BY MARIA GALLUCCI
The News
Jan. 8, 2010
If the electroclash movement - a fusion of New Wave, synthetic pop and electronic dance music - has recently lost some of its steam in Europe and the United States, the musical genre has found a second wind in studios and on stages across Mexico.
The young musicians of the Mexico City-based Los Kitsch, for one, have found budding success with their electroclash tunes among a group of fans mostly born just before the movement's start in the mid-1990s.
The rock-pop group is set to release its first EP next month, a five-track disc that will hit the streets on February 2. Songs are already available free of charge on the Los Kitsch's Web site and Myspace page, where the band says it receives around 300 hits, or clicks to listen, on a daily basis.
“In Mexico City, there are many bands similar to the [electroclash] genre, but as far as we know, we're the only band here who actually plays this style of music,” said Diego Huidobro, who plays guitar and synthesizer in the two-member group.
Pamelo Merodio provides the band's punk-like and atonal vocals, and although the group began two years ago with three additional members, today invited musicians and guest bands accompany Los Kitsch in recording tracks and performing live.
Electroclash music began hitting concert halls and airwaves in Munich, Berlin, New York City and Detroit more than a decade ago, but the genre truly gained international recognition after a 2001 electroclash concert in New York put the underground movement on the map.
New York-based deejay Larry Tee coined the movement's terminology shortly thereafter, crafting a name derived from the 1980s electropop bands who have principally influenced the genre. As the electroclash scene has slowly faded in the United States and some European cities, the genre is gaining new ground in places such as Mexico City, Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro.
While variations of electroclash might feature stronger notes of punk or harder electronic rhythms reminiscent of nightclubs, Los Kitsch offers a light blend of electric guitar, quick and catchy beats with simple, repetitive lyrics in English and Spanish.
Songs like “Give Me” and “Dance,” for example, have a very pop-oriented and upbeat feel, with slightly deadpan vocals and loud guitar riffs keeping adrenaline levels high throughout the tracks.
“No Puedo” (“I Can't”) and “Radio Tonite,” on the other hand, slow down the party tempo a bit for a more mellow, yet edgier, sound.
“Our songs are about the everyday and about having fun,” Merodio explained, citing as inspiration Icelandic musician Björk, U.S. electroclash group Le Tigre, and folk singer Bob Dylan.
Huidobro added, “The lyrics are basically about the happenings and problems of post-adolescence,” topics that are particularly relevant to the pair of 21-year-old musicians.
The guitarist, however, noted that his and Merodio's age has been more of an advantage than a roadblock for the up-and-coming group.
“It's good to start young, because we have more time to seek out the right path, and with all the support we've received from the [Grabaciones Jamaica] studio and from those who have more experience than we do, we've had a much easier time with our project,” he said.
Since its start, Los Kitsch has steadily progressed from an Internet-focused project posting songs and videos online to a group that gives energy-infused performances across the country. The duo is set to perform shows with invited musicians in Puebla and Guadalajara later this month, as well as an EP-release show on February 2 at the Imperial rock club in Mexico City's Roma Norte neighborhood.
The band has also scored commercial recognition from major labels, including Nike, Red Bull and guitar company Gibson. Converse de México features the group's latest single “Corazón” (“Heart”) on its Web site, and Mexican beer giant Indio includes Los Kitsch among the site's featured Latin American bands.
Huidobro said that he hoped to take Los Kitsch this year to more prominent stages at Latin American festivals and throughout the region. He noted that while the group will likely release a second EP this year and possibly a complete album, the discs would be sold more for the cover art than to earn cash from the music.
“We give away our music, but what we like to sell and what people have asked us for is the visual art” produced by local artist “Sutra,” he said.
For more details, visit www.loskitsch.com or www.myspace.com/loskitschband
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