SCHWARZ

Psychedelic/Space Rock • Spain

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Schwarz biography
Alfonso Alfonso started his solo project SCHWARZ in 1997 after leaving his glam rock oriented band FUCK MY DREAMS. As a curiosity, the name was extracted randomly from a krautrock encyclopaedia, mainly because of its difficult pronounciation in Spanish, and he even credits himself in the first records as Alfonso Schwarz.

His project started on Greyhead, a psychedelic rock oriented record label that offered to release his first record, 'These Songs Mean Nothing', a collection of songs quite reminiscent from the 60's period, but also with a touch of modernity, played by A. Alfonso himself and many collaborators. The scarcity of resources and some health problems (A. Alfonso was suffering a heart disease) took it a bit longer to finally release it, but it eventually appeared in April 1998, very well acclaimed by some independent journalists in Spain and Europe, and the record would be released in France as well.

After the first release, SCHWARZ is more a band than a solo project, joining Juanma Mart�nez (bassist with Alfonso in FUCK MY DREAMS), drummer Julio Velasco, with whom they had played previously, and keyboardist Mar�a Dolores Gonz�lez (from the pop band POPSTAL). This band would play the first show as openers for MANTA RAY in 1998, first relationship with this band which members would finally become friends.

By 1999, Julio Velasco is replaced by Juan Antonio Ross, artist from the same record label. This formation will appear on the second record, 'Hard Listening', released this time in Sandwhich Records, Alfonso's cofounded company after breaking the relationship with Greyhead, under the consideration that the sound was too risky for such a retro oriented company. This second record is less inspired by 60's psychedelia and more experimental and krautrock inspired, with heavy distortions and lots of keyboards and electronics, mellotron and theremin included. As Alfonso himself declared, the smell of sandal appears on the first record, continues on the second, and finally melts away.

By the end of the recording sessions, J.A. Ross leaves the band to continue his solo project, although they would play together again in 'Split' (EP, 2001), and is replaced by C�sar Verd� (sound technician and drummer from punk oriented band BRASLIPS, he was also guest percussionist on 'Hard Listening'). This band would enrole in a tour to promote the record, including a TV show, but shortly after, Mar�a Dolores Gonz�lez leaves the band, and it r...read more

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SCHWARZ discography

Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

SCHWARZ top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

0.00 \| 0 ratings These Songs Mean Nothing 1998	2.00 \| 1 ratings Hard Listening 2000	3.00 \| 1 ratings Cheesy 2002	2.00 \| 1 ratings Arty Party 2004	3.00 \| 2 ratings Heavengazers 2007
0.00 \| 0 ratings Esp�ritus del Desierto, Yo Os Invoco 2010

SCHWARZ Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

SCHWARZ Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

SCHWARZ Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings

Discograf�a Completa 2000-2004
2004

SCHWARZ Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

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Play Christian Rock
2002

SCHWARZ Reviews

Showing last 10 reviews only

Thanks to rivertree for the artist addition.

0.00 \| 0 ratings These Songs Mean Nothing 1998	2.00 \| 1 ratings Hard Listening 2000	3.00 \| 1 ratings Cheesy 2002	2.00 \| 1 ratings Arty Party 2004	3.00 \| 2 ratings Heavengazers 2007
0.00 \| 0 ratings Esp�ritus del Desierto, Yo Os Invoco 2010