Spanish bands to watch from Primavera Sound 2014

Every year Primavera Sound in Barcelona has an onslaught of indie darlings from English speaking countries, but did you also know that Spanish bands play the festival? And no, not just John Talabot. Spanish groups usually play during the 5PM time slot when everyone is either just waking up from their 7AM bedtime or going back to sleep for that sweet, sweet siesta so you’re sure to see Arcade Fire or Kendrick Lamar. So, it’s easy to miss them. Here’s a list of some of the Spanish acts that played the festival that are worth keeping an eye on.

Univers, from Barcelona univvers.bandcamp.com

The epitome of Spanish shoegaze, Univers have been our friends since we interviewed Mujeres a while back, as both groups share a member. We also wrote about their last EP La Pedregada, and this year they came out with their first full length L’Estat Natural. It’s lovely dimension bending guitar riffs and voices drenched in reverb.

Pional, from Madrid soundcloud.com/pional

A good buddy of John Talabot and featured on 2012's Fin, Pional makes house and electro music. Constantly releasing remixes on his soundcloud page, his DJ set is one of the best at Primavera Sound. And his original electronic compositions aren't too shabby either.

Oso Leone, from Mallorca
osoleone.bandcamp.com

Oso Leone make some minimalist electronic music that is as entrancing as it is poppy at times. With reverb drenched vocals as the songs wind deep into their meditations, you might not even realize what language the band is singing in, but it doesn’t even matter.

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Reading Horoscopes with Aries

Published on thebomberjacket.com.

The sheer giddy pop force of Aries is undeniable, regardless of whether or not you can understand Spanish. For a band that’s as mystical as their astrological name might imply, the music is less of a psychedelic trance and more of a meditative celebration captivated by main songwriter Isabel Fernández’s fresh and colorful melodies and harmonies. The overall sound is so immediately contemporary, with subtle samples and just the right amount of echo creating a bright ambient aura, that you hardly notice the classical Spanish guitar and castanets backing it all up. It’s pretty impressive how Fernández is able to reinvent a traditional style and make it her own. What’s also impressive is how, along with her sister Virginia, just two people are able to make so many sounds, to incorporate so many instruments and effects.

Fernández’ last act was called Charades and she played with a full band. The music had a few more decorations and experiments, but Aries shows her progress as a songwriter, as she more tightly conducts pop and synthesizing styles. The Charades records, particularly Revolución Solar, are fun to explore if you like Aries.

THE BOMBER JACKET spoke with Aries about astrology, Spain and the band’s latest record, La Magia Bruta.

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