Buh Records curates Síntomas de techno (Symptoms of techno): Underground electronic waves from Peru (1985-1991), an ode to the originators of Peruvian electronic music
Síntomas de techno: Underground electronic waves from Peru (1985-1991) provides a detailed review of the burgeoning electronic scene in Lima during the mid and late-1980s.
Named after what many consider the first techno concert in Peru, Síntomas de techno celebrates Lima’s alternative and electronic scene in all its glory. Over the years, the concert has grown into a symbol of diversification within the 80s electronic music scene. At the time in 1991, the show held at the Teatro La Cabaña, would mark a pivotal moment as it would become the first time that many of the pioneering artists would share the same stage. Jorge Gonzales of Ensamble would later recall, “There wasn’t an Electronic scene at the time. We knew that there were independent groups like us, but we did not know each other.”
Speaking years after the concert, Renzo Ortega (of Cuerpos del Deseo) also added his thoughts regarding Síntomas de Techno,
“We were all related in one way or another to what had happened musically in Lima years ago, in a way we wanted to leave a manifesto that we were still valid and with new proposals… Underground Rock is one of the best things that could happen to the music of Peru. And it’s transcendent because it’s way beyond punk; the ‘subway’ involved the arts, theater, and poetry. It was a complete cultural movement.”
Totaling nine tracks in all, Síntomas de techno spans 35 minutes and includes rare, unpublished, and nearly impossible-to-find tracks. This collection offers a well-thought-out introduction to the electronic sounds that were beginning to take hold in Lima at the time. As a whole, the project will thrust you ever-so-quickly into the deep end of Peruvian electronica. From the first track to the last, the compilation that Luis Alvarado so carefully assembled weaves its way through the myriad of sounds that encompass the times. What transpired between 1985 and 1992 was a special moment in Peru, and Buh Records has remarkably recollected techno’s infancy in Peru with fantastic precision.
Video from the concert can be seen below. Note: the collection of music contained within the 35 minutes is not from the concert itself, but includes tracks from the artists that played the concert as well as others not included in the show.
The project was awarded funding from the Economic Stimuli program of the Peruvian Ministry of Culture. This compilation is published in vinyl format in a limited edition of 300 copies, with extensive information and visual documentation. Mastered by Alberto Cendra. Art by René Sánchez. Cover photography by Rogelio Martell.
Síntomas de techno is available on June 3, 2022, via Buh Records.
Standout Songs: Martillo, X2, No Nunca, La Gran Masa, Industria de Odio
6.7
Video from Síntomas de techno:
Círculo Interio
Cuerpos del Deseo
Ensamble
Reacción
Artist Links:
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