Maff from Santiago de Chile are our guests on Noise Journal’s “couch” as artist of the week! The current lineup of Ricardo Gomez (vocals, guitar), Nicolas Colombres (drums), Valentina Cardenas (bass), and Martin Colombres (guitar) releases its second album, Melaniña, in April following 2015’s self-titled LP. The band plays shoegaze-alternative rock with great talent and much respect to their Slowdive, Swervedriver and Sigur Ros predecessors.
Huge sound from a compact band with amplifiers and pedals all over the music and an artistic edge that doesn’t swing, but balances mostly on the sharp plains of angry alternative rock and muddy psych shoegaze overdrives…that’s Maff! Let’s watch first the Act 1 official video from 2015 to get a taste and then I’ll tell you more!
Some dedicated people in the global underground started talking about Maff as the new must-listen, a band that has all the ingredients to reform and refresh the straight-up alternative rock U.S.-oriented sound. They play angular riffs, they are busy in their arrangements, and they blow fresh air like few (very few) other bands in the genre of the wide shoegaze style they embrace. They remind me a lot the glorious ’90s days when all similar acts were there to have fun, enjoy, entertain through simple songs that were catchy and joyful too. One more striking tune by Maff from 2015 is Walking On Fire with its nice video, and after that, I’ll come to present!
After a small break that turned out to be fertile for our friends from Santiago, Maff released Melaniña’s lead track, Desfile, their first Spanish-language single. The song, which sounds sparkling fresh and young and groovy, is about feeling trapped in your life and being in a place you do not deserve to be, surrounded by toxic people and feelings. Gomez sings, “Soporto un dia mas, con desechos me toca desfilar” (I hold on one more day…I’m in a waste parade.”
Maff is also teasing the new EP with a video for Act 2. This is the sequel to Act 1 from the band’s previous album, and the video was created by Pennsylvania’s Tim Busko, who also created the video for Act 1, here!
Melaniña has a significant story to tell–it was inspired by Gomez’s first child, Augusta. “Melaniña” is an acronym combining the word “melanin” (a group of natural pigments found in most organisms), chosen since Augusta is slightly albino, with the word “niña,” Spanish for “little girl.” Created by Nicolas Colombres (drums), the album cover artwork features an image of Augusta, who witnessed the whole process of creating this EP (songwriting, recording, mixing).
“She has been my source of inspiration. This is my gift to her,” said Gomez.
So, here’s the mini album with Desfile and Hawaii available until April when the link opens completely and tell me, is Maff the new hot name in shoegaze or what?
Support local scenes and support global underground bands of all genres and likes, throw some love and…
Keep Up With Maff
Witten by Mike D
