It always seemed to me like Spain as a land of fervent creativity and strong interest in independent alternative music since the ’90s with DIY labels such as Siesta Records, Elefant Records and Acuarela Discos and more recently La Castanya, El Genio Equivocado, Discos de Kirlian, Meritorio and many many more. On the same path here are two young labels, Hidden Track Records and Mama Vynila Records, and a new band Bruises.
In 2016 Sebastián Lozano (Mal Villano), a native of Chile, went to Barcelona on a quest to synthesize the musical ideas he had created. The Catalan capital proved prosperous as three musicians from different bands, Carlos Ramos (The Zephyr Bones), Alejandro Íñiguez (The Saurs) and Genís Toral (Pane) joined forces creating the post-punk quartet named Bruises.
“Bruises means emotive pop melodies and hazy sounds. The band perfectly combines dream pop with elements of emo, post-punk or new wave.” With Sebastián on guitar and vocals, Genís on guitar and backing vocals, Carlos on bass, and Alejandro on drums, the debut EP “ Parallel Portraits” is going to be released on November 30th, 2018 via Hidden Track Records and Mama Vynila Records.
A few days ago, the visuals for the new single “Knife Breath” were dropped further portraying the band’s theme of “emotional pop with noisy intentions.”
Sharp swelling synths, loud clashing drums, sinister throbbing bass lines and rapid crystalline guitar melodies encapsulate whispered, hurried, romantic vocals. The combination of sweet amorous undulating guitar work, poignant cheery synth notes and floating, dreamy voice are in stark contrast with the dark malevolent lyrics. As the instruments wind down his tone assimilates with the words becoming urgent angry yells about missing her deceptive face and grin.
A song about deception, confusion, and dark motives. Angry and betrayed a man exposes a woman for the hypocrite she is during a haunted introspection. Pretending to be a good Christian girl reading the bible and praying at night, while constantly lying with, “muted calls, faked voice, and crude thoughts.” Her knife breath might hurt, but in some demented way he enjoyed, craved, and now misses it in this twisted tale of love.
The accompanying video by Amalgama Lab, starring Luna de la Fuente, takes us on a journey through beautiful land and seascapes as a young woman explores the world through a seemingly melancholic, introspective lens. Nature, duality, and negative contrast photography enhance the forbidden world she lives behind closed doors and the politically correct one outdoors. A reflection of a half-moon over the turbulent sea at night forms a cohesive story filled with secrecy and isolation.
Wonderfully contemplative and intimate quiver of duality, despair, and human nature in its rawest form.
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Photo by Noelia Ruiz
