Historia Natural
Some four years ago, around the time we started our Greedy venture, we picked up on the wily dealings of Colombian three-piece Los Pirañas, via their second full-length "La Diversión Que Hacía Falta En Mi País". The three musical accomplices met back in high school some 25 years ago and have meanwhile made a name for themselves individually and collectively. Alias Los Pirañas, Mario Galeano (bass), Pedro Ojeda (drums, percussion) and Eblis Alvarez (electric guitar, computer, synths) came together ten years ago and just released album number three on Glitterbeat Records, putting their combined experience and sophisticated retro-futuristic sound palette on display for all to hear.
"Historia Natural" is the name of the game and a tale of what seems to have come to them so naturally, combining exhilarating rhythms, gorgeously distorted guitar riffs and swirling computerised flourishes. "We don’t use the computer the way most people do," insists Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers). "We take the opposite approach. We don’t build from a computer track. It’s physical, it’s based on what I do, and the computer jumps in. It’s designed to go off in different directions and sounds.” Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero) agrees, pointing out that the album was actually recorded live in the studio. “The trio energy is unique. Every sound you hear on the album is us playing live. In the studio we jam and develop different takes on ideas. Much of what we do is improvised. We know each other so well that we’re very connected, the communication between us is completely natural. It’s why we don’t have to rehearse that much.” While Pedro Ojeda (Romperayo) adds: “To me, this album is going back to where we were in high school. We didn’t have so many goals back then. We wanted to play riffs, to express ourselves, to find that rough spirit.”
Through constantly shifting shapes and textures, building on influences from vintage Colombian recordings from the 1950s to '70s as well as a seemingly inexhaustible range of ideas, Bogotá's Los Pirañas run their youthful energy through a well-oiled machine that never ceases to amaze and sounds anything but pretentious. "Really, we’re just expressing ourselves the way we did when we were young,” says Eblis Alvarez. “The difference is that we use computers and contemporary forms to fit into modern culture.” Whatever you want to call it, this album is an absolute riot. You can stream "Historia Natural" in full below.
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