Get to know BALTHVS
I by no means preferred the outline of BALTHVS as a psychedelic rock band. I grew up with psychedelic rock bands with names like The Doorways, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Lifeless, Pink Floyd, and The Jimi Hendrix Expertise. These have been bands that you simply listened to on acid, or at the very least you thought you have been on acid whenever you listened to them. I assume BALTHVS goes past that label.
However BALTHVS calls itself a Colombian psychedelic funk trio, so I’ll go together with it. No matter they name themselves, they’re rattling good. They’re dreamy at instances, at different instances they’re head-banging guitar riff masters and mistresses. Whenever you hearken to them, you retain saying, “How do they try this?”
They emerged like a moth from a cocoon in 2019 and rapidly attracted over 755,000 month-to-month listeners on Spotify. Their music is well known for its eclectic fusion of genres, seamlessly mixing Center Jap music, disco, home, funk, psychedelia, indie rock, surf, and cumbia into a particular and cohesive sound. They’re recognized for his or her energetic reside performances, improvisational aptitude, and prolific output, having launched dozens of singles and several other full-length albums. Their worldwide presence is notable, with performances at main festivals akin to SXSW, Austin Metropolis Limits, Exterior Lands, and Colombia’s Rock al Parque, in addition to appearances on distinguished radio platforms like KEXP and the BBC. Actually a Music Sin Fronteras band.
The band consists of three core members: Balthazar Aguirre (guitar, vocals), Johanna Mercuriana (bass, vocals), and Santiago Lizcano (drums, vocals). At the moment, bassist Vanessa Cejudo, aka “Vane”, has been performing with the band as a brief substitute for founding member Johana Mercuriana, who’s on maternity depart. Vanessa has taken half in reside performances and recordings alongside guitarist Balthazar Aguirre and drummer Santiago Lizcano for a number of months and is an beautiful bass participant.
The band has developed a sound that’s each groovy and atmospheric, drawing inspiration from world music traditions just like the rhythms and melodies from Africa, Turkey, and throughout Latin America. However they’ve maintained a robust psychedelic funk id, just lately kicking off their 12 months of the Snake tour with a salute to Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Lifeless with their rendition of the Lifeless’s “Shakedown Avenue.”
Given the variety of songs and albums they’ve produced, it’s arduous to say the place to begin when you’ve got by no means heard them and also you need to know them higher. However their 2025 EP, Flesh and Soul is nearly as good a spot as any to dive in. 4 songs that can all carry you away with guitar instrumentals that appear to raise you as you hear, particularly by way of headphones. The Center Jap accents of “The 12 months of the Snakes”, will captivate you, whereas “Temper Swing (Rules of Rhythm)” strikes you alongside gently, and “Killig” seems like a delicate wind blowing by way of guitar strings, particularly the bass.
Psychedelic or not, BALTHVS is a good band with music you by no means tire of. Test them out on all main platforms, particularly the brand new EP, and their 2025 album Harvest.
Patrick O’Heffernan
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