Catupecu Machu

Catupecu Machu is an Argentine alternative rock musical group, formed in 1994 in Villa Luro, City of Buenos Aires. The band was founded by brothers Fernando Ruiz Díaz and Gabriel Ruiz Díaz and had different formations throughout its career, with the former being the group's main singer and composer, its only permanent member. Currently the group is made up of Fernando, Carlos "Charles" Noguera, Julián Gondels and Abril Sosa.

Their music is framed within rock, pop and sound innovation, within a song format.

Catupecu Machu has been awarded as one of the most outstanding rock musical groups in Argentina and Latin American rock of the 21st century.

In 2015, Catupecu Machu received the Diploma of Merit at the Konex Awards, in recognition of his career in Argentine music during the decade.

In 2006 the American magazine Al Borde published a list with the 500 best songs of Ibero-American rock, awarding their songs "Magia poison" (No. 340) and "And what I want is that you step without the ground» (N°184).

In 2002 the magazine Rolling Stone Argentina and the television channel MTV launched a list of the best 100 Argentine rock songs in history, rewarding his song «And what I want is that you step without the ground" (N°37). In 2007 the Argentine rock website Rock.com.ar published a similar list, awarding his well-known song "Magia Veneno" (N°28).

In 2011 the newspaper La Nación published a list with the best 10 rock music videos in Argentina, rewarding his music video for the song "And what I want is that you step without the ground" (No. 8).

In 2006, the magazine Al Borde also published a list of the 250 best Ibero-American rock albums, awarding his album Cuentos decapitados (N°120).

In 2007 the magazine Rolling Stone Argentina published a list with the 100 best Argentine rock albums in history, rewarding his studio album El numero imperfecto (No. 47).

In 2017 Catupecu temporarily left the stage until his return in 2022.

History

Beginnings

The band was formed in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Villa Luro in April 1994. Regarding the meaning of the group's name, Fernando Ruiz Díaz invented it many years before the band existed, referring to an imaginary animal and he was the one who improvised at the time of naming the group in their first performance thinking that it was going to be momentary, but in the end, it was permanent.

The first drummer was Javier Herrlein and he accompanied the Ruiz Díaz brothers since the band had no name. sister, Mariana Baraj. In this way, the band was made up of the Ruiz Díaz brothers and the Baraj brothers. Herrlein, however, would continue to occasionally participate in some rehearsals and performances, playing the accordion.

Abril Sosa, at only 14 years old, would replace Marcelo Baraj in December 1995. The Ruiz Díaz brothers had known him since he was 12 because he rented their rehearsal room to play with his own group, and because he followed them at their recitals. Due to his young age, they had to convince his mother to allow him to go on a summer tour of the Atlantic coast.

They released another demo, already with Abril Sosa, which was probably the one used to sell before releasing Dale!. At the end of 1996 they participated in a compilation made by Revólver magazine, called "Hard Rock Casé", where they performed "Dale!" and "Elevator". In reality, the album Dale! would contain most of the songs recorded on this demo and the previous ones.

Go ahead! (1997)

Formed as a trio, the group was made up of Gabriel Ruiz Díaz on bass, Fernando Ruiz Díaz on guitar and vocals, and Abril Sosa on drums. After going through the under of Buenos Aires, in 1997 they released Dale! independently, drawing the attention of the Argentine music scene for its innovative proposal and its visceral live shows. It was produced, recorded and mixed by Gabriel Ruiz Díaz in the group's own studio “La Sala” between May and August 1997.

The press and the band agreed when they noted that Catupecu's audience, unlike the vast majority of bands of the time, was heterogeneous, that is, people from all urban tribes came to see their shows. The Argentine national rock magazine El acople, which maintains an old friendly relationship with the band (they grew up at the same time) said in one of its editions that Catupecu "is the only band respected by all urban tribes", adding later that "it is reflected in the diversity of people there of any background or age." Madhouse Magazine asked Fernando Ruiz Díaz on one occasion if he did not consider "a danger" that this type of public would stick to him (since fanaticism for music was at that time in Argentina something extreme and unconscious, similar to that of football or politics), to which Fernando replied that they always wore a " 'Catupecu public', and that meant that it does not matter where the people came from because the 'Catupecu tribe' does not exist, because according to him, Catupecu is for everyone, for anyone, and that the responsibility of a musician was to make sure that a show didn't get "out of hand."

