Manta Ray

Spanish indie rockers Manta Ray pursued a restlessly experimental approach for some of the career, getting started like a bluesy noise-rock band and drifting further and further into avant-garde territory. In the beginning made up of José Luis García (business lead vocals, electric guitar), Nacho Vegas (electric guitar), Nacho Alvarez (bass), and Isaías Sanz (drums), Manta Ray shaped in Gijón, Spain, and debuted in 1994 using the EP Escuezme!, released on Subterfuge Information. Their self-titled debut full-length found its way to past due 1995, with brand-new drummer Juan Luis Ablanedo up to speed, and gained them evaluations to bluesy, complicated alt-rockers like Arrive; it also produced them darlings from the Spanish indie picture. Their next work was 1997’s Diminuto Cielo, a cooperation with vocalist Javier Corcobado on Astro Discos; exactly the same season, they documented a divide EP with French art-punkers Diabologum known as La Ultima Historia de Seducción. The group’s following record alone was 1998’s Pequeñas Puertas Que Se Abren, Pequeñas Puertas Que Se Cierran, including brand-new drummer Xabel Vegas and keyboardist/percussionist/consumer electronics manipulator Frank Rudow. Come’s Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw both produced guest performances, and Manta Ray eventually embarked on the first worldwide tour as Come’s starting act. In addition they played several Western european festivals that season, including Benic? ssim, where they distributed a costs with Yo La Tengo, PJ Harvey, and Sonic Youngsters. The following season brought two one-off tasks: the remix record Manta Ray Vs. Cosmos as well as the live record Score, which discovered the band stretching out out on designs from film soundtracks honoring their hometown’s film celebration. Nacho Vegas still left the group afterward, reducing these to a quartet for 2000’s Esperanza, a far more electronic-flavored record than their prior work. Following a few aspect tasks and collaborations, Manta Ray came back in 2003 with the brand new recording Estratexa, now around the Acuarela label.