Beef (13)

David Rodríguez, former member of [a2068984], later became the leader of BEEF a band which has been ages creating in silence the most innovative music in its country (Spain). The story of the band dates back to the late eighties, when talking about a Spanish independent scene was still almost sci-fi. There were no bands, almost no labels, and most media ignored the few interesting bands around. Prevailing mediocrity provoked a chain reaction which ended in the exuberant abundance of the beginning of the nineties. Among those who were ahead of their time were [a2068984], an almost mythical band formed back in 1988 in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, near Barcelona, who started the race with their celebrated LP “Sonotone”. In 1993, after [a2068984] split up, David, who shared a four track recorder with some friends gave Servando Carballar (from a Spanish indie label who wanted to sign BACH IS DEAD) a home-recorded demo tape under the name of BEEF . “Beef Songs” came out in 1994. The record passed unnoticed (partially because of the problems which would end up with the disappearance of the label), but it gives enough traces about the genius Elefant Records would meet later on. With the band free of any ties, Acuarela (then a sublabel of Elefant Records) decided to release a single with the “Beef Sings” session, recorded before than the LP. David began then to rehearse with his proper band: Juanjo (also in STEREORENT), Joanra (from LOVE OF LESBIAN) and Blas (also in PENURIA); and gave the first show with this line-up. Due to the contact of Acuarela with well-known producer Kramer, in which studio had already recorded SR. CHINARRO (and GALAXIE 500, and many others), BEEF moved to New York in March 1995, and with Kramer’s help they recorded their second CD, “Beef Tongues”. it was received to critical acclaim, and it got to the first places in all the year charts. This al bum would be reissued in Elefant in 1999, including the songs of “Beef Sings” as bonus tracks. The next step would be the recording, already under the Elefant fold, of “A.O.R. EP”(chosen again as the best EP in 1996 by many spanish mags), in which they make clear that avant-garde, risk and experimentation aren’t at odds with sense of humour. After their concert at the Benicàssim International Festival (where they played just before STEREOLAB), they starded composing their third LP, “Fi Qasr Sheikh Al-Dabant”, a new turn to their particular, ironic vision of rock: mutant dance tracks like “Martínez” or dandy instrumentals as “Belmondo” live together in harmony with shots of fleshy rock and other eccentricities. Its 1998 follow-up, “España a las ocho” (“Spain 8 AM”, the name of a very popular radio show) is their first one published both on vinyl and CD, and features a much better sound and some cameos by ex-MARS, ex-DON KING Mark Cunningham, alongside with that free mixture of guitars,samplers, humour and avant-garde extravaganza which has characterized the band from their beginning. BEEF release their fifth album in January 2000. ”Misery And Lies” features the production of Wharton Tiers, legendary producer of some of the best American noise acts of the last 20 years -SONIC YOUTH, PUSSY GALORE, DINOSAUR JR and many others. The result is BEEF’s most rocking album so far, leaving aside avant-garde and concentrating on guitars. 2002 On May 2002 a new album by BEEF appears, under the name of “La bohème”; recorded in Pere Serrano studios, produced by the band and mastered in NYC by Wharton Tiers. After this album, BEEF and Elefant Records follow different paths. The band releases in 2005 a new album, "Victoria Principal", sung in Spanish and released through El Ejército Rojo, the record label owned by LOS PLANETAS.