On another occasion, where in the early morning of 1997 they gave a recital on the Rock&Pop radio, they said that not only did they not dislike it but that they sought to promote that idea for their band, since according to them, " They could go chabones with the aesthetic of the t-shirt with the swastika stone printed on it, others with their hair standing up and dirty clothes, and others with studs and a leather jacket, but it didn't matter where they came from to go see their shows, skull doesn't scream" (referring to the lyrics of his song "Deformed Skull").

In the second half of that year, a Rock&Pop radio program helped publicize the band by including the song "Elevador" like its opening song. Thus, he turned the song into Catupecu's first radio hit.

To die!!! (1998)

When they were heading to the DBN distributor, it occurred to them to release a second album done entirely live, something out of the ordinary in the Argentine music industry. It was a decision considered innovative and risky at the same time.

The reasons were several: firstly, the band explained that there were stages of a band that were forgotten, referring to the first years and secondly, they confessed their desire to release a live album after each studio album. Thirdly, they argued that since their shows, like those of the other bands on the underground circuit, were recorded by the public themselves on cassettes, they saw no reason not to do it themselves with better sound and production.

So it was that on October 10 they recorded A muerte!!!, a live album made at Cemento, the legendary rock club in Capital Federal, which included five new songs: "Nocoso", "Anonymous Heroes" (original from Metrópoli, an Argentine pop band from the '80s), "Criminal witness", "How many are" and "The face (my mirror)".

Since To die!!! was the phrase that acted as a signature in each of the band's graffiti, they chose that name for the album. Reinforcing that idea, the cover art included one of those graffiti pieces being drawn at full speed by a boy. Additionally, in that same show they recorded the video clip for the song "Calavera deforme", directed once again by Juan Baldana and Leo Aramburu.

The song 'Héroes Anonymos', a version by the band Metrópoli from the '80s, had its corresponding video clip whose audio corresponds to Let's die!!!. This video clip was once again directed by Juan Baldana and Leo Aramburu, and was filmed in the Villa Luro neighborhood.

Dale! and A muerte!!! would be re-released by the Pop Art Discos label in April 2008.

Beheaded Tales (2000)

Since 1997 they had received several offers from record companies, but they had all been rejected by Gabriel's decision. They signed a contract with the EMI-Odeón record company in early 2000, which stated that they had to record 4 albums with that label. Once this contract was signed, the band remained in La Sala to create their third album (which was, at the same time, their second in the studio), although they also recorded several songs in other studios. The lyrics and music of the songs "I hope so" and "That lives" underwent certain modifications, comparing them with those presented in their premieres the previous year, and the songs "You are not alone" and "How many are there" were not included on the CD. Notable musical changes by the band appear on this album. A greater elaboration is noted in the lyrics, evolving from the simple ones (onomatopoeic and/or repetitive in some cases) and emphatic in the chorus of the two previous albums, to others where, although the choruses are easily assimilated, the lyrics are metaphorically described. tastes, lifestyle and emotions.

As mentioned, the musical change was also another additive, and among the most important novelties is the beginning of what would from now on be a custom of the band in terms of composition of the music of the songs: the use of samplers and sequencers. These would give a different and very characteristic sound to the band (and would be the musical axis of Pictures within Pictures later). The changes would not end there, as the months went by they would delve deeper into electronic music. Fernando Ruiz Díaz once mentioned his taste for electronic music and in particular for the band Depeche Mode, influences that would be reflected in this album and in the following ones. If in the previous productions the hardcore punk genre and the metal subgenres predominated, in this production the themes of the pop rock genre predominate, ranging from energetic themes to more melodic ones. There are exceptions, like "Mamá told me not to come...", which vindicates Catupecu's past with a hardcore punk style, and "Viñas del amor", which with a base and certain electronic music phrases (especially the ending) would serve as a foreshadowing of the next steps the band would take. At the end of the song "Cuentos decapitados" there are 21 tracks without sound that last between 4 and 5 seconds, which when finished give rise to a hidden track on track 33, "I Feel You", version of the aforementioned Depeche Mode.

