We went there: 8 things we learned at Festival NRMAL Costa Rica 2015

Text by Pierre Lestruhaut 

Photos by Carolina Vargas

And so it happened… Unexpectedly, Festival NRMAL expanded all the way to the capital of the small Central American nation that’s been trying to place itself as the musical bridge between contemporary North American and South American musicians with the recent efforts of Epicentro. Hosted in a single day at Centro de Eventos de Pedregal, in a typical November afternoon of rain, umbrellas, fashionable ponchos, a lot of booze and some very good music, we experienced the first edition of Festival NRMAL outside of Mexican territories. Here’s what we learned from it.

1. NRMAL lineups are never disappointing 

At least if you’re musical sensibilities are similar to our own. But it’s not only the fact that the line-ups are usually stacked with bands that we’ve constantly praised over the last few years, it’s also the ballsy decisions to avoid cash-grabbing headliners, give way to very disparate styles in a single stage, and showcase acts with barely any material released. Thus, this edition was not devoid of very-well respected independent acts (Gepe, Helado Negro, Algodón Egipcio), pioneering legends (The Sonics, aUTOPerro), and up-and-coming electronic musicians (Raido, AAAA, The Wiesengrund Project).

2. Respect your elders…

Though NRMAL and Epicentro have let it clear that they are big supporters of young and emerging Latin American artists, this festival also outlined just how much NRMAL acknowledges artists who have been keeping it real for decades. Local noise duo aUTOPerro (who were making avant-garde sonic experimentation right around the time Throbbing Gristle were experiencing their creative apex), took the main stage early in the afternoon and despite stylistically contrasting with the rest of the acts performing there, managed to get a furious roar and applause from the crowd following the climactic ending of their set. Much in the same way that 60’s pioneering garage rock band The Sonics attracted the biggest crowd of the whole afternoon, which was predictable, given the Costa Rican indie scene's still overwhelming preference for good ol' rock music over anything else.

 3. …and give credit to those who were there before you 

As expected, Buscabulla put out a very pleasant show that induced the movement of loins and played her hits from her debut EP with a few unreleased tracks and covers. If you’re not aware that Raquel Berrios started making rounds in the NYC scene as a DJ, one listen to some of her mixtapes will let you know of the deep-knowledge she has of Latin American dance music. Of course, she wasn’t shy of handing out her respects to some of her beloved artists from the past, especially when performing her tribute to Frankie Ruiz, and it’s precisely this constant awareness of the greatness of past musicians that make her music so appealing in the first place.

4. Hijos might be deserving of some pre-debut album hype and high expectations

They’ve already been praised elsewhere, and it’s about time they got praised here as well. Hijos, the solo project of Costa Rican Pablo Rojas (Monte, Florian Droids) is a solid candidate to become the next great act to come out of the small nation. There are have been couple of pop-hued tracks circling around the internet these last few months, and “La Playa,” where vocal duties are taken by Kumari Sawyers, is deserving of superlatives such as “excellent,” “blissed-out,” and other adjectives like “tropical” and “heartwarming”. Hijos put out a solid early afternoon set where their already known pop melodies stood seamlessly and successfully side-by-side with the more proggish oriented soundscapes that Rojas’ other bands were more accustomed too.

 5. Gepe is getting closer to Latino pop stardom with every album 

A strange statement to make about an artist headlining what has been one of the most underground-promoting festivals in Latin America, NRMAL Costa Rica wasn't really the platform or the audience for him to feel like a pop star yet. But it’s Gepe’s conflation of Latino pop and folk motives, his undeniable charisma, irresistible dance moves, and catchy pop idioms that make him more suitable for grand arena Latin pop. And we wouldn’t be surprised if he got there rather soon.



 6. … and “En la naturaleza” is still the greatest latino song of the last few years

Even though Estilo Libre is Gepe’s biggest effort at exploring some of Latin folk’s most danceable patterns, “En la naturaleza” is still his most accomplished effort in fusing modern dance music and Latin folk. Despite dembow being a Latin club staple for more than 10 years, Gepe’s “experimental conquest” still feels fresh, unmatched, and absolutely drives the crowd insane. As DJ deMentira, who was wearing a Discos Pegaos shirt, took over PedroPiedra’s duties as Gepe’s sideshow rapper, the realization came forward that Gepe is all the things we’ve usually admired from a musician: crowd-pleasing enough to want to be a continental star, ballsy enough to explore territories no one else in his niche would dare to, and self-conscious enough to always be aware of his indie origins.

7. 10 pm is a very early time to end a one-day music festival 

The best music festivals we’ve been are obviously the ones that extend the partying well past midnight and allow dance music lovers to keep on dancing through the night. This first edition of NRMAL Costa Rica had a very well-crafted and conceived electronic music dome stage, much in the vein of Primavera Sound’s Boiler Room tent where sets could extend for those looking for non-stop dance action. In between main stage performances, we managed to catch a small portion of each of the acts playing the dome: The Wiesengrund Project’s drone-oriented and politically charged beats and visuals, Raido’s more introspective synth-driven hip-hop, and AAAA acid and Chicago oriented sounds. The only downside: 10 pm was a very early time to shut down an overheating dome that reeked of sweat and weed, hypnotized its crowd with warping beats, and should've kept the party going longer.



