Nazca - Discography (1985-1988)

Tracks / Треклист:
01. De Oir Le Duele La Boca (7:35)
02. Sueno Tras La Ventana (2:54)
03. El Viaje De Los Muertos (4:30)
04. Lladotropogato (9:37)
05. La Rebelion De Los Colgados (6:14)
06. Paguros Del Dia Gris (2:09)
07. Nazca (4:40)

Duration / Продолжительность: 00:32:59

Tracks / Треклист:
01. Estacion De Sombra (5:34)
02. Traoedia (4:26)
03. Espacios En Torno (2:15)
04. La Morgue (4:31)
05. Mangle (4:12)
06. Deshueso (4:41)
07. En La Cuerda Floja (3:30)
08. Ipecacuana (3:30)
09. Nadja (3:56) (Bonus track 09 previously released on Re Records Quarterly No. 3 in 1986.)

Duration / Продолжительность: 00:36:35

Tracks / Треклист:
01. Nervios De Barricada (6:11)
02. Espacios En Torno (3:29)
03. Mangle (6:52)
04. Lladotoprogato (10:18)
05. Estacion De Sombra (6:21)
06. La Morgue (7:15)
07. Ipecacuana (4:21)
08. De Oir Te Duele La Boca (6:56)

Duration / Продолжительность: 00:51:43

- Alejandro Sanchez / violin
- Juan Carlos Ruiz / saxophone, bassoon
- Guauahtemoc Novelo / drums, percussion
- Jorge Gaitan / bass, viola
- Carlo Nicolau / piano, cello

Now defunct, NAZCA started off in 1980 with Alejandro Sanchez and Carlo Nicolau who were later joined by three other musicians. All five boast classical music training as well as extensive experience with various bands and/or classical music orchestras. Their compositions, which are mostly a collective affair involving improvisation, mix an equal part of RIO, classical music, avant-garde classical and ethnic (as in Mayan/Aztec/ Inca). Although their music is fascinating and absolutely unique, their coming about in the early 80's proved fatal to the band. As Sanchez once recounts in an interview, the local crowd wasn't very receptive to anything that wasn't pop or mainstream back then; he even recalls some concert goers literally walking out on them, visibly irritated as they thought the band were being intentionally provocative with their music. The lack of interest from both the public and the promoters finally prompted the band to split up in 1988. They had released two studio and one fantastic live album.

Eurock describes their music as "ART ZOYD and UNIVERS ZERO in a Mayan temple playing for a sacred ceremonial ritual". NAZCA's music indeed possesses that mysterious quality one would associate with the spirits that inhabit old Mayan temples. Although the general tone is rather subdued and mysterious, it offers an incredible variety of moods and tempos and contains almost no repetition. The surreal effects are achieved through the use of the bassoon, oboe, violin, piano, viola, cello, bass, drums and percussion - the string instruments being slightly emphasized on their second album, "Estacion De Sombra". All of their albums are recommended, and "En Vivo" particularly so: more than a mere live rendition of studio tracks, it showcases tunes that have been significantly modified, lengthened and/or reinvented by improvisation, making the album feel like a new one altogether. It also contains previously unreleased material and has a better, richer sound than even the studio albums.

If you ever fancied the books of Carlos Castenada put to music but never cared for fryin your own brains on magic mushrooms, a trip with the music of NAZCA could well do the trick.(Progarchives)