The album was released on August 16, 2000 with the name Cuentos decapitados, and after a year it sold 25,000 copies, receiving financial support from the label and advertising from the media. At the time of release, Miguel Sosa, the drummer, began to use the pseudonym "Abril", or also called "Aprile" by the Ruiz Díaz brothers. The album became a success thanks, for example, to songs like "And what I want is that you step without the floor" (which would win several awards in different categories), the emotionality of "Perfectos Chromosomas", and the reversals of the cheerful "I hope so" and the discotheque "That lives". Other songs that also represented the album were "Entero o a pieces" and "Cuentos decapitados", which would be taken to the video clip.

In terms of the number of awards and distinctions, the one that would win the most would be the song "And what I want is that you step without the floor", which would become a classic of the band and one of its most representative themes; receiving the award "Best video of the year 2000" in a survey of the supplement "Si!" from the Clarín newspaper (where he would also be on the podium repeatedly); "Best video voted by Critics and Readers" from Rolling Stone magazine "Music Awards" February 2001, and the “MTV Award" for "best Latin video 2001" voted by the people; in addition to having remained for months in the No. 1 position in the Puerto Rican rankings due to the introduction of the song by a DJ (a fact that forced the album to be released in that country). Despite having been voted as "revelation band" Previously, Catupecu would continue to be voted in this way in the different media until early 2002.

That Lives DVD (2002)

On Saturday, December 15, Catupecu Machu played for the first time at the Obras Sanitarias Stadium, considered a "temple" of Argentine rock^{[by who?]} and a stage that marks the arrival of the bands to massive success. It was an energetic, original and epic show, which historically marked a before and after in the development of the band. The staging included two stages, one main raised and another in the stalls; with three walkways that were lost in the public and communicated with each other; four set changes; two laser harps (a musical instrument invented by Gabriel that consists of a harp connected by sensors to a sampler, triggering electronic sounds); the keyboard by Gustavo Bilbao (music teacher of the Ruiz Díaz brothers); a string orchestra (Gabriel had written some scores for the songs they were to perform) composed of 4 first violins, 3 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 2 double basses; Fireworks; and some confetti rain machines.

In this show, unpublished and existing songs were presented with the participation of the orchestra, keyboards or laser harp; like the instrumental "Épico" and a song sung by Gabriel Ruiz Díaz while playing the laser harp, an instrumental composed of a drum solo by Abril; and the versions of "Viñas del amor", "How many are" and "Deformed Skull". However, as had happened several times before in the band's recitals, there were unforeseen events: several of the accessories that had been planned to be used in the show did not work at first and the musicians had to appeal to their charisma and energy. on stage to improvise on the fly while the defects were fixed. Only after a few moments could the aforementioned accessories be appreciated. This same concert was recorded and broadcast on several occasions on the MTV channel, as well as on Rock & Pop on a live stream.

On May 8, 2002, the Obras recital was officially edited and released on DVD under the name Eso Vive. It was edited in 5.1 surround sound format, and filmed with fourteen live cameras in Obras, this being the first production of its kind made by MTV in Argentina. This also contained extra material, such as intimate details of the group (an interview and the one before the show), unreleased songs ("Viaje de Luz" with video included and a remix of the hit "Eso Vive" 34; which would be another preview of the music of Catupecu's next work) and the multi-award-winning video for the hit 'Y lo que Quiero es que pises sin el tierra'. At the same time, MTV released the videos for "Perfectos chromosomes"' and "I hope so", recorded at that recital.

Pictures within pictures (2002)

In 2002, and after 2 years, they released their next studio album, Pictures within pictures, a more experimental work, with a different sound, and in which they move away from the format traditional rock band.

In this album the concept of “Club Audio” conceived by Gabriel Ruiz Díaz and Martín González is developed, where the predominant thing is not the physical place of the studio, but the conceptual and human level that serves for the development of an audio project. recording. Such are the places where Club Audio moved in this work, such as in “El Remanso”, "Union Square, New York", "Manhattan, New York" and "89 street, New York".