8. Enrique Coyotzi is an insensitive prick 

Promises were made. Expectations were raised. But our dear dear Enrique Coyotzi was nowhere to be seen at NRMAL Costa Rica, despite those very promises that were made, those expectations that were so highly raised. We will still hold on to those memories of NRMAL 2013, of seeing him arrive midset to Fakuta’s performance at Gómez, watching him leave after hearing 10 seconds of Dustin Wong at Panamérika Stage, and swinging like a lost child amidst the hip crowd of Monterrey. Your presence was missed.

Club Fonograma's Top 12 Must-See Acts at Festival Nrmal 2014

12. Hidrogenesse

I’ll be honest: while I respect Hidrogenesse, it hasn’t particularly been a thrilling ensemble to my ears. But I truly love “El artista” and feel very curious to catch either their DF or MTY show. I’m aware I’m up for a disrupting exhibition. – Enrique Coyotzi

11. No Somos Marineros

Last year I rarely visited Nrmal's Escenario Negro. Not really my cup of tea. Taking a look at this edition's selection for the stage, I'd be a dumbass if I missed No Somos Marineros, our beloved emo revivalists. Witnessing “Violencia River” live must blow out anyone's brain, or at least mine. - Enrique Coyotzi

10. CLUBZ

Definitely one of the more hyped national acts (their name even rhymes with buzz...), CLUBZ hasn’t totally convinced all of our contributors to sing praises. But, along with their freshly released Texturas EP, a Nrmal appearance is the perfect moment to prove their worth as one Mexico's leading indie acts. - Giovanni Guillén

09. Mock The Zuma

A 2012 Nrmal alumnus, who can forget how Kevin Santana was grossly mistagged as Tony Gallardo II in a Pitchfork photo set? Outside of the producer scene, Mock the Zuma might still not be on a lot of people’s radar, but things in 2012 were also different. After all, not everyone had caught on to FKA twigs and Arca, so who knows. Exploring his recent productions, like the surreal and tantalizing “Viper Things,” has convinced us this guy is the real deal. Hopefully after a late night set the outsiders will also stop overlooking the boy from Juárez. - Giovanni Guillén

08. Matías Aguayo X Mostro

I've long joked how the only reason "El sucu tucu" didn't take over the world is because there was no official dance to go with it. Failing that, we'll just have to settle with any kind of random dance moves to show off in the festival grounds and hope something sticks. - Giovanni Guillén

07. El Sueño De La Casa Propia

For a while now, ESDLCP’s been one of our dearest electronic alchemists. Last year’s Doble Ola fulfilled any expectation poured since we heard “Pobre Ave.” Here’s hoping ESDLCP will perform said EP in its entirety along with some highlights off his marvelous Historial de caídas. I’m certainly looking forward to getting lost and chilling to his esoteric vibe already. – Enrique Coyotzi

06. Extraperlo

In keeping with the Spanish invasion theme of this year’s Nrmal, Extraperlo make a pleasant addition that would likely go best mid afternoon on the main stage. Right at the peak hour for day drunk singing (“Ardiente Figura”) and losing those early inhibitions by dancing in plain daylight (“Fina Vanidad”). Be sure to wear the coolest thing you own. - Giovanni Guillén

05. Siete Catorce/Den5hion

I believe that the showcases Nrmal implemented in 2013 were a great initiative; however I really, REALLY hated the ones that took place at Gomez. My first approach to the Siete Catorce live experience was at this bar where people were barely paying attention. Time to redeem that since Marco Gutiérrez is now well known for throwing legendary presentations. Under his two most important aliases he will be performing at stellar times (that Siete Catorce + DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn combo sounds already unforgettable) and presenting a pair of different sets that most likely will make bodies boil. - Enrique Coyotzi

04. Los Blenders

After a well-received appearance in Tijuana at the All My Friends festival last year, Los Blenders will likely be the band of choice to gather round and fuck shit up. “Meta y Dinero” and “Surf de Amor” are already Fonograma classics, and the chance to sing along and bro it out will certainly be unmissable. It’s only a shame that the Fonograma male contingent (*from last year) won’t be reunited to share that moment with again. - Giovanni Guillén

03. Dënver

Sure we can joke about it now, but how scary was news of Dënver’s breakup last year? Too real for us- even if it was only a couple of days. False alarms aside, we’d be never miss a chance to see Dënver (Americans, if you can’t make it to Monterrey then at least a road trip to Austin is in order). Expectations are high, but no doubt months of touring have kept Milton and Mariana well prepped and ready to deliver a sublime show with all the gold selections from Fuera de campo. That, and it’ll be one of the few places to catch blonde Milton Mahan IRL. <3 - Giovanni Guillén
 

02. Füete Billēte
Undoubtedly Puerto Rico's most buzzworthy and juiciest revelation since Calle 13, Füete Billēte will own the Red Bull Music Academy stage exactly when night is starting. One week after, Don Severo and Pepper Kilo will offer their second show in Mexican territories at a glamorous NAAFI event, which I'm sure is gonna be fucking awesome. The NAAFI parties have turned out to be extremely unique and, lately, hard to be matched. I'm confident their big Nrmal debut will be a warm up for that show. If you've been following closely the MCs' Twitter account, then you must be familiarized with their retweets and the fans' positive opinions towards their live act. We've been salivating to be drugged-out while floating with stoner hymns like “Fumaera Namás” and 2K13's best song “La Trilla.” - Enrique Coyotzi

