Gigur ~ Mexico

Fin del Tiempo (En Tus Manos) (2005)

I could have sworn I wrote about this album when I received the CD, as I was writing a lot of reviews in 2005 / early 06. I think it arrived just as I was burning out hard (I recall walking away from music entirely for a couple of months to regain my enthusiasm). Well no time like the present and here is my second listen, some 19 years later. 

The album starts off in a similar mode to Fripp & Eno, with atmospheric guitar and electronic music. It curiously moves to vocal rock for the title song, and then onto more space rock realms. I'm often reminded of Djam Karet, though there's more than a few references to fellow Mexican space rock travelers like Humus and Frolic Froth, especially in the heavy sections. Ivan Tamez is the primary force behind Gigur and his guitar dictates the direction of the music. He achieves a wonderful tone throughout. And does a very good job of adding melody to his solos.

Ownership: 2005 Conarte (CD). Oversized tri-fold digipak with a 19 page booklet pasted in. Very elaborate. Acquired in 2006.

4//06; 5/26/25 (review / new entry)

39.4 ~ Mexico

39.4 (1972)

I first came across the name 39.4 from a brass rock listing some years ago. I saw that it was on CD, but as is often the case, no copies were available. There are three distinct LP pressings, so I put all four on my want list. And years later, finally a reasonably priced CD shows up, and now it's here for a quality listen.

39.4 is very much patterned after the thinking man's UK horn rock school. Bands such as Brainchild, Heaven, Greatest Show on Earth, and Galliard are all in this conversation. The horn charts are tight, the guitar has the proper acid fuzztone, the vocals are rough n' ready, which is all then juxtaposed against the soft flute. The songwriting is top notch, with some memorable melodies. This is not a new formula, but a winning one. 1972 is a bit late in the game to debut with an album in this genre, but again we are talking Mexico, which really had no chance to be at the forefront of a musical movement such as this. The vocals are in English, and I'm not picking up much of an accent, which tells me the singer probably spent some time in the States. The track titles, confusingly, are in Spanish (with translations). As you probably know, I'm a big fan of the style, so this comes easily recommended from me. If just getting your feet wet, I'd recommend the bands listed above before deep diving here.

There are two bonus tracks on the CD, both from a 1975 single (on Magneto). It's not labeled. These are not brass rock tracks, and have more of an indigenous sound mixed with rock. They're both very good though.

Ownership: Okeh (CD). This is the cheapest packaging I've ever seen for a CD. It essentially looks like a simple booklet. And that's it. The CD is put inside of that. It's oversized, so it's not like the seller forgot to include the backplate or anything like that. That's its design.

Odd also that it was on the Okeh label. How many albums on Okeh are in your collection? I always associate the label with 78s, as they were one of the major early players, going back to 1918. But one of the 3 original pressings was on Okeh (all 3 have different covers as well, and this one is the Okeh release). That makes sense though, as the original was on CBS, who owns Okeh (now Sony). In reading the history of the label, they relaunched it many times over the years, and today they are still active. Also to mention, the non-documented bonus tracks are from a different label. I dunno about this reissue...

Yet another fun fact: My Great Grandfather released two 78's on Okeh. And one of them was the very first recording ever made in Dallas, Texas. Documented fact. No coincidence, then, that I became a music freak. Of course I have no talent (in much of anything as it turns out), so I had to settle for listening rather than making.

5/8/21 (acquired / review / new entry)

Nuevo Mexico - Hecho en Casa + Nuevo Mexico (Ceramica). 1975/1979 Mexico

When I think of progressive rock from Mexico, I immediately go to the 80s when bands such as Iconoclasta, Delirium, and Praxis first hit the scene. And certainly Mexico had a most exciting psychedelic period in the early 70s that included Dug Dugs, Toncho Pilatos, Antorcha, El Tarro De Mostaza, El Ritual, and a few others, most of them hiding on obscure 45s. But classic 70's styled Prog? Nope. Can't think of any.... except one. And here it is. Nuevo Mexico's Hecho en Casa. And it's not just merely good, but rather it's great! Mostly I'm reminded of the Italian scene, and specifically Osanna comes to mind. This is primarily due to the harder edged guitars, impassioned vocals, and the strong presence of flute. Just hearing this album tells us there's plenty more from the time and place. But was it recorded - that's the question isn't it?