It was mastered at Masterdisk Corporation studios in New York, by Howie Weinberg. At that time Abril Sosa decided to leave the band. The drummer was replaced by Javier Herrlein, a former collaborator of the Ruiz Díaz brothers before the band had a name, and it is also the first studio album in which Macabre participates.

Finally the album was presented at Obras Sanitarias on November 23, 2002. In November 2003 they made an extensive tour of Latin America, highlighting the presentation before more than 60,000 people at the Rock al Parque festival in Bogotá (Colombia). The tour also included the cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Puebla in Mexico, San Juan in Puerto Rico; and in Miami, United States.

The album made the list of the 20 best albums in the history of Argentine rock, in the special edition for the 20th anniversary of the Si supplement, of the Clarín newspaper. It was also chosen as "Best album of the year by critics", in Rolling Stone magazine.

The Imperfect Number (2004)

Published in 2004, El numero imperfecto offers the entire sound palette of his previous works. Keyboardist Martín González, who had been working with the group since the DVD Eso Vive, joins the group permanently and permanently. It features the participation as guest musicians of Leonardo de Cecco, drummer of Attaque 77; Fabián Von Quintiero on bass, musician with a long career in Argentine rock; and Zeta Bosio, bassist of Soda Stereo. It is the album with the most live performances in Argentina, Latin America and the United States.^{[citation required]}

In 2006, Gabriel Ruiz Díaz, along with César Andino (singer of Cabezones), suffered a car accident in which he lost the mobility of his body. After the accident, Catupecu Machu received the support of Zeta Bosio from Soda Stereo on bass and Esteban Serniotti from Cabezones on guitars in their live performances, as guest musicians, and they toured the country again, culminating the tour at the Quilmes festival. Rock, at the River Plate stadium in Buenos Aires, in April 2008.

Labyrinths between edges and dialects (2007)

Fernando Ruiz Díaz, Macabre and Javier Herrlein released in 2007 Laberintos entre aristas y dialectos, a double CD presented in 2 chapters. It went on sale on October 25, 2007 in Argentina, simultaneously with other Latin American countries. Chapter 1 or CD 1 is "Record of the matter in concert", which includes Gabriel Ruiz Díaz on bass with audios of an exclusive live performance for a radio station in Buenos Aires, and also a string section made up of violin, viola and cello, with arrangements written by Gabriel Ruiz Díaz.

The 2nd chapter or CD 2 is "Treatise of the subject under study" and was recorded in the studio with new songs and new versions of the group's old compositions. Esteban Pichu Serniotti on guitars, Zeta Bosio on bass, Javier Weintraub on violin, Alejandro Terán on viola and Julián Gándara on cello participate as guest musicians.

Sebastián Cáceres, former instrument technician of the group, occupies the role of bassist and guitarist for live performances in this new stage of the group, he would also exchange roles with Fernando Ruiz Díaz and Macabre.

With this CD they prepared a new show, which led them to perform in the main theaters of Buenos Aires, this being a new venue for the Catupecu Machu concerts.

Moebius symmetry (2009)

Between the months of April and September 2009, Catupecu Machu settled in a country house on the outskirts of Greater Buenos Aires, in order to compose and pre-produce the songs for his new album. The result was 11 new songs. In August and September, the musicians continued their work doing recordings and mixing in their own recording studio, concluding with mastering at Sterling Sound in NYC. All of this gave rise to Moebius Symmetry, the new CD by Catupecu Machu, produced by Fernando Ruiz Díaz, Martín González and Herrlein. Javier Weintraub on violin and Gillespi on trumpet participate as guest musicians.

Mezcal and the Cobra (2011)

A week after the breakup with drummer Javier Herrlein and with the historic manager, Catupecu Machu entered his studio for the pre-production of his new album: El Mezcal y la Cobra, incorporating as drummer to Agustín Rocino (former bassist of Cuentos Borgeanos and who had participated in the production of El Numero Imperfecto) and as manager to the lawyer and friend of Fernando Ruiz Díaz Pablo Mayer, owner of the country house where the group settled for the composition of Moebius Symmetry. The album was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York, under the care of engineer Tom Coyne. It went on sale in CD, CD+DVD format and, for the first time for the group, on vinyl. As a preview and first broadcast cut, the video for "Metrópolis Nueva" was circulated on radios and music channels, as well as on the official website.

