Their debut album Pasto was recorded and released in 1992 and has guest appearances by Gustavo Cerati, Daniel Melero and members of other groups which, at the time, were also part of the New Argentinian Rock (or Sonic rock) movement, such as Martes Menta and Juana la Loca. The only single released from Pasto was "D-Generación", which was a minor radio hit at the time and made the upcoming band known to Argentinian listeners. The album has an eclectic style, with many of the tracks being short skits (such as "41" de Ocio", which consists of the band chatting between songs; or "Mutha Fucka", a track which seems to have been made by cutting and pasting together various audio samples taken from TV).
For their second album Trance Zomba, released in 1994, DJ Peggyn joined the band. As a a consequence of the band having now 6 members, this album has a mixture of Rap, Funk and Hardcore Punk, but at the same time even psychedelic rock influences. "Malón", "Montañas de Agua", "Patinador Sagrado" and "Koyote" were the singles released for this album.
In 1996 the band released the highly experimental Dopádromo. This album has all sorts of music from the highly psychedelic "Zumba" and "Su Majestad", hard rock tracks as "El Medium and "Su Ciervo", instrumentals and even a hasta un bossa nova: "Perfume Casino". Destacan también "¡Viva Satana!" and "El Médium" were the biggest hist from this record.
Their fourth album, Babasónica showcased a heavier edge than their previous three, being influenced by heavy metal with distorted riffs and guitar solos on many songs ("Egocripta", "Demonomanía", "El Adversario"). On the other hand, the album has a softer acoustic side, with the delicate ballads "Sharon Tate" and "Esther Narcótica". The band has declared that this was meant to balance out the roughness of the heavier songs. Some tracks even include both stylistic approaches at once making for interesting contrast, like "Parafinada" or "Convoy". Lyrically, the album deals with the concepts of satanism. The band has declared that this approach isn't meant to be taken at face value, but as homage to classic metal, and as an attack on common Western ways of thinking, such as religion.
On their fifth release Miami, DJ Peggyn participated as a member of the band for the last time, he was sacked as his contributions were no longer felt necessary for the band. In 2000 he went for a solo career, renaming himself Jimmy Dolor. The album cover was designed by Alejandro Ros. It is a map of Argentina turned 90 degrees clockwise, resembling a map of the east coast of the United States; the map places a fictional Miami in the Argentinian province of Misiones. After the release of the album, Cosme, their manager, left the band.
After the release of Jessico (2001), Babasónicos shifted into a more pop-influenced sound and reached massive mainstream success, becoming one of Latin America's top bands.
Their follow up records, Infame (2003), Anoche (2005) , Mucho (2008), A Propósito (2011), Romantisismico (2014) and Discutible (2018), further expended this sound and merged it with their early psychedelic and experimental influences.
In 1999 they collaborated with alternative rock artist Ian Brown on a track for his second studio album, Golden Greats, that bears their name.
In early 2008, the official site informed that after a long and painful struggle with Hodgkins lymphoma, bass player Gabriel "Gabo" Mannelli passed away on January the 12th. He was 38 years old.
Since then, Babasónicos teamed up with long-time-friend Carca to temporarily replace Gabo, until late 2011 when Tuta Torres (ex-bassist from Los Látigos) joined the group as their new official bass player, with Carca now serving as a multi-instrumentalist.
Pobre Duende
Babasónicos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Muy desquiciados, bajaron mambo
Alto cope, estilo y gran provocación
Y se marcharon sin decir nada
Ustedes lo pedían, ustedes lo querían
Ahí lo tienen
El cisne apareció y ustedes
Miren lo que han hecho con el duende del rock
Lo han destrozado
Lo han convertido en una estampa estúpida de sumision
Y desalmado se fue de casa
Ustedes lo pedían, ustedes lo querían
Ahí lo tienen
El cisne secuestro al duende y lo llevo
El cisne se llevo al duende lejos
The song Pobre Duende by Babasónicos, which translates to "Poor Elf," delves into the consequences of societal pressure and manipulation in the music industry. The lyrics use the metaphor of a mischievous elf, representing the spirit of rock music, who has been destroyed by the expectations of a conservative audience. The elf is seen as a troublemaker, disrupting the norm and providing a much-needed shake-up to the status quo. However, he is eventually captured and subdued, turned into a caricature of his former self - a pathetic and submissive figure.
The lines "Como agitadores en un medio conservador / Muy desquiciados, bajaron mambo / Alto cope, estilo y gran provocación" highlight how the elf, and by extension rock music, was seen as a threat to the conservative values of the society. Despite this, the elf persisted and continued to challenge the norms, giving the people what they wanted. However, this led to his downfall as he was eventually subdued and captured by a "cisne," or swan, representing the mainstream music industry.
The lyrics are full of emotion and criticize the audience for their role in "destrozado," or destroying, the elf. They highlight how the public wanted the elf's unique style and disruption but failed to recognize the consequences of their actions as they allowed the mainstream industry to subdue him. Ultimately, the song is a call to the audience to recognize the importance of maintaining the spirit of rock music and fighting against the manipulation of the mainstream industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Como agitadores en un medio conservador
Like agitators in a conservative environment
Muy desquiciados, bajaron mambo
Very insane, lowered the rhythm
Alto cope, estilo y gran provocación
High spirits, style and great provocation
Y se marcharon sin decir nada
And they left without saying anything
Ustedes lo pedían, ustedes lo querían
You requested it, you wanted it
Ahí lo tienen
There you have it
El cisne apareció y ustedes
The swan appeared and you
Miren lo que han hecho con el duende del rock
Look what you have done with the rock sprite
Lo han destrozado
You have destroyed it
Lo han convertido en una estampa estúpida de sumision
You have turned it into a stupid depiction of submission
Y desalmado se fue de casa
And it left home soulless
El cisne secuestro al duende y lo llevo
The swan kidnapped the sprite and took it away
El cisne se llevo al duende lejos
The swan took the sprite away far
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN HUGO RODRIGUEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peter Pumkinghead
on Estertor
guau guau que nena
Peter Pumkinghead
on Estertor
que buena nena