Le Mans
Spanish indie-popsters Le Mans (not to be confused with the American AOR band of the same name) were formed in San Sebastián, in the heart of Basque country; their original lineup featured vocalist Jone Gabarain, guitarist Ibon Errazkin, bassist Teresa Iturrioz, and stand-up drummer Peru Izeta. They began playing together in early 1986 under the name Aventuras de Kirlian, performing simple, melodic pop tunes that were influenced by British indie pop of the time, and rarely lasted longer than one minute (owing to the fact that the members were learning their instruments as they went). The San Sebastián indie pop scene started to attract some attention in Madrid, and the band was eventually signed to indie label DRO, for whom they released a mini-album in the fall of 1989. It went nowhere, though, and the band was dropped in summer 1990; they resurfaced soon afterwards with the same lineup, now playing under the name Le Mans. In 1991, Gorka Ochoa joined the band as drummer (playing a full trap set), and Izeta switched to guitar. Thus constituted, Le Mans began recording a new album on their own time, simultaneously searching for a label to release the project when it was completed. Both processes were slow going; the album, Le Mans, was finally finished in late summer 1993, and the Madrid label Elefant agreed to release it several months later. Somewhat dissatisfied with the results, Le Mans quickly recorded a follow-up, Entresemana, which was issued in 1994; in addition to featuring some striking string arrangements, it better reflected their new influences, which in addition to indie pop included funk, psychedelia, cabaret pop, and melancholy singer/songwriters like Nick Drake. The band was also becoming more interested in British electronica, and soon put out a remix album titled Zerbina, which drew chiefly from trip-hop but also incorporated bits of ambient techno and jungle. This signaled a change in the band's overall musical direction; their next proper album, Saudade, was a more atmospheric, somber, electronic-tinged affair, reminiscent of bands on the 4AD or Too Pure rosters. Around this time, the band also issued one of its finest 12" singles, "Jonathan Jeremiah," which bridged the gap between Saudade and the more celebratory dance music of Zerbina. The American indie label Grimsey soon released a two-fer of Le Mans' first two albums, followed by an American issue of the band's 1998 album Aquí Vivía Yo, which featured its lushest arrangements to date. Despite the beginnings of interest in the band in the U.S. and U.K. (where they were profiled in the NME), Le Mans disbanded shortly after the release of Aquí Vivía Yo. Grimsey continued with plans to reissue the rest of the band's output, and Ibon Errazkin began work on a solo project in 2000.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
-
Catástrofe Nº 17
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 23 Nov 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Le Mans
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 1 Jan 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Aquí Vivía Yo
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 16 Oct 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Saudade
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 29 Jan 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Entresemana
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 1 Jan 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
No Long Tale to Tell
Electronic - Released by Rogun on 1 Jan 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mi Novela Autobiográfica
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 24 Sep 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Bigger
Alternative & Indie - Released by Ultrachrome Records on 30 Apr 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Disco Related Injury
Punk / New Wave - Released by Rogun on 1 Jan 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Yin Yang
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 20 Apr 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Zerbina
Pop - Released by Stereophonic Elefant Dance Recordings on 13 Jul 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jonathan Jeremiah
Pop - Released by Stereophonic Elefant Dance Recordings on 25 Oct 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
After Werk (SloRider Mix)
Punk / New Wave - Released by Rogun on 4 Oct 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Things To Bend
Rock - Released by Ultrachrome Records on 26 May 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mi Novela Autobiográfica
Alternative & Indie - Released by Elefant Records on 29 Sep 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Coldlife in the Fastlane
Punk / New Wave - Released by Rogun on 1 Jan 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo