NEW LP
Discos Enfermos
Edition of the unreleased LP by the band from Santurtzi (Euskal Herria) from 1985. Everything was ready. The big moment had arrived. The songs were selected, recorded, mixed, and everyone was happy with them. Iñaki Bilbao had directed the process at his PAM-POT studios, pioneers in 1980s Bilbao, where so much remained to be done. There was already a record label, the band had a stable lineup, and they sounded polished after working hard in numerous live performances. They had earned the favor of a considerable number of fans, the cover art was ready, nothing could go wrong. In reality, I never knew the specific reason why the album never saw the light of day, but the fact is that, from one day to the next, the expectations created went to hell, and Bahia de Kotxinos's brand-new debut album slept the sleep of the just for decades. The band became part of the long list of "cult" or "damned" groups, and their album remained a "demo" for centuries to come. Well, no. As I said at the beginning, it turns out you're holding it in your hands now. Ironically, I wish this were like that movie "Sugar Man," in which a supposedly failed singer triumphs with his album in remote lands without him even finding out until many years later. Imagine: it turns out that thirty-something years after its recording, the album by Bahia de Kotxinos is released and is so successful that the band has to return to the stage, triumphing wherever they go. Everyone discovers the lanky Alberto Yanes "Yanki" and his compulsive microphone shows. Local critics surrender to the pop-punk rhythms pounded out by Javi Losa on bass, Iñaki Garro on guitar, and—on this album—Ernesto Alava on drums. That fantastic film would also feature unforgettable scenes for me: those gigs in Barcelona and Granada, when we sneaked into the Alhambra at night and ended up having a lively cannabis chat with the security guard. Those sessions at Pako Eskorbuto's house would be recreated, where "Locura General" and "Voy a Volar el Tren de Santurce a Bilbao" were released, almost in one go, with Josu Expósito on guitar and Javi Losa on bass (along with Pako himself on drums). Unforgettable hits like "Tribus" and "Los Ciegos" would receive poetic justice. Also "Yo maté a Julio Iglesias" with lyrics by Gabriel Vecino, and "Radio Subnormal," which I wrote for their only cover of Rezillos' "Top of the Pops."
This massive return would do justice to a band that counted its gigs at parties, that dragged along a crazy troupe, and that knew like few others how to combine the "Party and Rebellion" that marked the 1980s in the Basque Country. Fairy tales are rare in the real world, but who could dream of this edition so long after the fact? Whatever it may be, this belated edition is welcome, a return ticket to a unique time when everything seemed possible. (Roberto Moso / Zarama)
Remastered in Mexico by Lenin Rojo and new artwork by Juan Venganza, includes 24p zine with band photos, flyers, lyrics and an interview of the band.