In 2012 they began a series of shows in electroacoustic format under the name Madera Microchip. The name refers to the fusion between organic instruments (acoustic guitar and Peruvian cajon) and digital instruments (drums). electronics and synthesizers). The chosen repertoire included songs from all their albums and remakes by other artists such as "To dress you today" (by Lisandro Aristimuño) and "Plan B: longing for satisfaction" (from Massacre).

The skin of the road and temporary break (2016 - 2017)

In September 2016 they presented "La Piel del Camino", the first cut from their eighth album, La Piel del Camino, successor to El mezcal y la cobra . The song was recorded at Sonoramica studios and mixed by Mariano Bilinkis at Romaphonic. The song is inspired by the Ford Mustang^{[citation required]} and It was included in the soundtrack of the film Barrefondo. Their video was premiered live on January 12, 2017 on Vorterix after a live show.

At the end of 2017, Fernando Ruiz Díaz announced that he would go on hiatus with Catupecu Machu to dedicate himself to a new musical project called Vanthra alongside Charles Noguera and Pape Fioravanti. The band released their first track, "Canción sola", in December 2017 and announced an album for April 2018. On January 23, 2021, Gabriel Ruiz Díaz, former bassist and founder of the group, died at his home in the province of Santa Fe, where he lived for a long time with his mother, his sister and his therapeutic companion.

Reunion (2022)

On November 17, 2021, Fernando Ruíz Díaz announced through Catupecu's Instagram account the band's reunion for the second date of Quilmes Rock 2022, which occurred on May 1, 2022. The concert was held in the form of a tribute to Gabriel. This meeting included the members of the last formation, plus the return of Abril Sosa and the participation of Charles Noguera and Julián Gondels, members of Vanthra. Also invited were Wallas and the Doctor from Massacre, and Mr. Flavio from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.

On September 11, 2022, Catupecu was part of the Reciclarte 2022 festival in Asunción, Paraguay, now with a definitive lineup: Ruiz Díaz on voice and guitar, Noguera on bass and a drum duo composed of Sosa and Gondels (quartet described by Fernando as a "power trio with two batteries"). In the same format they gave a small concert in Buenos Aires on September 27 at the Vorterix Theater for an exclusive audience of press and guests, which served as an official announcement of a performance at the Obras Sanitarias Stadium that would take place on December 9. Likewise, a series of concerts was announced in different Latin American countries towards the end of the year, in addition to its presence at the Lollapalooza Argentina 2023 festival.

Show formats

Throughout his career, he developed his concerts taking into account the physical space and the mood that each place suggests. That is why different show formats can be differentiated.

5.1 Surround Sound

From 2001 to 2003 Catupecu Machu performed its concert series with Surround Sound 5.1 at The Roxy in Buenos Aires with tickets sold out in all its performances, and in 2004 at the Creamfields festival in Buenos Aires. The concert has 4 sound emitting sources, each one at the corners of the venue, and a 5th source above the heads of the audience, thus creating a different sound experience, where the sound surrounds the audience, being equivalent to the audio that is listen in theaters with 5.1 audio. or in home theaters.

Theatrical shows

From the presentations of his album Laberintos entre aristas y dialectos Catupecu Machu conceived a show with theatrical characteristics. The work is divided into 4 acts, where each of them presents the group with a different musical facet - with string sections, acoustic, intimate or electric -, while the scenographic and lighting settings change, in close relationship with the music.

Acoustic shows

Catupecu Machu usually performs before small audiences with an acoustic format, with acoustic guitars and basses, piano, violin, Peruvian cajon and percussion. This performance originally arises from one of the acts of the Laberintos entre aristas y dialectos presentations. This format was the one that was registered in November 2008 in the Intimate and Interactive cycle of the MuchMusic music channel in Argentina.

Electric shows

With these presentations he was present at countless festivals and stadiums throughout Latin America, such as Quilmes Rock, Pepsi Music and Creamfields, in Buenos Aires; Rock al Parque in Bogotá, Colombia, or Vive Latino in Mexico, among others.