01. BFlecha

If only the same amount of Fonogramers that attended last year to Festival Nrmal were around for this year’s edition, I’m completely convinced the one moment we’d all share together—and certainly value the most—would be BFlecha’s long awaited presentation. Since we found out our deserving artist for Best Album of the Year of 2013 was included in the second round of confirmed acts, we’ve been creaming our pants. The mere thought of listening in direct to larger-than-life hits like “B33” or “A Marte” simply blurs my vision and accelerates my heartbeat. It’ll be interesting to see how she translates on stage contemplative numbers like “βeta” or “Finisterrae.” Few live videos of BFlecha are to be found on YouTube, which makes the excitement to discover what she has in store even greater. The expectations are huge, and just like she sings in the enormous chorus of “Mundo Bizarro”, I'm pretty sure that “todo va a estar bien.” Even better, I bet. – Enrique Coyotzi

Festival Nrmal, Part 4: Throw to Lion

photo of  Lulú Melón Sandia by Jaime Martínez 

In a double twister of fate, .gif-fabulous photographer Jaime Martínez presented Throw To Lion, an experimental arts space placed onto Parque del Ferrocarril at Festival Nrmal. Martínez's Throw To Lion, had previously been a tumblr, a book, a radio show, and a noise outfit, but last Saturday, it was both exhibited and performed in a cargo container. The showspace's exterior, facing the black stage, was a shared with a muralist but used a corner quadrant to indicate a tentative schedule of music performances and a spray of visual collaborators (Victoria Nuñez, Lulú Melón Sandía, and Meredith Jay). The red (Christmas) light district was layered with drying leaves and  decorated in printed posters of the internet paranrmal (female centipede, pointilistic porn, etc.). The frequency of people visiting fluctuated as did the jump rate. I noticed a couple enter the trailer, only for the female partner to display a disgusted visage and immediately walk out of the trailer. A rightful reaction when considering the art involved itself with digital violence to the female body in a time of techno-industrialism.

photo of  Victoria Nuñez by Adrian Mata Anaya

T2L was maybe not as family friendly as watching Brujeria perform, but it was still a familial effort. DS RE grinded up cassette recordings and shot shards into an electrostatic field. Terribly comfortable in such an environment, Lourdes Martinez aka Lulu Melón Sandía jumped on the mic. The femme phantasm would stay in close proximity to the trailer, video recording various performances, but ended up straying elsewhere apparently, as evidenced by her VHSGIF entries from Nrmal. With delays and schedule  accelerations, Brontis and Parque Frensei eluded me, but they were ever present, a gift to the space. My double rainbow, HDXD, Delia Beatriz Martínez (MX) and Hector Llaquin of Megajoy (CH, Michita Rex), produced a sonic warp, proving romance and experimentalism go lip and lip. Though untouched in previous reportage, Jaime Martinez surely has Festival Nrmal's commitment to the techno-raw and the non-Coachella.

photo of  Throw to Lion Trailer by Adrian Mata Anaya

More photos the event and its collaborators can be found in this album, and Throw To Lion's audio performance has been recorded and presented here.

Festival Nrmal, Part 3: After Party and Casablanca Pool Party

Picture by Souad Martin-Saoudi

by SOUAD MARTIN-SAOUDI

Shame on me. I left the festival grounds around 11: 30 p.m. to take a much-needed siesta after marathon dance sessions in the desert sun fueled by beer excess. (And that’s how I disappeared and missed Maria y José, Javier Estrada, and Daniel Maloso’s sets). A couple of hours later, I was feeling strangely fit as a fiddle. (Or maybe I just wanted to redeem myself.) So I made my way out of the hotel and to the after party. The shuttles were about to leave for the venue, so I packed in with the rowdiest bunch, essentially members of San Pedro El Cortez and Ave Negra. The drive up was punctuated by inevitable shouting and weird conversation about sanctification, while we chugged down a bottle of cheap tequila.

Dusty festivalgoers sitting in small circles at the red light-lit entrance greeted us. Inside, DJ Sliink was making the crowd shine some serious juke and footwork to potent house and trap-fueled hip-hop and r&b remixes. We followed the fluid moves of the anonym bodies until we reached the stage. Then Erick Rincón warmed things up with a set that jarringly married the heavy basslines and layered beats of trap to insane cumbia breaks and synth samples. The sonic transition well secured, Rincón ignited the whole warehouse with heavy digital tribal guarachero.

In the interest of journalism, I told Blanca Méndez during our last Fonocast that I didn’t think a 3Ball MTY-esque party would be my thing, since I usually go out to sleazy dive bars with live music. I was wrong. I presumed Rincón would serve us a collection of catchy instrumentals, but instead Monterrey’s enfant prodige constructed a pervasive, dark, and pulsating body of work ideal for an afterhour’s context. We might have danced until Siete Catorce was on. After this point, it’s all blurry who was mixing. One thing’s for sure: I didn’t drift off into dreams until around 6:30 a.m.

