XYX Teatro Negro LP

XYX was a psychedelic music duo born in the heart of Monterrey, MX back in 2007 with visual artist/producer Mou Ortiz on drums and me on bass guitar and vocal manipulations.

Picture by Mexican photographer Dulce Jimenez

Close to the end of 2010, Teatro Negro was conceived in a pesticide warehouse where we had our home studio in MTY. Some of the songs were recorded more than once in different settings. Other songs were thought to be lost in the archives of an old hard drive in an outdated audio file type.

I am still beyond happy to know that someone is willing to edit this material and release it on vinyl, even after a year the project disbanded. We worked very hard to make this happen and I feel great about our music flooding people's living rooms in the near future. I knew I deserved to see this difficult project finally released, but I felt that it was unfair if everyone else had to be deprived of hearing it as well. 

Most of the songs included in the LP were known from performances, except for maybe a couple that were created during our last weeks together. I am also delighted to include my favorite XYX song ever: S.P.Y. I think S.P.Y. is my best song of all time and is a band anthem as well.

Monofonus Press suggested this record be accompanied by some artwork, so we all agreed on having a zine for it too. I posted about this previously; you can jump there by clicking here. 

In store at Sound on Sound, SXSW 2009

Please know that it doesn't sadden me that this band is no longer active. I look at my whole work in XYX as a finished piece of art - one that I am certainly proud of. I know when I am finished with something and we definitely made all we could make with two instruments, a delay pedal, tons of LSD, four arms, four feet, endless cups of coffee, and zero money for two years. This project helps to demonstrate how much you can do with so little. I didn’t know how to play bass, and Mou didn’t know how to drum. This project started from absolute dust, and I am comfortable with seeing it return to its original form. 

I am flattered by questions sent by fans of XYX about us being back together. Unfortunately, we don't live in the same city anymore and planets are aligning with other projects right now. I am satisfied with knowing that I was able to be as professional as I could and remain underground. Those are two important things to me since I have no faith in today's music industry, but I will not excuse myself with saying that I am DIYer to not be professional. 

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Lack of information about what happened to this band is the reason why I decided to write this post. Not that I don't enjoy being mysterious, but this is the perfect time to talk about it. This is also for all of you who never heard of our music, and have become interested in it. You fans melt my heart.

Buy a signed copy of this record here.