Music

THE REIGN OF SPAIN

Metro Zubdivision finds itself at home in Denver

Metro Zubdivision chose to come to Denver by the flip of a coin over a map of the United States. They avoided New York City--where the coin landed the first two times--in favor of a smaller city that none of them knew anything about, said frontman Bobby Peru. They've been here for four months, working on the follow-up to their debut album, Black (Go-Go Magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1).

Bold move for a band, which could have rested on its laurels in Spain and Venezuela. Metro Zubdivision's industrial-pop sound has won the band awards at respected international venues, such as Spain's Nueva Bandas Festival; Bogata, Columbia's 65,000-person Rock in the Park Festival; Spain's Urber Awards for best breakthrough band and a Venezuelan award for best new rock band. The members have done most of their own associated work along the way, founding Raccoon Records to manage their label and Killdom Imaging, a graphics group, to do their art. They've marked their next goal: success in the U.S.

The move to Denver comes at a sensitive point in Metro Zubdivision's life. On August 25, 1999, the band lost beloved drummer Shawn Micheals to a drug overdose in Germany. Though grieved, the band members continue making music-- "You can't stop because of things that happen," Peru said. "We didn't want to let the band die."

That kind of ambition informs all of Metro Zubdivision's work. They purposefully act as if the band was already a big hit, taking on the trappings of larger acts. Concert-goers who attend their show on February 14 at Herman's Highway or on March 22 at the 15th Street Tavern are likely to be greeted with the same kind of big stage show the group has always used: strong costumes, lights, film shows and special effects.

"I have a belief: success in music is half music, half image," Peru said. "A good show, a good face--it's important, the names, the packaging. If you want to be big, you have to think big."

The band members have wanted to be musicians since their childhood. Peru and Fred Madison, brothers, both studied gypsy, blues, and flamenco at Juan Jose Landaeta Music Conservatory in Madrid. Peru focused on classical guitar while Madison studied keyboards, eventually moving to the Cristobalrojas Conservatory in Barcelona--the entertainment capital of Spain.

Chris Rex, supporting vocalist/guitarist, plays with the band during concerts while pursuing a symphony degree. The new drummer, local Nick Joel, comes to Metro Zubdivision with ten years of experience in jazz.

Madison and Peru both loved what they described as "dance industrial" while they were still students in the mid-nineties, listening to Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, and a lot of Depeche Mode. Their other influences include Love and Rockets, Bauhaus, The Residents, and composer Angelo Badalamenti.

Metro Zubdivision evolved in 1997 out of another band, Acikamelia, which played experimental music in 1996, Peru said. The band's first single, "Fuck Me in the Ass," was recorded in a home studio, and the band started playing the bar scene. In Spain, the band noted, bars are a more central part of life, and a bigger venue for bands than in the states.

"We like little gigs. We love bar tours," Peru said. "We like the gigs to be really personal; people get to see you sweating."

The group traveled often to Venezuela, visiting family and playing gigs. It met up there with DJ Luar Alem, and recorded Black with him. Alem moved to Denver with the band, and plays raves locally while still acting as Metro Zubdivision's producer.

Venezuela became kind of a crucible for the band. In addition to recording Black there, the group took long excursions into the Amazon Basin and other wilderness areas, becoming interested in Brujehria, a magical South American religion similar to voodoo.

Time out of the studio was spent forging the bonds between the band members through partying and exploring the new culture. Peru explained, "We went to a mountain and spent three days in a witch-house, liberating the soul the Amazon was gorgeous. It was inspirational; it helped communication between the members of the band."

"The process of recording was really long. We wanted to reach a level of perfectionism," Peru said. Madison said, "I really value dedication." The band firmly holds that many hands are needed to help bring the sounds together, and occasionally brought in outside advisors.

After the album was recorded, Metro Zubdivision toured South America and Europe. The loss of Micheals, though, spurred them to make a big change.

"We're not big stars in Europe, but we always dreamed of making it in the States. We thought, let's go to another country, start making another CD, make our dreams come true," said Peru.

The second album might have a few surprises on it--much as Black, which has a hidden sci-fi concept, did. The group is pushing for more of a fusion between acoustic and techno sequences, with more real drums. With more than ten songs already recorded, the late-2001 release may end up as a double album.

--Kate Williamson

CD Reviews

There's only one man to call if you want to be educated in the art of funk: Maceo Parker. Parker's been at the forefront of funk music for years. In his latest album, Dial M-A-C-E-O, this legendary sax master showcases his unbelievable talent on the saxophone, flute and rarely heard vocals. Parker's been a solo act for ten years now, but is well known for his work with such notables as James Brown and George Clinton. On Dial M-A-C-E-O, Parker truly turns on his own high-voltage strobe and beams out rays of playful, groovy beats to anyone with ears.

