“Dame Eso”, the First Music Video by Kubricks

Kubricks Gezzio

What’s the worst thing that can happen when someone who was in a band you admired launches his solo career? Well, that his new work will take after his former oeuvre excessively. That’s a bit like having a loved one revived as a zombie that will chase you around mindlessly. And if Daryl Dixon isn’t around to shoot the fucker in the head with an arrow, things can get pretty heavy indeed…

Fortunately, that’s not the case here. Marcelo Gezzio (the erstwhile bass player for Sordromo, a key Uruguayan band at the turn of the century – see here and here) is now fronting a new outfit which is named “Kubricks”, and which is striking out more than excitingly.
The band has just issued its first promotional video (for the song “Dame Eso” [Gimme That]), and an album (tentatively called “Conexión”) should see the light of day before too long.

The band is Marcelo on bass and vocals, Fernando Fontes on drums and Alejandro Gorgoroso on guitar.

While there are clear nods to Sordromo, it’s good to see that Marcelo is trying to keep things distinct.
I seem to think that the overall sound is rawer, and the finale in particular is very rallying, with some solemn soloing that’s sure to rouse anyone within earshot. Continue reading

“Infinity” by The Bear Season gets a Symphonic Treatment

The Bear Season

Man, pause your porn and check this out, it’s worth it.
Somebody came up with a symphonic version of The Bear Season’s “Infinity”, and uploaded it to SoundCloud.
The Bear Season! My friends! My precious! They were first covered here, and I have made a point of staying on top of all their latest releases. And (as you probably don’t remember, because not even their groupies read that particular post) my favorite song of theirs is “Infinity”.

This new symphonic version of “Infinity”, now, is the one to harbor in your heart, and rediscover time and again.
If I ever walk away from an exploding building in slow motion, then I want this to be playing in the background.

Check it out, dude, it’s a sweet sweet deal. Like angels’ pay. I can only think of a couple of things that are sweeter.

One is Rocket:

The other is, obviously, Gregorian! They should have been huge! What a shame Enigma took the cake instead!

And then, there’s this version of The Police’s “Fallout”, which is memorable if only because you can’t listen to Sting’s vocals!!

Ha! Ha! Take it, your ego douche!! See what happens for having confiscated half of Stu’s kit away for the recording of “Every Breath You Take”?? Karma has no deadline, my high-pitched friend…
Seriously, what a version from the deepest abyss of hell. Stu has been miked like crap, Andy sounds like he’s making the song up as he goes along (which is highly likely, if you ask me and my monkey), and that solo is the pits! And then, Sting ends up this “stellar performance” by doing a “splenetic jump”. Dude, Pete Townshend is pushing 72, and he bounces around with more flamboyance! Do us a favor, and keep dreaming of blue turtles, will you?

“Anthophila”, the First LP by Uruguayan Composer Colmena Gr Is Available for Free Download

anthophila colmena gr

A really great acquaintance I made as 2012 was ending, Colmena Gr is a young Uruguayan composer that has steadily been releasing a series of EPs over the course of the last two years. And he has just compiled the best of his work on a LP (which also includes a couple of new cuts), so what better time to feature him on MusicKO?

The way he describes his music is so accurate and full of sentiment, that I’ve transcribed the full text he sent me when I asked for some background information below.

I began writing music in 2009, but I only started recording my melodies in mid-2011. My first EP was named “Colapso”, and it comprised short-length compositions with just piano. It was a very personal piece of work.
Afterwards, I came up with “Rec”, an EP with 11 instrumental melodies which were edited and produced much more elaborately than ever before.

My music is aimed at experienced ears, the kind that can discover each and every sound (even if there are not that many of them, each sound I use is there for a very good reason).

One year later (and once I had perfected my new sound), in November 2011 I published “Pusil”. The tracks “Analepsis”, “Luminor”, “Prímula” and “Mutílido” had been issued in advance, and they were greeted with enthusiasm by most of my listeners. By mid-November three more melodies were ready – these were done in just a couple of days, the result of an intense and enlightened inspiration (I love when such magic surrounds my head). And it was right there and then that my fourth EP was born. It went by the name of “Tilda”, it included 4 tracks, and it had a mysterious cover with a black widow as its star.

I have always been attracted by little worlds, particularly these of insects. Their diminutive lives fascinate me, even more so when I’ve got a camera at hand. The worlds inhabited by ants and bees are what I like the most.

I’m specially fond of bees. I’m deeply attracted to the world of hives, and that’s where the name of my musical project is derived from. I’ve combined two words that are little conventional [“colmena” is Spanish for “hive”], and I’ve come up with a brand of its very own.

Just two weeks ago I released my first LP, and that makes me feel extremely glad. I brought together the 3 EPs I issued in 2012, and I added 3 new melodies. These 3 new tracks sound far more seasoned – or a lot less “amateur”, if you will.

I named the album “Anthophila” (after the word used to categorize these insects that love flowers, IE bees), and you can both listen and download it for free on Bandcamp. This is the link:

http://www.coqigr.bandcamp.com/album/anthophila

And my official blog can be visited here:

http://www.colmenagr.blogspot.com

 

Excellent. And you’d probably be interested in checking some of his other blogs and pages. These include one for photography (www.coqigrfotografia.tumblr.com), another for writings (www.fuisteunacolmena.tumblr.com) and yet another one for his video projects (www.videogr.tumblr.com).
And there’s also his personal blog (www.coqigr.blogspot.com), and his page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thesoundofgrgrgr).

Personally, I really liked his videos, and I’m sure there will be a post in the near future in which I’ll be analyzing them in good detail.

This is “Los Pájaros” [The Birds], the one I enjoyed the most:

Cínica Issues Its First Album, “Transparente”

Cinica transparente

Uruguayan metal band Cínica was the first national artist to be featured on MusicKO, back when they were recording their eponymous EP.

And it’s a great pleasure to break the news they’ve just released their first album (“Transparente”), and that they’ve got a promotional video to go with it.

The video is for the song “Panacea”, one of the tracks that were actually included on the band’s earlier EP. All these cuts are featured on “Transparente”, newly remixed and remastered, along with seven other original compositions.

Cínica’s current line-up comprises Vico Campbell on vocals, Marcelo Simonetti on guitar and backing vocals, Gonzalo Simonetti on bass and Manuel Kastanas on drums.

Marcelo Fontanini (from Snake), Mariana Acosta (the former singer for Dr. Rocka) and Fabián Furtado (from Rey Toro) all have guest spots on the album.

“Transparente” will soon be available for digital purchase, and when that happens I’ll make sure to update this post. In any case, note that if you drop by the band’s website (www.cinica.net) you’ll be able to buy a physical copy using PayPal.

Cinica transparente banda