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Fuera de Sektor: Juegos Prohibidos 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) We carried the demo cassette from this Barcelona band a couple years back, and now they’re back with their first vinyl release. I really liked Fuera de Sektor’s first tape, El Mundo Sigue… it’s one of those releases I return to often, throwing it on whenever I come across it because the songs are so fun and memorable. Fuera de Sektor has re-recorded all four tracks from the tape for Juegos Prohibidos, and I’m glad they did because they get a massive sonic upgrade here. In fact, that’s the first thing that struck me about Juegos Prohibidos: it’s a great-sounding album. It reminds me of a big-budget 90s rock record with its huge-sounding, beautifully textured tones that each occupy their own space in the mix. It’s a totally different style than the typical punk mix where everything bleeds together into a uniform roar, but it works beautifully here because there’s so much to hear in Fuera de Sektor’s music. In particular, Juegos Prohibidos puts the spotlight on Fuera de Sektor’s guitarist, who is an incredible talent. Their style reminds me of James Williamson via Johnny Marr, but playing through Steve Stevens’ equipment, alternating between chunky power chords and nimble arpeggio runs through subtle chords that sparkle with melody. While the rhythm section is taught and muscular a la Joy Division or the Smiths, the guitarist’s style is looser and more alive, their baroque riffing abandoning the grid for livelier, more intuitive rhythms. While the guitar hooks provide the most exciting moments on the record for me—see “Necesito Combustible,” “Solo Ves Lo Peor,” and “Mi Amiga Murió”—the vocals are distinctive and powerful too, and when both elements land with strong hooks—like on the track “En La Oscuridad”—Fuera de Sektor is unstoppable. I also dig the sequencing on Juegos Prohibidos, which puts the shortest, snappiest songs on side B, picking up the energy in the spot where similar releases can start to drag. Arriving just at the start of summer, Juegos Prohibidos is going to sound great blasting out of your car as you heard toward the beach with the windows down and the stereo cranked.