This album is extremely playful, with just a touch of soul. Parker's talent shines without one ounce of pretentiousness. He's having a blast on a funk journey and inviting all to come along to have as much fun enjoying his music as he does. The music will expose your teeth in a wide grin. You can't help but shine your pearlies while listening to these toe-tapping deliciously rich melodies. Even a song about infidelity is turned into a happy-go-lucky groove frenzy. You just can't feel bad while listening to these zippy tunes.

There's a great amount of variety on this album as well, partly due to many featured musical guests. When you dial M-A-C-E-O, you don't just get Parker, you can also hear Ani Difranco, Prince and James Tayler. This medley of such varied talents really adds a spice to the album and gives everyone a reason to listen. Parker's ability to adapt to so many different styles speaks worlds about his skill and flexibility. Beside the guests, quirky little additions to songs really help distinguish the album from the average man's serving of jazz. Little chants like, "Rabbits in a pea patch, catch 'em, catch 'em," make the album fun and goofy while still retaining it's brilliant display of talent.

The songs on this album are all positive and fun, but still quite varied which gives the album a good flow. The music has a slowly simmering flavor that, when digested, sticks to your ribs and makes you feel satisfied and happy. Set some money aside for your phone bill because after you dial M-A-C-E-O once, you'll never want to stop. A

--Elizabeth Beeson

CD Reviews

Local band Breathing Eve has made its mark at such venues as Herman's Hideaway and 15th Street Tavern, but now it's gearing up to release its self-titled debut C.D. this Valentine's Day.

The band, made up of Amy Schwettmann on vocals and guitar, Jeremy Burbick on guitar and vocals, Chad Lindburg on guitar, Chris Callaway on bass and Katie Aikins on drums and vocals, has a sound reminiscent of the early '90s and bands like The Sundays and Bob Mould's Sugar. Their indie-alternative sound, however, is not as honed as those artists of the period.

I was greatly impressed with the guitar and drum work on this album. The first song, "Crash Orchid", leads in with a great little inventive guitar riff. Never overpowering, the guitar parts add more dimension to all of the songs. The guitarist is brave enough to try out some pretty experimental riffs, which really works in the bands favor. The drummer also does a fantastic job. Even on my less favorite songs on the album, I noticed I couldn't stop moving around to the beat. The beats are catchy and make you enjoy the music that much more.

Despite the great contributions from all members of the band, some of the finished product is still a bit juvenile and unpolished. I hear very good samples of the group's talent throughout the album, but instead of following through with some of the original and exciting material, they fall into the rut of blending into a genre. I would like to hear them go toward some experimental paths that they have already begun to explore.

Even so, there are some great little gems on this album. "Crash Orchid" really pulled me in and set the tone for the record. The band's interesting mix of melancholy and poppy shines through on this track. "Dream of Being With" also caught my ear. It had a nice guitar intro and there was a solid consistency throughout the song.

Breathing Eve puts out a good sample of material on this album. Though I hope that they develop their style even more, I really enjoyed the majority of what they served up on the record. B- --Elizabeth Beeson

BEAT DIET

Who in their right mind does not secretly wish to own a successful rave production company? Even though throwing parties can be one of the highest risk business ventures one can undertake, two or three phat parties and the scene is your oyster. Enter: Mad Productions.

What do you do when your father expresses interest in founding a new production company? Warm up the tables for Jon Bishop and Kimball Collins. Or at least that's what Mad resident Marci Starr did at the Ogden in December for Mad Productions' first event titled The Beginning: Volume One. Sugar Spectacular (event number two) on New Year's Eve featured headliners Muppetfucker (Horizon Happy Hardcore, Texas) and Etain (Star People Nu-nrg, South Africa) along with locals Ecco, Canon, A-tak with MC Curious, Jason Syn, Trajikk, Brandon Plank, Lolli-Pop, Hobbes, and Tharin Robert. Sweet.

Drum and bass royalty DB and Dara shredded the decks January 13 for Mad Productions' third installment titled Jungle Overload. Local vinyl veterans who overloaded the bill included Fury, Canon, Ecco, and A-tak, along with Mad resident first timer Jaci J. MCs Curious, Dino, and Casey presided over the festivities, which were attended not only by hundreds of jumping Colorado junglists, but also by legendary Japanese wildlife Godzilla and King Kong. Riding Godzilla bareback definitely made the highlight reel of my evening. Other highlight reel candidates include the Iris Kids, the wanted flyer pirate's hat, and my all-time favorite b-side breakdancing buddy Betsy. Long live Mad Productions!

--orange peel moses

For more information on Mad Productions, you can visit them in cyberspace at www.madprods.com