As for the second album, I completely misunderstood it on original listen some 23 years ago. I had it in my head as some sort of Latin pop/boogie rock album. But that's not right. It's not really a prog album, nor is it hard rock, but it has elements of all the above. There's also a couple of instrumentals that recall prime era Santana. It definitely fits the term "eclectic". So while not every track is a winner, the majority are satisfying with a couple of skip-overs. Maybe not worth having on its own,  but certainly great to have as bonus tracks.

Ownership: CD: 1997 La Ciruela Electrica. Both of  Nuevo Mexico's albums are on this CD en todo. Not sure of the date of the CD, but since that's when I bought it, we'll be bold and call it! The CD has no info beyond track titles.

2/2/20 (new entry)

Cast ~ Mexico

Nimbus (2004)

Nimbus is the 12th studio album from Mexico's Cast. At their beginning, Cast were heavily influenced by the neo prog marquee names such as Marillion, IQ, and Pendragon. They released an enormous amount of material in a short period of time, all characterized by the familiar NWOBPR sound, while singing in English. By the time of Nimbus, the band have become more confident with other styles of progressive rock, and are now utilizing their native language primarily. In addition to that, Cast has brought in more instrumentation, which allows for more tonal color, which was missing from their earlier releases. So even though this is their 12th album in a ten year time frame, it's remarkably fresh and not stale at all. '911' recalls their earlier neo prog past, whereas 'Un Singlo de Invierno' dabbles in prog metal. But mostly this is classic European progressive rock, as might be found in Spain during the late 70s - a band like Crack for example. Make no mistake, Cast aren't retro in the slightest, and this is clearly a work of the 90s and 00's. As with most of the Cast albums I'm familiar with, the album is quite lengthy (the equivalent of two LPs), so it takes quite a bit of time to absorb all the material presented here. To be honest, I don't have much exposure to Cast past their Angels and Demons album, so I'm not sure where the band transformed their sound. 

Ownership: 2004 Musea (CD). Multi fold out lyrical booklet. Acquired in 2005.

3//05; 7/16/18 (review); 11/18/23

Other albums I own: Endless Signs; Al-Bandaluz

Albums once owned (and probably need to hear again): Landing in a Serious Mind; Sounds of Imagination; Third Call; Four Aces; Beyond Reality; Angels and Demons

Best I can tell, they have 21 total studio albums as I update this in 2026.

7/16/18 (new entry)

El Templo del Dinero ~ Mexico

El Templo del Dinero (1999)

As I've written about in the past, Smogless was a Mexican label in the late 90s something akin to the Kosmische Kouriers or Prescription Drug (UK), with a blend of bands celebrating the psychedelic underground. El Templo del Dinero was but one of these ensembles, likely collected for this recording rather than as a touring concern. The participants are an unusual lot for a recording such as this. Guitarist Victor Mendez had played in a couple of oddball bands from the early 90s - one was the unhinged Zeuhl group Vector Escoplo and the other was the arty Subsuelo. Neither very good to be honest. Drummer Victor Baldovinos comes from the decidedly symphonic group Iconoclasta. Newcomer bassist Alfredo Landa fills out the trio.

Based on this lineup, one wouldn't normally expect an homage to early Guru Guru and Sensations Fix, but more or less that's what we're dealing with here. Instrumental psychedelic space rock is the order of the day. The sound is raw and very much a product of the deep underground. El Templo del Dinero were hardly alone doing this kind of music in Mexico at this time, and one will hear similarities to Humus, Loch Ness, and Frolic Froth. The guitars are wonderfully compressed and super fuzzed out, and the rhythm section moves around constantly. Sometimes in sync, sometimes not - which is part of the allure. But it's definitely a competent work by experienced musicians. I've seen references to this being a jazz fusion type album, but I cannot hear it myself. No more than Guru Guru's UFO being considered such. Another reference would be the obscure Chicago based band Matter.

El Templo del Dinero is another one of those CDs I bought real time, enjoyed, and filed. Here we are 19 years later on a revisit, and I had very little music memory of it - only that it was in the Humus vein. I can understand this album being a bit too raw for some, but it's not in the wear-you-out genre like the Japanese groups such as Acid Mothers Temple can be. I enjoyed it myself, and hopefully will hear it again sooner than 19 years. Hopefully I can still hear at all by then.

Ownership: 1999 Smogless (CD). With art booklet. Acquired in 1999.

