Skip to content
Debut cassette from this new Mexican band featuring former members of Pura Mania.
Our take: You may recognize the vocalist of Mexico’s Pronto as Rafael from Canada’s Pura Mania, but you won’t find any of PM’s brilliant, anthemic punk here. Instead, Pronto draws from various threads of post-punk and electronic music, fusing mechanical and industrial-sounding dance rhythms with the power and menace of underground hardcore punk. The first four tracks feature a pounding, blown out drum machine and frantic synth rhythms, both recorded way in the red. The vocals carry little melody, instead channeling the desperation that I associate with 80s South American hardcore. It’s not unlike the Screamers’ best stuff, but not in a rip-off (or even a conscious influence) kind of way… both just have an overwhelming vibe of post-industrial, electronic menace. The fifth track eases the rhythm toward something more danceable and the vocals also back away from your jugular, sounding like a nastier, more underground version of Boy Harsher. The tape’s b-side weaves between field recordings that remind me of my travels in Mexico (though I’m not sure if that’s where they were recorded or not) and instrumental tracks similar to the more club-ready 5th track. I won't lie, Pop Y Basura is a weird little document that doesn’t fit into a ready-made scene (at least not one that I’m aware of), but the music is killer, and if my description set off any alarm bells for your particular tastes, I’d recommend checking this out.