ROSS
is born from the tiredness of a musician waiting for
other musicians at rehearsals. Juan A. Fructuoso
decides to record a few songs on his own, doing the
production work and playing all the instruments.
That's how his first demo "ROSS FLOWERS"
(1993) comes out. A year later, one of his songs is
included in a compilation of Spanish label Munster,
and just after that he signs for them, releasing a
7" with four tracks called "SHE AND I"
(1995) -actually, it's a 4-track home demo-.
His first album, "SUGAR" (1996), produced
by Ken Stringfellow (ex-Posies), is a collection of
energetic and exquisite pop songs whose psychedelic
aroma gives way at times to the Fab Four of the
"Revolver" era.
His second LP, "SUPERSONIC SPACEWALK", is
published in March, 98 and it brings him the final
acknowledgement as a cult artist, not only in Spain
but also -and sometimes more importantly- in other
countries such as USA or Japan. With a more ambitious
project and this time producing the album himself,
ROSS offers a compact work whose connecting theme is
led by the lyrics, the production, the linking of
songs by the noises of daily life, and the sound
iconography of psychedelia at the service (always) of
pop. The following tour, with a stable band for the
first time, takes ROSS to the top festivals in Spain
(Festimad, FIB, BAM) and also on a mini-tour along
the West Coast in USA, playing at the International
Pop Overthrow in Los Angeles, CA. Besides, they
appear on Spanish public TV and share stage with
sacred cows of pop like The Posies or DM3. However,
when everything seems to go with a swing, the band
breaks up at the end of the year.
In 1999 Juan A. Ross plays drums in the other
Sandwich band, Schwarz, touring small festivals in
Spain and preparing the band's new album. At the end
of the year he leaves Munster and signs on for
Sandwich Records, makes up a new band (with some
former members) and comes back to the studio to
record a 5-song EP called "ONCE UPON A
TIME", published in April, 2000. "ONCE UPON
A TIME" is a further step in the evolution of
the band, full of electricity and knowledge, with a
solid production, rich arrangements and a perfectly
greased band.
A few months after the release of "ONCE UPON A
TIME"; Javier Wandosell has to quit the band for
personal reasons and is replaced by Javi Vox
(ex-"LA FÁBRICA DE LA LUZ"). And now a new
era starts for the band, with the release in April,
2001 of "ROSSLAND", a major landmark in the
band's career, opening to sounds which, though always
being in ROSSīs music, tend to expand into what
could be called POP IN CAPITAL LETTERS, without the
restrictions or limitations that the adjective
"power" has. "ROSSLAND" is pop
and music at its purest and freest essence.
ROSS are:
Joe
García: Bass
Javi Vox: Guitar
Fran Guirao: Drums
Juan Antonio Ross: Vocals, guitar.
DISCOGRAPHY
LP's
SUGAR
(1996, Munster Records)
SUPERSONIC SPACEWALK (1998, Munster Records)
ROSSLAND (2001, Sandwich Records)
SINGLES
and EP's
SHE AND I
(1995, Munster Records) EP
AND NOTHING IS TRUE (1996, Munster Records) EP
SUPERSONIC SPACEWALK / IN THE STREET (1998, Munster
Records) SG
ONCE UPON A TIME (2000, Sandwich Records) EP
COMPILATIONS
MUNSTER
DANCE HALL FAVORITES VOL. V (1992, Munster Records)
"AT HOME"
BAM-BALAM EXPLOSION VOL. 1 (Bam-Balam Records, 1996)
"RAINBOWS" 4 track demo
BEST OF MUNSTER DANCE HALL FAVORITES VOL. 1-5 (1996,
Munster Records) "AT HOME"
MUNSTER JUKE BOX SPECIAL (1997, Munster Records)
"RAINBOWS"
MUNSTER JUKE BOX HIT - FACTORY MAGAZINE Nš 16
(Munster Records, 1998) "NOT TO STAY"
MUNSTERAMA (1998, Munster Records) "LIKE A
PHOTOGRAPH" and "SON OF JOY"
FANZINE ZONA DE OBRAS Nš 3 (Munster Records)
"MAGIC" and "WHERE I REALLY AM"
both demo versions
SE ACABO LA TREGUA (1998, Munster Records)
"GLASS ONION WORLD"
WE WANT THE AIRWAVES VOL. 1 (1998, Munster Records)
"NEXT TIME ITīLL BE THE LAST"
BENICASSIM'98 - "SUPERSONIC SPACEWALK"
SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD (Lazy Cat Japan, 1998)
"MY SISTER"
YELLOW PILLZ Nš 5 (in process) -
"COSMOS BELL" Alternate version
SANDWICH
RECORDS
P.O. BOX 270
30100 - MURCIA
SPAIN
email: sandwich@wanadoo.es
