Hidrogenesse - "El artista"

Although united by the most elemental of cultural vehicles (language), transatlantic bridges between independent artists from Spain and Hispanic America have always been hard to find, yet seem to gradually flourish with the facilities of the digital world. The news of Barcelonian indie scene mavericks Hidrogenesse teaming up with Txema Novelo and Vale Vergas Discos for their latest video and upcoming single on the label’s always idiosyncratic body of work is certainly one to be causing a certain commotion among music fans of Old and New World alike. Matter of fact is, we didn’t really muster the courage to properly review Hidrogenesse’s 2012 techno pop, intellectually dense concept album, Un dígito binario dudoso: Recital para Alan Turing, despite continuous warnings from Spain’s most trusted tastemakers. “El artista,” though, sees the duo turning up their accessibility levels (without sacrificing their inherent quirkiness) in order to turn in a Glitter-influenced, hook-centric rendition of the independent artist's worst nightmare: fund seeking. Shot in Paris, Txema Novelo’s characteristically contemplative and vintage lens here delivers a rather shaky and claustrophobic rendition of the crowdfunding experience. As it later loses itself in opulent close-ups of various bills, it leaves you with the subtle conclusion that seeking funds is, in and of itself, an art.

Video: Mueran Humanos - "Culpable"

After dropping what was easily the darkest, goriest, and scariest of our favorite records last year (while also featuring the most commented on cover art since the creation of the blog), Argentine-via-Berlin husband-and-wife duo Mueran Humanos have recently dropped a video for their new track “Culpable” as part of the recent Culpable/Amuleto 7” released through mythical English label Southern Records. Shot in Berlin and directed by Txema Novelo, the young mexican director's latest production carries the same casually contemplative feel that has characterized his work: foregrounding band members in the thick of an unusually captivating setting. Where he had previously aestheticized folk-norteño as a romantic setting on the rooftops of Mexico City, punk as a cynical eye on cosplaying Comic-Con attendees, and post-punk as a purple-hued haunting woodland tableau, Mueran Humanos’ most charming song to date works as a sharply pleasant slice of throbbing electronic pop that’s carried onto the clear skies summer of Berlin’s Soviet War Memorial, a church tower, and Nico’s grave. Finding a groove that’s decidedly a lot more Chilean pop than German industrial, the Argentine duo are exploring some unexpected territories here. And, while the great Mueran Humanos LP occasionally showcased a remarkable knack for pop melody, “Culpable” is where they have finally removed their gorey motifs and utterly embraced their abilities at pure pop bliss. You can also check out the video for grinding B-side "Amuleto" here.

Video: Mujercitas Terror - "Actriz"

It wasn’t too long ago that we realized, after failing to properly get behind Mujercitas Terror's great 2011 sophomore release, Excavaciones, just how much this was a band somber-yet-savvy enough for a strong underground cult following, but that still had plenty of mystique to successfully cruise into pop audiences. Already over a decade old and coming off a successful Mexican tour, the porteño trio made use of it to release (via cutting edge label Vale Vergas Discos) a split 7” with gorey industrial virtuosos Mueran Humanos (whose female half actually used to play keyboards in Mujercitas Terror) and team up with video director Txema Novelo for a purple-hued take on their upbeat post-punk number “Actriz.” Evoking Novelo’s previous clips’ improvisational style and loose framing, the video has something of João Pedro Rodrigues’ To Die Like a Man’s red-filtered woodland tableau scene, but with its characters indistinguishably appearing as either unprotected drifters (“Ya nadie cuidará de mí, tampoco de ti”), or maybe just esoteric paganists (“No mires hacia abajo, ahí van delicados tus chicos lastimados").

Video: TV Vintage - "Hormiguitas"

Txema Novelo runs Vale Verga Discos (Mentira Mentira, Tron, Juan Cirerol), which we’re tented to call Mexico’s great new label. He is also, a visionary of all sorts and a craftsman of motion & motionless media. If you’re skeptical of our rave description, you can judge for yourself. This time around, he puts the most intricate images in the video “Hormiguitas” by up-and-coming Mexican rock duo TV Vintage. The label describes their sound as the authentic ‘garash mexa’ and claims “Iggy would be proud to see all his fury overlapped in the third world.” The song’s Circus-themed hooks are attractive, the high-low sequencing is threatening, and the melody is a crawler. Novelo makes great use of the screen; he is polygamous to the framing and great at juxtaposing & multiplying images in wonderful, unexpected ways.