Members

Current training

• Fernando Ruiz Díaz (voz, guitar and bass, 1994 - currently)
• April Sosa (battery, 1995 - 2002, 2022 - currently)
• Julián Gondels (battery, 2022 - currently)
• Charles Noguera (low, guitar, keyboards and programming, 2022 - currently)

Previous

• Gabriel Ruiz Díaz (†) (Voz, guitar and bass, 1994 - 2006)
• Marcelo Baraj (Battery, 1994 - 1995)
• Mariana Baraj (Percussion, 1994-1995)
• Gustavo Bilbao (Teclados y guitarra, 2000 - 2001)
• Zeta Bosio (Bajo, 2006 - 2007)
• Esteban "Pichu" Serniotti (Guitarras, 2006 - 2007)
• Javier Herrlein (Battery, 1994 and 2002 - 2011)
• Agustín Rocino (Battery, 2011 - 2017, 2022)
• Sebastián Cáceres (Bajo y guitarra, 2007 - 2017, 2022)
• Macabre (2001 - 2017, 2022)

Timeline

Discography

Studio album

• 1997 - Dale!
• 2000 - Decapitated stories (EMI-Odeón Argentina)
• 2002 - Tables within tables (EMI-Odeón Argentina)
• 2004 - The imperfect number (EMI-Odeón Argentina)
• 2007 - Labyrinths between edges and dialects (EMI-Odeón Argentina)
• 2009 - Symmetry of Moebius (EMI-Odeón Argentina)
• 2011 - Mezcal and cobra (EMI-Odeón Argentina)

Live

• 1998 - To die!!! (DBN, live engraving)
• 2014 - Microchip wood (limited edition)

Rarities and demos

• 2014 - The shout afterwards: Breviary of anomalies
• 2014 - The shout after: Genetic code

Simple

• 2016 - The skin of the road (Pop art)

Videography

• 2002 - “That lives”
• 2008 - Intimate and interactive of Much Music
• 2011 - «They appear when we record»
• 2014 - The shout after: The film
• 2014 - The shout after: Scenarios

Singles

Go! (1997)

• 1997 Dale!
• 1998 La Polca

To die!!! (1998)

• 1998 - Calavera deforme
• 1999 - Anonymous Heroes (Metropoli version)

Beheaded Tales (2000)

• 2000 - And what I want is for you to step down
• 2001 - That lives
• 2001 - Entero or to pieces
• 2001 - Decapitated stories

That Lives (2002)

• 2002 - I hope so
• 2002 - Perfect chromosomes

Pictures within pictures (2002)

• 2002 - Extreme origin
• 2002 - Scream the wind
• 2003 - Hechizo (version of Heroes of Silence)
• 2003 - Tables within tables
• 2004 - Great hopes

The imperfect number (2004)

• 2004 - Poison magic
• 2005 - Sometimes I come back
• 2005 - In dreams
• 2006 - Plan B: longing for satisfaction (version of Massacre)

Labyrinths between edges and dialects (2007)

• 2007 - Travel of fear
• 2008 - Continue living without your love (version of Luis Alberto Spinetta)

Moebius symmetry (2009)

• 2010 - Confusion
• 2010 - New Book
• 2010 - Piano and RD

Carnival for a lifetime, Tribute to the Fabulous Cadillacs, vol II (2011)

• 2011 - Manuel Santillán, El León (version of Los Fabulosos Cadillacs)

The mezcal and the cobra (2011)

• 2011 - New metropolis
• 2012 - They appear when we dance
• 2012 - Musas
• 2012 - Vi llover

The Scream After (2014)

• 2014 - The shout after
• 2015 - To dress you today (version of Lisandro Aristimuño)

The skin of the road (2016)

• 2016 - The skin of the road

Other songs

Go! (1997)

• 1997 - Elevator (Song released by Rock and Pop radio)

That Lives (2002)

• 2002 - That I hope (Song released as simple, to promote the album by MTV Latin America)
• 2002 - Perfect Chromes (Song released as simple, to promote the album by MTV Latin America)

Awards and recognitions