Sunday’s Casablanca Pool Party Showcase in Sierra Sagra was, after the all-star Chilean Showcase on Thursday, the one I anticipated the most. I arrived too late and missed Los Vigilantes (what is wrong with me?!) but caught a glimpse of Algodón Egipcio’s set while getting myself an umpteenth campechana. Cheky’s beautifully crafted sonic soundscapes made the whole pool party in the mountains even more surreal. All that was left to do was to find Enrique Coyotzi (last Fonograma member still in Monterrey) and abandon ourselves to his very à propos subtropical and lighthearted yet nostalgic tunes. Jamaican Queens and Splash, both hailing from the United States, followed. It seemed like pretty decent sets from what I heard while in the bathroom line. Kitty Pryde went on at 7:30. Not surprisingly, the teenage rapper made a point to diss the audience, complaining about the lack of people bouncing to her rhymes. She finished her disconcerting set ensuring us that the recording sounded better than her live voice.

Las Ardillas were the last act on the bill. Thank you Satan! They made us forget about the previous display of gratuitous flippancy and moodiness, overturning any preexisting conceptions about troublemaking music. The hyperactive Boricua garage act opened with the anthem “Cancion de La luz”. Gianky’s distinctive howl and tiptoes dance made the crowd trade stylish shoulder moves for some head banging under the aegis of desultory cigarette burns and scattered beers. As their set went on, the raw vox and devilish guitar riffs became even more snarling and thrashing. The pool party may have reached its pinnacle with everyone belting out the chorus of their last track, “algun dia vivir sin problemas, algun dia podre ser feliz,” until voice extinction.

But for Enrique and I, the final adventure in Monterrey was still yet to come.

Festival Nrmal, Part 2: Chipinique

Picture by Giovanni Guillén

by ADRIAN MATA-ANAYA

For the worst, I was mostly alone on Friday night. I used Gomez as a yuppie pit stop, grabbed a veggie burger, and was eating in the dark, when a grayscale Gepe crossed my path. God willing, a good omen. After scrambling onto the three-stop shuttle, I embarked on the first of two thirty-minute sit-abouts. I had wanted to pop in at Sergio's, a mung, dimly-lit front, featuring some trans-locals, including Husky and Little Ethiopia. But stopping meant missing Zutzut and Vampire Slayer. Right as we left for the hills, Todd P ran after the bus, made us stop, and guided Trash Talk on the bus. For the remainder of the weekend, the DIY promoter, half of the festival music direction, could be found herding his flock of North American-plus transgressives.

Onto the third venue, we left for another sitcomic thirty. Some hunchy punks on a little spiked punch rambled about a sort of secret contract option: a two-day extension for visiting musicians with a curated peyote horse-riding excursion. A reunited couple babbled about the Babylonic enslavement of the populous through fear, and a lady holding onto her empty beer and a full bladder, danced on her seat in a lunar cycle, reaching a full moon of intensity as we got to the venue. I hope she didn't piss herself.

With Festival Nrmal's vision and professional preparation, I made it to Extasis/Finesse showcase at Chipinque in Monterrey, Mexico from Texas. But don't worry, Austin, I immediately kept it hella weird, y'all. I danced alone in line, stared into the ground during Zutzut's set, and spent thirty minutes on a secluded rooftop watching Laurel Halo. The rest of the night was a rope-a-dope between people watching and music feeling. Unfortunately, the dopamine of my Ritalin had worn off, so I took to Indio beers and got high on dope cameos by DJ Smurphy, DS RE, Toy Selectah, Erik Rincon, Alexico, and Tony Gallardo, among others. The mansion's mountainous terrain, a proper Monterreño slope, created sloppy clots on the stairs between the two stages. On top of it all, I peered the panorama, trying to figure out the updated sets schedules without any visual indications. Shame on me, I missed Teen Flirt, Vampire Slayer, and Menudo Coincidencia/Tocadiscos Trez. It's become a bit hazy to who I did catch, Physical Therapy retwerked a salsa track, Lao brought the crowd an explosive boil with some radioactive numbers, while an underestimated Zutzut, went first, to close friends and some handfuls of early love birds.

When the Club Fonobros and Sista Souad made it to the rave, an emotional dam broke. I blacked out in an ecstatic happiness. Game Over.

Continue? 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! ...

Picture by Giovanni Guillén

Festival Nrmal, Part 1: El Evangelio

Picture by Pierre Lestruhaut

by PIERRE LESTRUHAUT

I. PURPOSE

It’s no mystery that this site has repeatedly stated its own admiration for Festival NRMAL and the kind of line-ups that they’ve put together over the past three years. I’ll point out the obvious: the curation is so good that it just makes other festivals on the continent look like overpriced crowd-getters where smaller acts have to play in front of a crowd who’s just waiting to see a big band that’s playing in the city for the first time in 10 or 20 years. And I mean what kind of crowd-getters does this festival have anyway? Ariel Pink and Sky Ferreira for people who only read Pitchfork? Brujería for old-timer metalheads? And ignoring Todd P‘s American-centric vindication of the festival, this is a solid forward-thinking platform that showcases plenty of emerging Latin acts. But then I think about my own self-centeredness and realize perhaps I’m only validating an event because it aligns itself with most of my own musical taste. And then I wonder, if I might be traveling too much just for something that could be another excuse for twentysomethings to get wasted... 


