Lavabos Iturriaga
From Unearthing The Music
Lavabos Iturriaga were a Spanish synth pop band from Getxo, near Bilbao, active between 1981 and 1990.
Biography
Lavabos Iturriaga were founded by Óscar Amézaga (synthesizers), who was joined by Roge Blasco (synthesizers), Paco Marcilla (bass), Javier "Koketo" González (guitar, drum machine) and Ana Jiménez (vocals). Far from the sanitized techno pop of many bands of the time, the music of Lavabos Iturriaga is akin to a torrent of troubled and bubbling sounds mixing very diverse influences, from psychedelia to German electronic rock through esoteric exoticism, and a predilection for invented languages. Sometimes referred to as "tecno siniestro" ("sinister techno") or "necro pop", alongside groups like Los Iniciados or Funeraria Vergara, their music brought hypnotic loops, strident melodies, swipes of synthesizers and spirited tempos to the forefront, releasing a communicative energy.
Their debut recording, recorded at the Du Manoir Studio in Landes, France, was "China", a single featuring three songs which had some success in Spain (particularly in Basque radio stations) and even had a music video created by the nascent local television station. The single was released by Discos Suicidas (Suicide Records), a label created by the band for this purpose. The group would go on to record a new maxi single, "Instantánea / Imágenes del Ruido", in 1984 after the departure of singer Ana Jiménez, and an eponymous MiniLP with six tracks in 1989 which was warmly received by critics.
Although the group disbanded in 1990, Oskar Amézaga would continue to take care of Discos Suicidas, one of the country's main labels devoted to punk rock, active until the 2000s. In 1999 he formed a new band, Uralia. Roge Blasco, who had formed the Muskaria fanzine in 1980, devoted himself to journalism and has directed cultural programs for Basque television.
Discography
- China, Single, Discos Suicidas, 1982.
- Instantánea / Imágenes del Ruido, Maxi, Discos Suicidas, 1984.
- Lavabos Iturriaga, MiniLP, Discos Suicidas, 1989.
References
- http://lacontraola.com/lavabos-iturriaga/
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/931597-Lavabos-Iturriaga
- http://lafonoteca.net/grupos/lavabos-iturriaga/