1999; 6/7/17; 3/23/18 (review / new entry); 1/30/24

Humus ~ Mexico

Whispering Galleries (1999)

One primary characteristic of Humus that I picked up is that each successive album was more sophisticated than the last. Given the album covers, it almost seemed the band was evolving in a Darwinian state. And the cover here is astounding. While I wouldn't necessarily say Whispering Galleries has taken this to a new level of complexity (not even sure how they would do that honestly), I would say this is a nice sideways move for the band. The guitar trio arrangements are still dizzying complex, and Humus continues to possess that unique primo-era Sensations' Fix space rock vibe. Amongst the more standard Humus fare, there is an atmospheric/experimental keyboard piece, a female vocals number with some splendid electric blues guitar soloing, a modern interpretation of what seems like a Group 1850 improvisation, and an all-in 22 minute space rock number. A can't miss item for space rock aficionados.

Ownership:1999 W-Dabliu (LP). Gatefold.

5/14/17 (review)

Malleus Crease (1996)

Here is my favorite Humus album. Malleus Crease is, IMHO, one of the best albums from the 1990s. This album is an amazing mixture of psychedelic space rock and Canterbury style melodies. Humus could almost be considered the second generation of prime Sensations' Fix.

Here's some old notes from the 90s: "Right off the bat let me tell ya - this is the most progressive album of the Loch Ness / Humus / Frolic Froth cadre. The fringe of their experimental underground Krautrock sound. There is a strong Canterbury current running through that separates this from the others - organ-flute - hell, even melodies. But, of course, that always FUZZED out guitar keeps this in the familiar barrio. I was floored." I still am.

Ownership: 1997 W-Dabliu (LP). Gatefold with three posters. And one bonus track.; 1996 Smogless (CD) .

8/29/97 (review); 2/3/10

4 Degrees (1997)

4 Degrees is the follow-up to Malleus Crease. Humus is one of those bands that I really like, but there doesn't seem to be much support elsewhere to corroborate my views. They started as a rather primitive space rock group, and evolved into something highly complex, while never losing their fierce psychedelic edge. In the end, they combine two of my favorite styles: Space rock and Canterbury fusion. Like a meeting between Sensations Fix and National Health. 

4 Degrees is Humus' 4th and last widely available album. The album covers seem to indicate this to be a multi-year project demonstrating an evolution. They've gone from primitive at the beginning to alien-like on 4 Degrees. Here, the album features only two tracks, though the first one is broken into 24 small segments and jumps all over the place with a madness and fury of ideas. The second composition is the complete opposite, and is a rather static meditational piece.  It should be noted that the opener is considerably longer, which works well for my personal tastes. A very fine album showing a continued progression for the band - though I still prefer Malleus Crease overall.

Ownership: 1997 Smogless (CD)

1/15/10 (review); 2/2/21

1/15/10 (new entry)

Smoking the Century Away ~ Mexico

Smoking the Century Away (1997)

There was a time in the late 1990s when the Smogless label was Mexico City's response to, and admiration of, the 70s Kosmische Kourier movement. Loch Ness, Humus, and Frolic Froth were the most known of these groups, but there were a few other random kollektivs, and one of those was Smoking the Century Away. This "brand name", as it were, was their outlet for more organic psychedelic music and wasn't as fuzz guitar focused as the three groups mentioned above. Sort of a drifting, primitive sound (especially the keyboards), as one might find on an Amon Duul II side long excursion. This album is made up of one track, broken up into 17 vignettes. Yet another late 90's band that is long forgotten today, and still awaits their true discovery.

Ownership: 1997 Smogless (CD). Booklet is a trifold. Acquired in 1998.

1998; 6/23/16 (review / new entry); 6/29/26

Praxis - La Eternidad de lo Efimero. 1987 Mexico

Praxis' sole work is a solid instrumental progressive rock album from Mexico. The primary composer, Ricardo Moreno, is the same keyboardist behind Iconoclasta and the music is remarkably similar - especially the Iconoclasta albums that came after Praxis. One reason for this is that Praxis' guitarist Hector Hernandez joined Iconoclasta not long after. The other is that Praxis had eschewed the local regional Latin American influences - as did Iconoclasta in their later years. The album's faults lie in the muddy Third World sounding 1980s production, and the lack of variety in tone - especially considering the rather cheap sounding synthesizers. But the charms outweigh the negatives here. A finely crafted album, that I'm sure today would sound fantastic, especially if afforded a room full of analog gear.

