “could have been influential to our sonic understanding, colliding with our own interpretation of dreams as an encounter of life-altering ramifications, all the while remaining entertaining and original.” The Aussies at Cyclic Defrost are more impressed, writing that “[i]f a sonic encapsulation of a lucid dream could be constructed it is here, masking highly developed technical prowess in a coat of remembrance and dreamlike intonation, updating the waking dream for the listener. Awakening to a dreamlike sound is a kind of paradox and to a casual listener it may seem that the conjunction of sound worlds woven together here are at least a contradiction, if not a riddle or paradox, but the beauty is held within the contradiction of form”. Wow!. Finally, the Frenchies at Autres Directions think that R. Mendoza has constructed a “singular electro-shoegaze” album. Do I need to remind you that the CD is available through DARLA?.
Post-teenage lazer angst
Mon/March/09 2009
Our associated netlabel, Cyan Recs, recently put up a free download of Maniqui Lazer’s “The Amazing Kingdom Of Animals In The Zoo. Chapter I: Magical Medecine”. If the title is a little more that you can chew on, let’s not forget that the screamo-avant-post-punk inflected tracks will probably send your brain into a tailspin. The album was mixed by Rubén Tamayo (Fax) while the recordings were done by the band themselves, Mexicali’s loudest prodigal sons.
R. Mendoza Live @ Transmedios
Mon/March/09 2009
R. Mendoza played last week at Transmedios in Tijuana, presenting his latest CD, Si Me Duermo... Choco. It was a very nice reception with many friends and plenty of “Two Buck Chuck” bottles to open. An evening filled with music, visuals and sounds. Here are some of the pictures we took of the event.
Clouds 2
Mon/March/09 2009
Real dark today outside. And the time difference between San Diego and Tijuana is making things weirder. I can’t understand how our politicians can’t agree on something as simple as pushing the clock one hour ahead. We will be un-synched for one whole month, with San Diego being one hour into the future. This totally blows, as I need to work in between the two different time zones.
Scared Lamb on your body
Mon/March/09 2009
Lamb's Fear
Sun/March/08 2009
Yesterday we got some beautiful banner designs from Rubén for AAM’s forthcoming Chez Nobody EP. I love the way the little lamb is scared to death, the hungry wolf totally represents what the music of AAM is all about.
This cutie is going straight to our MySpace page.
This cutie is going straight to our MySpace page.
Clouds
Sun/March/08 2009
Today the sky was very clear. From here at home one could see all the way up to the Coronado Bay in San Diego. Beautiful.