Encontraron Su Cabeza – Self-Titled

Two men from Santiago, Chile, who previously joined forces in acts such as Niño Bien and Ya Se Fueron, reunite to record the new sounds of an old future.

The sound of a man mixed with a machine, with a pumping heart full of blood, but with an inhuman coldness in their skin. Shiny but rusty. Wild but calm. Animal and robot at the same time. A machine full of contradictions that spills out all of its inner guts in the form of songs, melodies and vibrating post-punk sounds. Let’s hear more about it on their debut LP.

Straightforward simplicity, constant progression and minimalism are the keys to understanding this LP. It shows layers of synthpunk sounds that keep appearing, gradually revealing a new phase of songs based on repetition, delay and a generally slow pace, all accompanied by haunting voices.

Casio keyboards, rhythm machines with a distinct sound and eerie and dark guitars complete this mixture of elements that give life and power to the band and the nine songs found on this release. Their influences range from the punk and gothic side, with artists like Fad Gadget and Suicide, to pure and raw electronic music.

The songs sometimes seem a bit aimless, but the overall feeling is that the duo knows exactly how they want to sound and where they want the music to take them. The lo-fi production, I think, contributes positively to the LP. But on some tracks, like “Bestia”, the beats and the voice seem to inhabit different vibes and spaces. This album definitely needs a little more time to fully grasp some of the textures and concepts.

Hopefully Encontraron Su Cabeza will continue to work together to polish and perfect their sound, because the direction they are going is really interesting and refreshing. I’m really looking forward to hearing what they have to offer in the future.