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fridaynightbordercrossing · 5 years

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EXPERIMENTAL ROCK IN TIJUANA

The history of music in Tijuana is based on the sound influences that permeate and disturb those who let themselves be seduced. So, every new tendency outlined what was to come, and every era evolved trough what we have today.

But as in the history of music in Mexico, there is the story of that "other rock", the fact that we are talkig of the music that depite it's excellence, doe not have the attention that others get. It is evident that here in Tijuana there is a rich history of great bands influenced by progressive, showgaze, free-jazz, lo-fi, kraut-rock and more soic ventures that are added. It is a story that is rarely explored in depth, because there has not been, perhaps, a constant attention or it is possible that the same musicians do not take it as something more than their love for music....it is experimental rock in Tijuana.

As with other genres, the progressive rock force entered the ears of Tijuana youth, this caused by the momentum that bands like Genesis, Emerson Lake And Palmer, King Crimson and others had at that point. It was word of mouth, magazines ad record listening sessions with friends. Some tried to assemble their bands, but few would have presence, as it was the case of Camaleón and Frak, who hn been around since 1979 and were one of the first progressive rock bands to play original music, grabbing the attention of the mexican magazines of the time. After a long hiatus, they performed, at least, on the early years of this decade, still on the cutting edge of the genre. Around 1987, the first collage radio station called Radio Tecnológico was cleared to broadcast, this being the home of Expansiones Del Rock, a showcase program for electronic and progressive rock, being the first of it's kind.

Some bands still went into the depths of progressive rock, despite the loming presence of hard rock/metal and rock en tu idioma emerging bands that had all the atention. They were some enthusiasts out there, for example, a couple of visual artists from Playas, besides editing fanzines and strongly supporting the development of a space for concerts and rehearsals for everyone, performed under the name Diosserpiente, even doing a tour in Mexico City, where they had contact with important national groups such as Iconoclasta, however, the project did not continue until the middle of the decade. On the other hand, what was called the Swenga generation, gave birth to groups that went by the lo-fi, psychedelia, indie rock, shoegaze and garage, arising Psiquislarva, Ohtli (in its first stage), Pitomates Morados, Glugan and more, being the origin of other groups, perhaps less experimental, but at the sound edge of the scene. Huey Tlatoani emerged at the time as a experimental freejazz ensamble. Then came the showgaze bands like Los Felices, BiciAzul, Loopdrop and derivatives that recorded demos, compilations and other materials that collectors still keep with pleasure.

Starting in 2000, a series of groups emerged with a spirit of change and hope and with an important boost. As the great root of this generation, we could establish the band called Ambiente, who made an experimental post-rock that fully influenced what came and that in turn, derived the emergence of other sound projects in the city. For example, from the sound virtuosity of Triste Jobim, emerged the powerful duo Casa Wagner (lating muting into the experimental cumbia ensamble Sonidero Travesura). These two bands, in addition to their influence, share recognition on a large scale as they were each at the time, participants in the national contest Rockampeonato, geting to perform with great acceptance (despote not winning the contest) at the renowed venue Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City.

We could talk about Bios, Belafonte, Dhali, Yira and one that stood out later, Lhabia, who in turn, opened doors to a generation that included La Tira Comica, Amarillo 5000 and some others. It would then mutated to a much younger crowd of bands while being much more radical in its concepts, as it was Kosovo (later Pedro y El Lobo), with classical music influences. From that band came out onr of the most important figures of experimental Mexican music, Gaspar Peralta.

Then, it was the time for bands like Orson Cirrus, Palpable Forte (who got some funk), Kryptex, Pulse, Australia, Sensedown, KMO (part of another generation of more jam and jazz oriented sound) and others. As part of the post 90's punk era, Guaycura Sounds would come out, who put a different vibe to the experimental sound, a deep guitar epic oriented drive , being an equally influential group. Another one was Mad Bronson, a trio that had a very punk rock vibe on the stage. Sensedown was more of a prog-metal band, while Fractal went through emotional and dark post-hardcore and metal paths, as Exoskeleton Delusion continues to do. On the other hand, there is the punkformance collective Ghost Magnet Roach Motel, that had some cool performances on it's time. We can not leave out La Sonrisa Vertical, a band from Mexicali that came here and had an impressive vitality and that in turn, influenced the explosion of jazz jam in the city, where also a vital character has been Fernando "Flecha" Morales through Projecto Utokalhipsis and other experimental assemblages alongside other mavericks.

The new generation already at the beginning of this decade, exploded in a wave of ideas and sounds in full experimentation and then emerged, among others, Santos Balcones Durango, Vis Viva, Deck B and Lo Que Nunca Fue, which in turn. are the base of the current music independent scene in Tijuana. But in turn, experimental rock took influences of metal and progressive (as well as other sounds) for the emergence of a generation that at this time gave us names like Zenith, but then, they are those who keep alive the flame like Carlos Azdi, Taller De Colores, The New Residents (multidisciplinary ensemble and heir to the classic progressive rock tradition of the city), Edena, Beirah, El Burro y La Rata, Ave Saturni, Spilman, Spurs And Rockets, Three, DVTrip, Astral Azif, Adeumazel, El Castillo De Barbazul, Triste Polizonte, Tlatoani, Underfound, Cenzontle and several other names, that carry an important part of history of what Tijuana music is.

#music #Tijuana #rock #progressive rock #Instrumental Rock

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