II. FAITH

Finally reunited with half of the rest of the Fonograma crew that was coming into Monterrey (Enrique Coyotzi and Souad Martin-Saoudi), the festival started for us at Sergio’s for the Vale Vergas Discos Showcase. Selma Oxor put on a show inclining toward electronic abrasion and disruptive sexiness, though I still have a bit of trouble getting around her whole electroclash aesthetic. It was Soledad that really fucking owned the night, though. Before the show, I hadn’t heard more than a couple songs that I thought were pretty decent, but on Wednesday they were a sharply different band from the one I remembered: pretty much the kind that reminds you how much a guitar, a freakin tom-tom drum, and a whole lot of talent are enough to make a show that’s both intimate and wild. Back at the hotel, Coyotzi and I talked about how wrong we both were to have completely slept on their previous EP Fe. Now that I had the chance to give it a few more listens, I kinda already miss the band that played at Sergio’s.


III. DOUBT

Someone else will probably have a more elaborated reflection on the Chilena Banda Showcase that took place at Gómez on Friday and that featured Fakuta, Gepe, MKRNI and Alex Anwandter. I’ll just go ahead and point out that having these amazing musicians from the other end of the continent playing at an acute-angled corner in an outdoor venue was seriously one of the most unreasonable things I’ve seen in my own sparse experiences with live music. I mean, sure, seeing Gepe and Anwandter was something close to a fucking dream come true, but, come on you guys, these dudes deserve an actual stage where they can actually do their thing, not that claustrophobic attempt at a stage that they ended up playing at.


IV. DEVOTION

On to the actual festival on Saturday, after CF favorites Ave Negra, Capullo, and Matilda Manzana pulled out good (though very short sets) in front of small crowds in the early hours, Escenarios Rojo y Azul had a pretty good series of erection-inducing guitar acts for which my own expectations were high. Tijuana’s San Pedro El Cortez were the kind of act that lights up any crowd with just a few chords and a good dose of strident on-stage energy. Sure, they also thrive on own goofy on-stage antics, which just adds the kind of positive carelessness that makes for good visceral live rock. And, seriously, this was stuff that fluctuated between raucous and psychoactive, hysterical and resolute. In short, this shit spoke to me on many levels.

After that, Chilean psych-rock band The Holydrug Couple were pretty much the kind of mid-tempo dreamy rock band you’d expect them to be (which, fine, their record is quite good but I prefer falling asleep to them on my headphones and not at a festival venue). Then Protistas had to face the challenge of playing after Brooklyn act Parquet Courts (who pretty much pulled the best set of the afternoon) and deal with the bass-heavy sound at Escenario Rojo. Even though they were a bit short on the vivacity that has characterized so much their own recordings (maybe because you just couldn’t hear their guitars and Álvaro Solar’s singing that much), the rockist in my heart went on to accept the fact that well-rehearsed rock is mostly about hearing the songs you love, and I was reminded of how much I really fucking love Protistas. And how much I still fucking love guitars in general.


V. SOUL

Contrary to popular belief, in the evening, the magic was happening over at the Panamérika stage (or at least I’d like to think). I chose not to believe the Sky Ferreira hype and stood around for the entirety of White Ninja's loin-awakening series of mid-tempo sonic, soul-wrenching grooves. Since their set was made almost entirely out of Sounds Like Cocoon Fever hits (which, awesome!) I’ll be lazy and just steal a few lines from Carlos Reyes’ awesome review of it to describe what the show was like: “With sweaty grooves dripping into slow-burning acid, White Ninja’s flirtations with wavelength allocate the act as part of the exciting group of artists pulsating rhythm into faded synth-pop memories.” Still, hearing it live, this was some seriously penetrating stuff. The kind that magically reconciles the struggle between ethereal electronica and heartfelt soul.


VI. CLIMAX / DEATH

Almost every person I have talked to that has been to a Mueran Humanos show has told me of how an absolute must see it is, which is why I was surprised that Enrique Coyotzi was the only one of the Fonograma crew next to me when the show started. Although it’ll sound like a terrible cliché, the show the Argentine duo living in Berlin put on for us was the sort of climactic event the festival needed. And what will sound like an even more terrible cliché is how much words are lacking to describe the emotions elicited by their show. There’s a French idiom that refers to the orgasm as “la petite mort” (the little death), and listening Mueran Humanos play live with such a collision of energy, anger, pleasure, and sexuality, was conflicting on so many levels simply because of how their music so overwhelmingly depicts both pleasure and pain. I don’t really like singing along, but for some reason I found myself disturbingly shouting “Tu madre dice que eres basura” in front of Tomás Nochteff, and then immediately after that I was almost gushing because of how discordantly beautiful their music is.


VII. FAMILY

The most unanimously loved act around CF headquarters, María y José, saw the whole Fonograma male contingent at NRMAL reunited under the tent at Panamérica stage to see his performance. That being said, expectations were high as fuck. And Tony delivered. As he lit up a fire under that tent and induced his crowd into the biggest collective dance I experienced during the fest, we saw every facet of Tony’s artistic persona right in front of your eyes: the unknown kid from Tijuana singing over laptop beats, the internet-era enfant terrible as he dissed Ariel Pink, the eccentric self-worshiping artist, the refined music fan he became with his Tony Gallardo II persona, the elegant songwriter and crooner with his slower songs, and obviously the party starter that he’s always been. As I enjoyed seeing Tony unfolding every angle of his music that I love, and as I danced with the rest of the Fonograma crew and a few other friends, I could swear that, for a moment, Carlos Reyes was dancing with us too.


