These Go to 11: Interviewing Las Ruinas

Who is our next interviewed in the These Go to 11 series? Well, truth be told, today we have a triple interview, as we are lucky to count with the answers of all members from Las Ruinas, one of the most fun, loose and exciting bands we have in Spain. Enjoy!

Las Ruinas

Las Ruinas, when heavy goes pop,
or is it when pop goes heavy? 

Edu Chirinos (vocals, guitar), Jaime Bertrán (bass, backing vocals) and Toni López (drums) are Las Ruinas, inventors of heavy pop. Formed in 2008 in Barcelona, after a demo, they self-released "Butano" in 2010, and "Disco de Autoayuda para Mutantes" in 2011. The underground buzz was so undeniable the bosses at El Genio Equivocado, with their ubiquitous wisdom, signed them, re-releasing both LPs on a double CD. Like Woody Allen with an absolute DIY ethic, they record albums every year: "Groarr!" came out in October 2012, and since December we can enjoy "Acidez House". Spanish costumbrismo, twisted humour & irresistible liveness encapsulated in instant punk-pop pills! Here we go!

Las Ruinas at the disco.

1. First record that you bought (be honest)
Edu: REM “Out of Time”
Jaime: Sentimiento Muerto “El amor no existe, hay que hacerlo” and Ilegales “Directo”.
Toni: Dolce Vita Mix cassette

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)  

Edu: Leuzemia (en Lima) / El Genio Equivocado label party (en Barcelona)
Jaime: Don´t remember, maybe Madonna blond ambition tour / El Genio Equivocado label party
Toni: Don´t remember, maybe "BZN" (Spanish Hip Hop band) / El Genio Equivocado label party

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
Edu: Abba
Jaime: I'm never ashamed of the music that I like
Toni: I’m not ashamed of what i hear

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
Edu: a vinyl of American Music Club signed by Mark Eitzel
Jaime: my guitars
Toni: some of my records

Mark Hollis, let's Talk Talk

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)

Edu: Ruben Blades “Plastico”
Jaime: Charly Garcia “Los dinosaurios”, Rubén Blades “De qué?”, Simón Díaz “Caballo viejo”, etc...
Toni: Triana “Todo es de color”, “Quiero contarte”

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Edu: Mark Hollis
Jaime: Eblis Álvarez
Toni: Kim Gordon

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Edu: Miles Davis “Bitches Brew”
Jaime: Beatles “White album”

Scott Pilgrim, comic-rock

Toni: Talking Heads “Speaking in tongues”

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both)
Edu: "Blade Runner"
Jaime: Comics and movies. "Scott Pilgrim vs the World".
Toni: Music

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of

Edu: “Secundarios del Mundo, Uníos”
Jaime: “El Navegante”, “Vivir y morir en BCN”, “OVNI”….
Toni: “Lucero Herido”

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Edu: limitation
Jaime: nothing
Toni: apache Indie, independent non-commercial music

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Edu: in a record store or in a library
Jaime: in Vietnam.
Toni: in Barcelona with children

Zillion thanks Las Ruinas!

Spanish Indie 11: suggesting the best national acts

Very happy to have "revamped" this section of the blog, many interesting bands coming!

Las Ruinas. Not the first time I wrote about this trio as I saw them live at Primavera Club 2011, but they deserved a proper mention. Born in 2008 in Barcelona, after a homemade demo and two self-released albums, "Butano", in 2010, and "Disco de Autoayuda para Mutantes", in 2011, gained the appreciation of local underground scene and national press. The wise people from El Genio Equivocado signed them that year, re-releasing both LPs on a double CD and, past October, their latest work, "Groarrr!". They define their music style as heavy-pop, but I propose you a simple but exciting equation: punk-pop + humour & surrealism + liveness + fun= Las Ruinas. Roar with them!

October People. Young quartet coming from Madrid, they started in 2010 and quickly established their sound as well as themselves as band, crystalising past October (of course) with their self-titled debut album. 8 songs that brings us back to the dark-pop of the 80s. October People play post-punk with punch, immediately recalling zillions of bands (from Joy Division to Interpol, from The Sound to Editors, from The Chameleons to Echo and the Bunnymen), but being able to sound as urgent as passionate, as bleak as danceable, and as credible as addictive.
The Trees. Discovered them last week, at the Minifestival de Música Independent. A very young  band from Barcelona, created last year and with just a first self-titled EP, recorded on April 2012, out now. Even despite their logically short repertoire, here's a group to follow closely. As they proved live, their songs, a delicate and highly emotional folk-pop that recalls bands like Great Like Swimmers, are evocative, intense and heartfelt. Here's a group that really puts everything they have, that immerse themselves in their songs. A group that deserve to be listened.