In 2019 after two years constantly playing live their last album Sonora (2017), Vuelveteloca felt it was the right time to start creating and recording new songs, before their two founding members leave Santiago to live in Spain for a while. They received an invitation to work with acclaimed producer Pablo Stipicic, so they headed into the studio to find new ideas and try a more experimental sound. “We discussed with Pablo the kind of sound we wanted, and tried to find and get new tones in every instrument. It was a very detailed and thorough pre-production, and you can tell it when listening to the new songs”.
Composed of six songs about dystopian future, time and space travels, pagan rituals, resurgence of hidden cultures, human body and nature, Contra follows the path and the sound evolution of Vuelveteloca, with a powerful rhythm section and heavy guitars, but also with new and fresh sound. “It’s not a classic psychedelic rock album, neither a pop album, it doesn’t even sound like a typical Vuelveteloca album, it is the most reckless side of the band”.
Opening with ‘Un Millón de Años’ the band explained that “the making process of this song was really different from what we were used to, because we got to the studio with barely a song structure, and incomplete lyrics and some arrangement ideas, so we started recording with Pablo and trying new ideas until we got the sound we wanted”. It’s a stomping track with relentless energy and an infectious countenance that sets the foot tapping instantly; it’s the type of track that seen them gather worldwide attention and kept fans coming more. ‘El Desierto’ is even higher octane, if indeed that is possible, driven by a motorik beat and hypnotic guitar riff that’s pure rock’n’roll and ‘Calor’ continues this concept, with a guitar solo likely to be envied by any guitar player. ‘Ciudades Subterráneas’ ventures down the metal route, with a heavier feel from the outset, Vuelveteloca are clearly experimenting with what they can achieve, to great effect. ‘La Sangre del Oro’ is possibly the most psychedelic offering, with detached vocals and a complex guitar combination that makes you sit up and listen and the extended instrumental makes it easy to sit back, close your eyes and drift int the music. Concluding ‘Puentes Etéreos’ starts in an ethereal fashion, before slipping into their most accustomed style whilst remaining a haunting edge that resonates long after its gone.
Vuelveteloca is a name that is being spoken more and more often, and whilst it’s a monster to spell, they sure know how to make accomplished psychedelia, with smatterings of other genres carefully interspersed into the deal.
The vinyl version will be released on Little Cloud Records in December.