VIII. HELL

Out of mostly morbid curiosity Enrique, Adrian and I quite wrongfully left the Panamérika stage where Nguzunguzu were soothingly growing their set into a true muscle-challenging dance and decided to go across the border from Latino Hipster Land into the ghoulish darkness of Latino Metal Land over at Escenario Negro to catch Brujería. The huge blanket on top of the stage that read “TODOS SOMOS PRESOS” was probably a motto that a 16-year-old social reject that gets into metal for rebellious reasons might have found interesting, which quite curiously fits the profile of the people I would think are into a band like Brujería. I’ll go ahead and admit that I really don’t know shit about metal, to the point I just had to go into Wikipedia to figure out which subgenre Brujería fits into (Death metal?), so if I piss off any metal fans just know that my criteria here isn’t to be trusted any more than that of the kids who bought a ticket to the festival just to catch Sky Ferreira. That said, even accepting my own ignorance on the subject, it’s hard for me to really see the band as being musically or artistically interesting in any way. It seems to me Brujería isn’t much more than a politically thoughtless, culturally equivocated band that’s trying too hard to still be subversive some 15 years from when it actually stopped being, if it ever was.

IX. VINDICATION

Half an hour after Adrian politely declined our invitation to continue to see Brujería after he had heard about 30 seconds of it, Enrique and I proceeded to leave Escenario Negro as well. And as fatigue defeated our own thirst to hear more music, the fusing echo of Juan Brujo’s own riotous fantasy, Javier Estrada’s all-referencing global bass, and Daniel Maloso’s cold disco were the last sounds that I heard at Festival NRMAL. By then my own thirst to hear good music played live had probably been satiated for at least another year, and I could finally leave Monterrey having fulfilled my selfish need for cultural consumption.

Festival Nrmal 2012, Part Three

by Conejito Colvin

Technically, the party started on Friday at San Pedro Garza's characteristic Gomez Bar, long known as being the unofficial headquarters for the Nrmal crew, and the de facto spot for countless after parties. After creating a prequel of our own with D.D.A (that's ADD for all you English speaking folk) at the Novotel, the peeps and I followed the caravan to the pre(pre?)-party. Sometime after the second red light we lost sight of the van we were following. With limited credit in our pre-paid Mexican cellphones, we attempted to call a friend for directions. Forty-minutes and several flimsy indications later, we finally came upon the elusive house. The party was already bumping by the time we arrived, as Lao (of 401.mx fame) presided over the dance floor with a selection of the bassiest of the bass—reppin’ for Finesse records, no less. Supermad, the boy-girl ACIEEED FUNK duo, followed suit with a performance that defied all expectations and subsequent categorizations. Pictureplane busted out a retromanic fest of '90s rave hits, which brought back more than one awkward flashback of neon clothing and glow sticks. *shudders* Milkman followed up with a number of bewildering stage antics, but was swiftly ushered down to make way for the true star of the night, none other than Erick Rincón of do-I-even-need-to-remind-you fame. Three cocktails and one limbo pole later, and we were battered beyond repair.

But on to the actual festival...

We arrived somewhat late to the proceedings, sadly, missing out on performances by DDA and Araabmuzik. The latter’s unfortunate schedule must’ve been a blundering oversight, since I doubt anyone can stomach that kind of bass just after noon. Alas, we carried on to the Panamerika stage where the spaced-out garage noise of San Pedro El Cortez effectively gave way to the festival proper. Go Tijuana! But seriously, regional biases aside, San Pedro’s out-of-left-field stage antics shocked most of us at the tiny tent, whose audience included the likes of Davila 666 and the aforementioned DDA. It took a while before we found anything we liked on the program, so we made our way to the Novotel once again to seek out one Raka Rich (interview coming soon!). After a lengthy exchange, we made our way back to Diego Rivera park, where the distant chants of Prince Rama could be heard in the distance. Shortly thereafter, the motley throng of mipsters (yeah, I used that word again) gradually made its way to the main stage as an ostensibly awkward Canadian by the name of Grimes was setting up for her performance. She alerted us that due to half her equipment being lost at the airport, her set would be a—and I’m quoting here—“shitfest.” Damn those Mexican airlines! But yeah, we were warned, and the ensuing sounds were underwhelming, to say the least. The crowd cheered her on regardless.

We then made our way to the tiniest stage, yet again, where the schedule had been considerably set back. I guess 25-minute sets sound better on paper. After lurking around while waiting for Sonido San Francisco to emerge, our appetites got the better of us and we made our way back to the food courts. I suffered a minor stroke after ingesting some regio spicy wings (seriously, it was like being stabbed in the tounge!) and took a moment to recover. We rushed back to the Panamerika stage where Sonido had already concluded their set. Thank God for the audience’s insistence on an encore, which spurred the neo-cumbia outfit to finish off their performance with their floor-breaking number, “Sonidero Total!!!”

Photos by Luisa Luisa Martinez

So, the next lines will come as no surprise to any Club Fonograma reader. Alex Anwandter kicked the shit out of every other performance at the festival. (Well, okay, a certain TJ duo gave the Chilean a run for his money, but we’ll get to it soon enough). Where to begin? Was it the awe-inspiring fervor of Anwandter performing “Tatuaje” live? The uncanny storm that unfurled just moments after “Tormenta”? Perhaps it was the cadré of admirers that showered him with embraces as he descended upon the crowd? Or maybe the...okay, you get it. Too many moments. (I didn’t even mention his glimmering silver shirt.)

