REC Syndrome are an Alternative Rock band from Sitges, Barcelona, Spain. Although they just got together a little over a year ago, the band has already established their own distinctive and hard hitting sound. They debuted in October 2019 with the EP “Piloto.” Recorded in just two days, the record was produced by Paco Loco, a famous Spanish indie producer located in Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz.
They were all set to hit the road in support of their debut record, and then the pandemic came. It is a story we have heard hundreds of times here at The Static Dive. Musicians, along with billions of others across the globe, were forced to put their plans on hold through 2020. For REC Syndrome, that meant no tour, and very little opportunity to reach fans in the real world at all. However, they powered on undaunted and took the only opportunity open to them. They hit the studio.
The downtime of 2020 gave them ample time to write new material, so they were ready when the tape started rolling. Each member of the band had previous experience in other musical projects, and their drummer Fabrizio is a skilled sound engineer and producer. So they decided to take the only route available and produce their new record themselves.
“Plomo” is the 6-song collection resulting from those sessions. REC Syndrome describe themselves as, “a band that loves music just for the pleasure of making it.” That love of Rock & Roll is immediately apparent in the first few seconds of the record. The drummer’s four-count breaks through random studio chatter and introduces the first power chord explosion of “Pesado y Oscuro.” The title translates in English as “Heavy and Dark.” It is an apt title as the song rolls through the high energy bass and drum rhythm and the crunch two guitars cranked to 11.
The band acknowledges a long list of Punk, Alt and Grunge inspirations including; QOTSA, Tool, Pixies, Nirvana and Iggy Pop’s legendary band The Stooges. We can feel their influence on “Plomo,” but the various ingredients of the REC Syndrome sound combine to create something new and unique. Tracks like “Corro” (I Run) and “Mal Viaje” (Bad Trip) hint at Nirvana and even Pearl Jam, but also dip into some cool psychedelia. Also, on the latter song I am pretty sure I heard the singer throw in a little subversive Judas Priest reference at the end of the track with a chant (in English) of, “breaking the law, breaking the law.” Fun stuff.
Although their sound incorporates decades of Rock influences, REC Syndrome come at their music from a primarily 90’s Alternative stance. That vibe is reflected in the Offspring-esque “El Sabe” (He Knows) and the Soundgarden inspired “110 Fantasmas” (110 Ghosts). However, on those songs and the rest of the record the band re-invents those styles into something all their own. For example, the chorus of “110 Fantasmas” veers into a cool 80’s rock groove and then gets trippy in the bridge. “Orgasmatron” is a rocking tune. The title is either a reference to a Motorhead album or the classic Woody Allen Sci-Fi comedy “Sleeper.” In either case, it is a very cool shout-out.
David Moreno: Bass
Fabrizio Pinto: Drums
Xhavier Velasquez: Gtr / Voice
Reinaldo Santos: Gtr / Voice
The new EP “Plomo” by REC Syndrome is a great listen in any language for fans of high-octane, guitar driven Rock & Roll. You can check out “Corro” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Listen to the record on all major streaming services and follow the links below to connect to this exciting new band. Stay in the loop on all of their current and future projects.
Connect:
REC Syndrome on the Deep Indie Dive playlist