CD: 1994 Mellow (Italy). The CD is a straight reissue with good sound and nice historical liner notes. You really have to be a vinyl-only junkie to not want the CD for this title.

CD removed from collection (2022).

10/16/15 (new entry); 6/8/22

Arbatel ~ Mexico

Sumerios (2009)

Following the debut comes Sumerios, their unheralded follow-up. Released under the cover of darkness in Chile by the excellent Mylodon label, the album has thus far seemed to completely escape notice. And that’s a tragedy really. There’s even a bit of encouragement from no less a luminary than Gianni Leone (of Il Balletto di Bronzo fame) with his enthusiastic liner notes (translated to Spanish). Gone is the violin and in its place is the key addition of soprano female vocalist Rosario Maza Hernández, who adds a bit of exotic narration as well. The music is primarily keyboard based, and has now gone decidedly analog, with copious use of Hammond organ, Mini-Moog, and good old fashioned acoustic piano. Electric guitar, bass, and drums provide the usual backbone and the rhythm section reliably lays down odd time signatures to keep everyone guessing.

The album starts off with an Indian tribal / religious bit that unfortunately isn’t revisited. I suspect its purpose is to tie the theme to the ancient Sumerians, but I love the atmosphere it provides. Once the rock instrumentation kicks in, there is no doubt this is a 1970s influenced progressive rock album. Like Gamadion, the Italian progressive movement of the early 70s seems to be the main influence here (thus the Leone narrative I suspect). In the early to mid-1980s, Mexico possessed a burgeoning progressive rock scene with such stalwarts as Iconoclasta, Delirium, and Praxis all putting out very good albums. None seemed to cross the threshold to greatness. It seems to me that Arbatel has accomplished everything those bands had originally set out to do. And if you’re familiar with these acts, then the raw Mexican production qualities shouldn’t bother you on Sumerios. It adds to the charm. This is a deep, complex album that requires a few listens to penetrate. And it’s an album that needs more of an audience.

Ownership: 2009 Mylodon (CD). Booklet contains narrative in Spanish + music lineup. 

9/17/12 (review); 10/2/22

Gamadion (2004)

On Gamadion, Arbatel are an instrumental rock quartet with electric guitar and digital keyboards (including some cool pipe organ sounds) providing most of the input, with guests on vocals and violin rounding out the sound. Sure, it's not a crystal clear sound, and a muddied production (especially the drums) mars this slightly - though it's also part of the charm really. Apparently the band at one point covered a few classic Italian progressive rock songs by Le Orme and Il Balletto di Bronzo, so clearly their influences are a bit more interesting and researched than just the usual suspects from England. There's an excitement to listening to music such as this, as you're really not sure what's going to happen next, yet it's all within a comfortable progressive rock context.

Ownership: 2004 private (CD). Booklet has photos and recording details.

9/16/12 (review); 2/18/25

9/16/12 (new entry)

Iconoclasta - Suite Mexicana + Soliloquio. 1987 Mexico

Iconoclasta were probably Mexico's #1 progressive rock export in the 1980s and a big part of the style's revival in that country. The EP was released three months ahead of the LP proper, and features traditional instruments and melodies among the usual rock instrumentation. I would like to call out guitarist Ricardo Ortegon, who puts in an exceptional performance on both these albums. '7:19' adds flute with fine results. There's also the requisite "side long" track that allows the instrumentalists to shine with longer solo sections, including guest saxophone. Iconoclastic has a distinct 80s compressed sound, that is all their own.

Ownership: CD: 1991 Art Sublime. The label was a pioneer of the LP-jacket-CD release. This is a concept that never caught on, and that's a pity. While I love the Japanese mini-LP, which is a perfect miniature of the original LP - these LP jacket reissues were the real thing, but with a specially made insert that cradled the CD. Sort of the difference between O Gauge and HO I guess. If you wanted the CD for car/portable use, you could always stick it in a slim case, or any generic sleeve. Other than close partner Syn-Phonic, no one else gave the format much notice, and the concept seems to have gone extinct. The Art Sublime CD also comes with a nice full sized 2 page (front and back) foldout insert, with a lengthy discussion around the LP sized jacket (in English and Spanish). Also features a beautiful black and white surreal sketching. The gatefold inner features the original cover art for Suite Mexicana as well as a brief history of the band (also in English and Spanish). My first exposure to the album came from the LP purchased near the time of release (1988). The CD is the clear winner in this case.

1988; 6/21/10 (new entry); 10/14/23