And, yeah, the mandatory mention of that other Chilean artist, whose name I dare not speak, especially after Andrew Casillas’ zealous rebuttal of Enrique Coyotzi’s lukewarm assessment. What can I say? It was just SOO big, so important. Almost in diametrical opposition to the immediacy of Anwandter’s performance—not to mention intimacy—Javiera Mena’s performance just felt too removed from the audience. And just what was that dude from She’s a Tease doing up there, exactly? (I didn’t manage to hear a peep coming out of him.)

After those moments, everything went by in a(n energy) flash. Ñaka Ñaka tripped us out, Maloso made us shout, and P18 Live Machine made our posterior muscles ache. Booty shaking aside, the crowd singing along to “Hijos de José” was among the highlights of the festival’s rave-ier moments. Meanwhile, in a moment of not-so-quiet introspection, Mock The Zuma and his newly found MC, Josué Josué, gave much to talk about, as the budding rapper floored us with his rendition of the new Mexican vernacular.


Now, on to the other highlight of the night. Tony Gallardo II can indisputably be called the best showman of the festival. In his typically charismatic fashion, he made the crowd laugh and dance, all the while opening up the stage to groupies and Chilean pop stars alike. Oh, and the dude from Sonido San Francisco was also there. With DJ Nombre Apellido (of Los Macuanos pseudo-fame) as his interim sidekick, Tony had the entire audience eating out of his swa(n)g-laden hand. Just as his set came to a draw, the audience clamored for more party, and he made sure not to disappoint his ardent cult following, by treating us to a hit from that other project of his. “Rey de Reyes,” though strictly “playback” as he called it, was but the cherry on top of an epochal performance.

Had the day's events not been replete with talent, I may have taken in much more. Alas, quantity and quality were not mutually exclusive at the festival. Such was the intensity, that I couldn’t even make my way to the after-party where I was set to perform. But be warned Monterrey, I will be back.

Festival Nrmal 2012, Part Two

by Enrique Coyotzi

When Alex Anwandter’s outstanding set was over, I was really looking forward to seeing Javiera Mena own Nrmal stage. I had seen her twice in the past and was already familiar with her commanding live shows. However, Mena’s performance at the festival was underwhelming. She never really clicked with the audience (many didn’t know who she was), and her presentation never seemed to take off to such great heights as what her fellow Chileans had done previously that evening. Despite playing Mena’s favorites such as “Hasta La Verdad” and “Luz de Piedra de Luna,” the songstress appearance at Nrmal left a bunch wondering, “Was that it?” And inviting She’s a Tease’s Pibe as guest vocalist during “Sufrir” didn’t help, like, at all. It turned out to be counterproductive and off-putting. By the time she played “Al SiguienteNivel,” one couldn’t help but think she missed a great chance at a memorable performance. While I did have a good time chanting and jumping to her songs, when she was over it left me a sort of “meh” feeling.

James Ferraro’s set started exactly after Mena’s and I honestly could not get into it, even less so when I had in mind how Dávila 666 would fucking kick ass at Nrmal stage and alter all my senses. I had the chance to talk to the band’s lead bassist, AJ, during Anwandter’s show and he was extremely cool, accessible, and was notably excited by their upcoming performance. And, no shit, this was probably the most energetic presentation out of the whole bunch I had seen. The Dávila 666 guys possess the punk spirit at heart and showcase it mind-blowingly on stage. “Esa Nena Nunca Regresó,” “Obsesionao,” and their Nerves cover, “Hanging on the Telephone,” were all of part of the Puerto Rican’s engrossingly killer show, which was both fun and modestly aggressive.

Photos by Erez Avissar

As the cold kept getting more intense, I moved to Panamérika stage to catch a bit of Daniel Maloso’s show before Girls, who I’d been waiting all evening, finally began. This was a perfect idea. The Cómeme pupil brought warmth with his super hot, banging set, which progressively kept getting better, never stopping, and projecting a noteworthy sense of build up and appreciation for prolonged climaxes. I would’ve loved to stick around for his whole presentation, but the time to see Girls had finally come. A divisive band within our circuit (I’m talking about you, Andrew), the San Francisco duo offered an emotive, top-notch performance. An absolute highlight in every sense and rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end, Girls brought tears to eyes, sent shivers down the spine, and had devoted fans singing their hearts out to Christopher Owen’s divinely painful lyrics.

I'm not really a fan of witch house, but it was intriguing to see White Ring’s spooky, coked-out show before getting ready to rock with El Columpio Asesino. Even as it got colder and I got more tired, I was thrilled to once again experience the Spanish ensemble. They didn’t fully convince me when I saw them last year at DF’s Corona Capital, when they played like at 3 p.m. or so, but this time around the weather and schedule was in their favor. Out of the whole performances I watched the whole day, El Columpio was the group that portrayed the most perfect synchronization and live qualities, functioning as a whole, as a marvelous rock band does, with each of its members in tune. Since they occupied Nrmal stage, El Columpio perplexed and grabbed audience attention without ever letting go. With a set that mostly consisted of their applauded fourth album, Diamantes, El Columpio Asesino reminded why their transcontinental success has been so huge.

