UFESAS

Cover art by Diego Arrighetti.

Ufesas have always been a force, a force pushing foward.
So it wasn’t a surprise to hear their self-titled LP and feel the strength driving you on, and turning you on as well. The pulse, the body always moving and the guts to take the ride.
This was a very much anticipated LP, quite a lot of people were waiting to hear it and so it was a communion of joy among all of us who love this band when it was finally released.
It was recorded at Sondor Studios (Montevideo, Uruguay), one of the most important and traditional studios of Uruguay, where legendary artists such as Eduardo Mateo, Alfredo Zitarrosa, Pappo; and other great bands of our time such as Revolver and HPLE have recorded their art.
With aditional recording at Folie a Deux studios (Canelones, Uruguay); engineered and mixed by Nicolás Demczylo (and let me stop here and say that he might be my favourite contemporary uruguayan engineer), and produced by Ufesas, who wouldn’t give up the DIY spirit even at gun point.
It has guest appearances as well, Arri’s percussion on "Part of the night" and Héctor Barceló (from Ravengers) as the creepy trumpet on the same song. The cover photograph is by Diego Arrighetti, the album design by Federico Bolagno and it was released once more by Droehnhaus Records (Germany).

There’s no doubt this is a much more mature work, the guys have grown, the kids have left home. It’s obvious to us who have been listening from the beginning that things have happened, life has happened and that they’ve managed to come out of it victorious with an album that has gone deeper into the mind sounds and the very concept of feeling the music.
Ufesas is not a band to just listen to, is a band to get lost into, one must let them take you wherever their sound might take you and just let it be, otherwise the journey is dead from the start.
And it’s a much darker sound, much more stoner rock than hard rock, as it was before. But you have a song like “Part of the night” that is completely different, Ufesas sound has the courage that only being certain of your sound can bring. It’s a dark sound, an unafraid sound. These guys are not afraid of the dark.
That song might be the answer to what Ufesas is to me. A never stoping moving force that passes thru different states that grow until it explodes, to not dissapear, but to remain in everything. Ufesas still play their songs as every song should always be played, as if was the last time.
I don’t listen to music just with my ears, I listen to music with my stomach, with my groin, with my sex, with my soul. That being said, I’ll say something to some people that might not understand what it is to really feel part of a sound so much that it heals you. The same people that will never understand my subjective taste and point of view (which will forever remain subjective): fuck you.
Ufesas manda.

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RAVENGERS EP

Cover design by Ame.

Like many of the bands that come from Canelones, Uruguay, Los Ravengers are soaked with the sounds of psychedelia, experimental and kraut rock and a huge sense of devotion to really enjoying the whole process of making music; music that they make for and among their friends.
Only the “DIY” motto can bring this delicate equilibrium between the search of a sensible sound (with good quality) and the need to please yourself and your friends.

Many bands work on their albums and EP’s with an idea in their minds that a certain crowd will listen to them, or a certain “important” person might be interested in them; and that’s both fine and valid. But there’s nothing sadder than the desperate seek of approval of a label, a net label or whatever; a search that will only pollute the music.
One of the things I love about the enviroment in which uruguayan bands work and make their music is that they do it, firstly and most important, with the idea that their friends are gonna listen to them. They all seek expansion and to make the world listen, but first they want their people to enjoy it, and that is the way things get done, with love.
I don’t own the thruth in life, but I think this happens when you mix great bands and a small place to develop themselves. You get these amazing bands, that in any other big city of the world would call for instant attention, with an amazing sense of modesty; and lately you don’t get that in rock and roll my friends. By no means I’m saying that more “famous” bands doesn’t care for their friend’s opinion, but in Uruguay, you have, give or take, 4 venues to play good rock and roll at (venues for growing independent bands that is), which leaves having your friends as sometimes the only crowd, THAT sense of family couldn’t happen in a bigger city, and as much as we would all love to have more venues to play in Uruguay, we have to pause and admire what NOT having them bring us too.

Photography by Nina Lebowski.

These young folks (Ismael Viñoly on guitar & voices, Héctor Barceló on keyboards & synthesizer, Diego Rodriguez on bass and Leo Garrido on drums) have released last year their first EP produced by Folie á Deux Records, mixed by Federico Bolagno (Ufesas) and recorded at Diego Mercadal’s house (Ufesas). They have delivered us with both a unique and familiar sound. Unique because they’ve taken their very own experiences with music and put them into something new and bold; and familiar because when you hear them it’s almost as your body recognizes the sound by itself, it makes you move without conscience of it, and it’s always good to get disconnected from reason and into music.

There’s a massive connection between Los Ravengers’ music and a mental trip, you can certainly get lost inside the sound coming in waves at you. The EP holds 2 songs, “Communist Dancer” and “Jesus” and it’s a fine glimpse of the attitude these guys have, a musical maze you wanna get lost into. Nothing but a great future can be expected from these guys. Another great uruguayan band that make me proud to be a charrúa.

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They’ll be releasing their first video soon and they’re working on their album.
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UFESAS

Artwork by Mi Babui

Howlin’ guitars, demoniac voice whispers; and a strident and galloping rhythm line set by a fierce drum sound and a strongly played bass.
All in all, it feels like you’re being pushed off a cliff by a thousand horses that run you thru, but instead of falling you get suspended in the air; inside the music.
At times, the feeling might go from intoxicating, wild and dizzy, to relaxing almost Zen like; and in every moment there’s always fire bringing sound to life.
Ufesas play their songs as if it is the last time they are playing them, and that makes them poetically epic.

With the arrival of their second EP “Black Ride” edited as a 7’’ vinyl thru Droehnhaus Records (Germany) they’ve given us a second chance to recognize one of the best bands Latin American true rock has. The EP has two songs, the one that gives the EP a name and “The Destroyer” also available on their 1st EP.
Both songs have a determined force that pushes them forward, they’re not “circular” songs, the movement of the beat and harmony may repeat, but the feeling doesn’t go round, it’s something that shoots up forward.
“The Destroyer” has a strong sensation much like an adrenaline rush; “Black Ride” takes you inside a journey, a sort of ritual passage, from darkness to light, and it’s clearly represented with the acoustic ending of the song.
One thing’s for sure, your body surrenders to the sound, it’s impossible to listen to Ufesas without your body making involuntary movements.

They stood up during 2008 with their self titled 1st EP; using the good old “do it yourself”. They produced and recorded themselves (with the help of Nicolás Demczylo) just to see what would happen; and many things did as they arose from the grounds of Canelones. That same EP has been released in the UK by Skittlebrau Records, and Sadness Discos in Argentina also supports them. They’ve also formed their own label Folie A Deux Records which right now is starting to support promising bands from Canelones such as Sympatheia; they’ve been greatly reviewed by many rock sites and other fellow musicians have shown their camaraderie; they’ve played in Buenos Aires before they even played in their own country, and they have maintained gigs since then.
What started as a group of friends enjoying Joey’s garage, ended up as a strongly built band with much to offer.

There’s no posse here, just overwhelming sound designed to play tricks with your head. There are no gestures, winks or anything like that pointed to get anything from anybody, only what four guys from a small town in Uruguay give on a stage and thru a record; precious minutes of strong felt rock and roll.
And in a moment where rock is battling, refusing to become another fashion and the industry of “cool” (as Lester Bangs would say) is taking over; that’s a lot to give my friends.



Rank: Say Hello to the Angels








+INFO:
Ufesas at MySpace
Mi Babui Visual Artist