Mœnia
| Mœnia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Genres | Electronica, synthpop, indie pop |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | EMI Music |
| Website | http://www.moenia.com/ |
| Members |
Alfonso Pichardo Jorge Soto Alejandro 'Midi' Ortega |
| Past members | Juan Carlos Lozano |
Mœnia is a Mexican electronica/synthpop/ambient group.
History
Although originally consisting only of Juan Carlos Lozano as lead vocalist on 1997's debut album Mœnia and its companion remix album Mœnia Mixes, since the 1999 release of Adición+, Mœnia has consisted of vocalist Alfonso Pichardo, and keyboardists Jorge Soto and Alejandro 'Midi' Ortega, Mœnia has released over ten albums on Universal Latino and RCA Records. Pichardo briefly left the group due to the Mexican listening public's lack of interest in electronic and synth music. When Lozano decided to leave Mœnia as vocalist and form the still electronically oriented but more guitar-centered Morbo, despite the acclaimed success of 1997's Mœnia and its subsequent album of remixes (a risky and previously unheard of novelty in the Mexican music industry), Pichardo reunited with the remaining two of his former bandmates to complete Mœnia's line-up, which has remained unchanged since 1999.
The music influences of Mœnia are New Order, Erasure, OMD, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Garbage. Popular within the Latin club scene while simultaneously pioneering a darker, more experimental, more poetic side of Spanish-language electronica, Mœnia has had three top-20 hits. Along with Aleks Syntek, Mœnia is often considered one of the first successful experimental Mexican music composers and performers, finding commercial viability in a market normally dominated by Latin ballad crooners, teenage vocal groups and musical styles with more mass appeal like cumbia and ranchera. Mœnia is also popular in other parts of Latin America, including the argentinian and chilean music markets, where they have also charted. Some of their most recognized singles include "Estabas Ahí," "No Dices Más" and "Manto Estelar".
Stereo Hits is by far Mœnia's highest-selling album to date. It is a series of successful 80s and 90s Latin pop/rock and ballad hit covers such as "En Algún Lugar" by Duncan Dhu, "Tren Al Sur" by Los Prisioneros, "Beber de Tu Sangre" by Los Amantes de Lola, "Mátenme Porque Me Muero" by Caifanes and "Ni Tú Ni Nadie" by Alaska y Dinarama. However, the introduction to their cover version of this one (Ni Tu Ni Nadie) contains a sample of the 1972 Gary Glitter hit Rock and Roll Part 2 or so, because of its similar drumbeat like sequence. Despite having the sample included on the track, BMG officials took care the copyright business in order to prevent musical rights disputes. The album was originally intended to serve as a stopgap to keep fans happy while the group worked on their next album, but became so popular that it was soon followed by a tour, which in turn was followed by an album of its own in 2005, HitsLive.
In 2006 Mœnia released a new album, named "Solar", which follows a more 1980s electropop style, including more electric guitar sounds. Also includes a duet with Denisse Guerrero (of Belanova) called "Me Equivoque".
Alfonso Pichardo has started a solo project entitled Equivocal, with the first single "Dar la Vuelta".[1]
In November 2009 a compilation album entitled "En Electrico" is scheduled for release. Produced by Armando Avila, and will feature Paco Huidobro (Fobia), Maria Jose & Juan Carlos Lozano (ex-vocalist).
October 30, 2012 saw the release of their seventh studio album "FM", with their first single "Morir Tres Veces" (Die Thrice). An FM APP was released in December which featured the song "Eso Que Paso" (That Which Happened). Two other singles from FM include "Mejor Ya No" (Better Not) and "Soy Lo Peor" (I'm Worse).
Members
- Alfonso Pichardo -Vocal & Keyboardist (Co-Founder / 1991–1994 returned 1998 – present day)
- Jorge Soto – Keyboards & Guitar (Co-Founder / 1991 – present day)
- Alejandro "Midi" Ortega – Synth & Programing (1995 – present day)
Former members
- Juan Carlos Lozano -former vocalist (Co-Founder / 1991–1995) & singer (1995–1997)
Trivia
- Mœnia famously covered José José's 1978's hit "Volcán" from the album Volcán: Tributo a José José, which received a lot of airplay in Mexican radio.
- Mœnia also did a track "Lado Animal" for the movie Amores Perros which actually was not featured in the movie, but only on the soundtracks second CD.
- They've also covered the Soda Stereo song "Zoom", the song "Huellas en la Bajamar" by Hombres G and covered the José Alfredo Jiménez song "Amanecí en tus brazos"
- They've also covered the Caifanes song "Mátenme Porque me Muero". Later on scoring another chart topper with "Juegos de Amor", a song that in 1988 was made popular by Neón. Both of these are included in their Stereo Hits album.
- In 2015, Moenia released the single " Jamás! ", this single curiously samples the 1987 Timbiriche hit "No seas tan cruel".
Discography
- Disco Perdido, 1992 (EP)
- Mœnia, 1996
- Adición+, 1999,
- Le Modulor, 2001 (Out of print and only available as a digital download) or Amazon.com
- Televisor, 2003
- Solar, 2007
- FM, 2012
Compilations
- Mœnia Mixes, 1998
- Serie Sensacional, 2000
- Éxitos, 2001
- Sólo Para Fanáticos, 2001
- Stereo Hits, 2004
- Grandes Éxitos, 2005
- HitsLive, 2005
- En Electrico, 2010
Singles
Moenia (1996)
No puedo estar sin ti
Déjame entrar
Estabas ahí
No importa que el sol se muera
Adicion (1999)
Manto estelar
No dices más
Regreso a casa
Le Modulor (2001)
Molde perfecto
Llegaste a mí
Como ves tú
Televisor (2003)
En qué momento
Tú sabes lo que quiero
Espirales
Stereo Hits (2004)
Ni tú ni nadie (featuring sample of "Rock and Roll Part 2 (1972) by Gary Glitter)
Juegos de amor
Hits Live (2005)
No dices más (Live)
Solar (2006)
- Lo que tú digas
- Sufre conmigo.
- Me equivoqué (ft Denisse Guerrero).
En Electrico (2010)
- Contigo Estare (ft. Juan Carlos Lozano).
- No Importa que el sol se muera (ft. Maria Jose).
- En ti.
FM (2012)
- Morir Tres Veces.
- Eso Que Pasó
- Mejor Ya No
- Soy Lo Peor
References
External links
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