The perfect closer of the night and the festival’s most enjoyable moment came when Tony Gallardo II and DJ Nombre Apellido (Los Macuanos’ Moih) occupied Panamérika stage. It was past midnight and, while most of the public was watching Los Rakas, us Gallardo hardcore fans were eagerly waiting for his smashing party to begin. One of the most notorious qualities Gallardo’s performances possess is that they’re pretty much unpredictable and extremely entertaining. This time around wasn’t the exception. Tony spotted Sonido San Francisco’s vocalist, Sebastián Cárdenas, the Adrianigual guys, and Alex Anwandter, and got them all on stage to dance as he kept doing his thing. Without a doubt, seeing all these artists reunited on one stage while visibly enjoying themselves was one of the festival’s most epic moments. With the assistance of DJ Nombre Apellido, interpreting his whole Líder Juvenil EP in its entirety, Gallardo gave the last essential performance of the festival and one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon by all of us who were there to presence it. When his set was over, after people asked for another tune, the youth leader told us he had one more song prepared, though he wouldn’t sing it, he’d dance to it with us. He pressed play and jumped with all of us to “Violentao" (Sheeqo Beat mix), delivering the ideal final touch to one of the year’s most epic journeys.

Festival Nrmal 2012, Part One

by Enrique Coyotzi

After drooling since the final lineup was announced and anxiously counting the hours, the day the third edition of Festival Nrmal would happen finally arrived. Under a cloudy sky, I made my way to Parque Diego Rivera just in time for Dani Shivers' presentation. Consisting of three stages (Nrmal, MtyMx, and Panamérika), this year’s edition held over 50 international bands, with the MtyMx stage curated by Todd P.

A few minutes after 1:00 p.m, dressed all in black, Tijuana’s favorite femme fatale, Dani Shivers, took the Nrmal stage and opened the festival. While her performance would’ve certainly worked better during the night and in a smaller setting, Shivers managed to deliver a memorable performance that had her few spectators absorbed by it. Just after Greatest Hits’ deliriously funky set, Los Mundos took the Nrmal stage and rocked the hell out of it. I had read about how kick-ass they were live, and, shit, they are. They are one of those rare cases when a band playing live sounds almost exactly like their studio recordings, and it’s pretty much amazing how they seem to effortlessly achieve it.

Afterwards came a holy-shit-fucking-mind-blowing set by AraabMuzik, who absolutely killed it and had the audience nodding heads and stoked by his fingers' dexterity, hammering his drum machine. Next was the turn of the first Chilean act, Adrianigual, whose radiant show began just when the sun started to shine. Lead singer, Diego Adrián, seemed fascinated to be at the festival. Enjoying every single second out of it, Adrianigual gave a splendidly uplifting presentation that, unfortunately, was cut before they properly said goodbye and played the last song they had programmed, “Sudamérica.” Now, I must explain. The Nrmal Stage and the MtyMx stage were right next to each other. Each performance on each stage lasted approximately 30 minutes and, so sound wouldn’t overlap, a presentation had to finish on one stage so the next one on the other could begin, and so on.

photos by Gabriel (Chacalall)

Right after getting something to eat, Juan Cirerol’s set began. Cirerol is one of those artists that make even more sense after seeing him live. The way he gesticulates, his guitar playing skillfullness, aguardientosa voice, instantaneous connectivity with the public, and overall stage presence are truly engaging and should convince those who think he’s only hype (fuck, no!); he’s a town poet. Widowspeak was a total snoozefest so no point getting into details. I missed Mentira Mentira’s performance cause Astro had to play before Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and I had never seen them before. One of the high points of the fest, Astro really know their shit and wonderfully work together as a live ensemble, exuding energy in each note played, and translating their repertoire in a pristine, celebrative manner.

Moving to the Panamérika stage, Andrea Balency demonstrated her gorgeous vocals and unique presence, delivering a hypnotizing performance which showcased her admirable solo abilities; strikingly mesmerizing and profoundly inspiring. Then back to the Nrmal stage for Grimes, where Claire Boucher announced that her gear was missing and that she would play her set with borrowed stuff. She was visibly frustrated but, despite not knowing how to use the equipment, Grimes gave her best to keep her audience entertained and totally nailed it, even though she was afraid it’d turn out to be, in her own words, “a total shit show.”

Just after Boucher’s performance, the finest moment of the festival finally took place at Panamérika stage. Although it was delayed for almost half an hour due to technical problems, Alex Anwandter’s presentation was, by far, the most exciting and beautiful one. Accompanied by Adrianigual’s Nacho Aedo on bass and Astro’s Lego Moustache on keyboards as his band, Anwandter immediately connected with the public. He warned us he had brought the solution for the cold weather, and that it would be dancing. “¿Cómo puedes vivir contigo mismo?” opened his set, which was followed by a favorite of his Odisea project, “Casa Latina.” And, as you might imagine, THOSE dance moves! Anwandter descended to into the the audience, breaking any kind of barrier and, therefore, striking up a direct kind of experience with his public. As the artist himself expressed, one of the highlights was when it began to rain exactly when he started to play “Tormenta”—an unforgettable precious moment that almost seemed prophetic.