LA IRA DE DIOS "Just for the record, cuz there are some people out there that don't believe that we recorded our first album for 150 bucks total -well on this one we spent some more money. The studio sessions and the mixing of Archaeopterix cost us 500 bucks!" Following their acclaimed debut album, "Hacia El Sol Rojo", Peru's La Ira De Dios blast off even further into the earth's stratosphere with a mind blowing set of hard driving, deep space rock. Think of the most heavy rocking and spaciest, most freaked out Hawkwind minus the electronics and you are some way to imagining the gargantuan riff nebulae pulsing at the heart of "Archaeopterix", the band's latest album, released on Germany's very own Nasoni Records. Words | Chno We got into the studio in mid april, 2006. It took two days to record the music and an extra day for vocals [well, an afternoon]. We recorded in IEMPSA studios, a very old studio in Lima [built in the '50s] and one of the few left with analog equipment. I mention it because, here in Lima, it's hard to find a studio like this. In fact, I think it's the only studio with such characteristics. The size is about 20x30 meters and 3 floors high. Most of the studios here are more like a room of 8x8m and they record you on a pc. Unbelievably, they are more expensive than the IEMPSA studio! And just for the record, cuz there are some people out there that don't believe that we recorded our first album for 150 bucks total -well on this one we spent some more money. The studio sessions and the mixing cost us 500 bucks! So we took a lot of food, water and weed into the studio, which is in the industrial part of Lima. The first day we recorded 3 songs that are not in the album [but you're gonna hear them soon] and then began with the Archaeopterix songs. The second day was full of Archaeopterix. We left Cordillera to the end cuz it was the only song that we didn't record live. All the other songs are totally live... what you hear on the record is what we play in our shows. No overdubs! After we finished, we celebrated by drinking some beers... alright, a lot of beers, and then we realised that the length of the record was not quite right for the vinyl. We decided to record a jam session. So half drunk and totally stoned we got into the studio again and recorded the first and only take of Qanavillonqui [the 25 min bonus track for the vinyl version]. And that's it, we were finished. Then, as I mentioned, we went another day for vocals and then we took everything to our engineer's house and started mixing. This took us like a month of full time work -work that I, in particular, really love. At the same time Carlos, Xtian and me were working on the artwork for the album. Also something that we like to do cuz we think that it's better when you have unity for the concept of the album. Xtian went for a trip to the higher grounds of Peru, to a stone wood, around 4000m above sea level, and took some pictures, so what you see on the cover of the album is a real photograph. The name of the place is Huallay, and is near Cerro de Pasco, if someone is interested in travel to Peru. A really beautiful place... and sacred. Archaeopterix > On to the concept... Archaeopterix This is the introduction of the main character. A being that is flying high and each time he wants to get even higher. I wrote this song in the 'Hacia el Sol Rojo' period, but we made some changes of course. This song is me trying to do some doom stuff. I failed, but ended as a cool Black Sabbath tribute. El Llamado Our friend fell into the deepest abyss. Started totally as a jam, then Carlos and me worked on it 'til we got what you hear now. One of my favorite songs from La Ira. Al Viento The being woke up from the fall and realised his condition [very hurt... even dead] and in the bottom of the pit he started to think about why and how he fell, and starts the healing process [rebirth]. One day that our former drummer didn't show up to rehearsal, Carlos and me started to jam a blues... somehow it ended as a 15 minute tribal space blues song... very influenced by Ash Ra Tempel as you can hear. Nave Fenix Now the character is totally recovered. What started as a flesh and bone bird, is now a cyborg spaceship. The first song [ok... it was a jam too] that Carlos and me wrote. It's supposed to be an instrumental -I didn't really want to sing on it -that's why the lyrics are very short. Cordillera The cyborg / phoenix starts on its way home, to the mountain range. And here, it can get higher and higher, closer to father Sun. This is a very old song... in fact I wrote this song even before La Ira began. This song is from aprox '99, and it was really exciting to hear it finally recorded. The bonus track is just that... not a part of the story...sorry dudes...and that’s it. Right now we have just came back from our first European tour [by the way, thanks to everyone that help us to make it possible -Trip in Time, Mentes de Acido, Muhle and Surcadiscos, and to all the bands we shared stage with]. We've already started the rehearsels for the next album... yes, a new one... We don't want to rest, we'll do that when we rest in peace. See ya next year on the road with: MAXIMOVOLUMENROCKNROLL.