1997.
Alfonso Schwarz leaves his band, Fuck My Dreams,
tired of the rigidity of standard rock bands and
starts a solo adventure. In March, he records a
4-track demo (soon followed by a second demo) on
which he indulges his passion for psychedelic and
expansive sounds . Both demos reach indie label
Greyhead, who offers to record an album. This is how
"THESE SONGS MEAN NOTHING" is born; a
collection of songs with spatial and oneiric flavour,
touched with a smooth melancholy which has ever since
become a home trademark. The album, recorded with the
help of a great number of guest musicians, gets
excellent reviews on underground press, and it's also
sold in France.
As the
recording of "THESE SONGS..:" comes to an
end, the original one-man-band project fades away and
SCHWARZ turns into a real band with the addition of
two ex-Fuck My Dreams members (Juanma Martínez
-bass- and Julio Velasco -drums-, who had already
participated in the recording of the album) and
keyboardist Mª Dolores González. The band's debut
is in April, supporting prestigious Spanish post-rock
band Manta Ray.
Early in
1999, Julio leaves the band and is replaced by J.A.
Ross, leader or ROSS. The rest of the year the band
takes part in small festivals all over Spain (Lemon
Pop, Felipop, Magic Festival...), which starts to
grant them an excellent reputation as a live band. At
the same time, they start preparing the songs for the
second album. However, when everything seems to be
ready for the recording, the band breaks up with
Greyhead due to artistic differences. Short after
this, Sandwich Records is born -label in which
A.Schwarz is personally involved. At the beginning of
2000 "HARD LISTENING" is recorded. This
album is even more expansive and emotional than the
first one. On it, there is languidness and noise,
exuberance and minimalism; an atmospheric album with
no trace of instrumental onanism or gratuitous
effects, which soon after being released receives the
unanimous support of both critic and fans of drug
music.
Immediately
after the recording is finished, and due to
compatibility problems with his major project, J.A.
Ross quits the band and is replaced by César Verdú.
With this new formation the band goes on a
presentation tour, consolidating the band's prestige
on stage even more.
SCHWARZ
are currently:
Alfonso
Schwarz: Guitar, theremin, keyboards, voice.
Juanma Martínez: Bass, keyboards.
César Verdú: Drums, percussion, rythm machine.
More info
about SCHWARZ on the band's official web-site:
http://perso.wanadoo.es/schwarz
DISCOGRAPHY
LP's
THESE
SONGS MEAN NOTHING (1998, Greyhead)
HARD LISTENING (2000, Sandwich Records)
HEPTÁGONO (2001, Astro Discos) Collaboration with
Manta Ray
SANDWICH
RECORDS
P.O. BOX 270
30100 - MURCIA
SPAIN
email: sandwich@wanadoo.es
