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Dos Santos - City Of Mirrors - New LP
International Anthem Recording Company

Dos Santos - City Of Mirrors - New LP

Regular price $ 26.00 $ 0.00
  • Artist: Dos Santos
  • Title: City of Mirrors
  • Genre: Latin
  • Label: International Anthem Recording Co.


Verdant technicolor dreams of freedom, love & struggle weave a sonic sunburst surreal with Latinx-Futurist roots, melody & verse.
This album is an assemblage…
…glimpses of tradition
…reflections on our collective present
…luminous echoes between love and solitude.
hope and absurdity.
euphoria and mourning.

This album grapples with and transgresses these binaries because we have/and continue to cross borders. Yet, for us, the border is no metaphor—too much real staring back at us.

We embody the border.
We (our families) have crossed it.
We (our stories) are coated with its residues.
And so… we cross the border of self through our art—out of necessity.

This album was imagined while touring the country as families were corralled in cages.
We then fled the wildfire of a nascent pandemic poised to (especially) ravage our communities as we recorded in Los Angeles.
And our sonic journey concluded in Chicago while the country rebelled against the murderous consequences of policing in the U.S.

Through this cascade of tipping points and tragedy, we summoned melody and verse to sound out verdant technicolor dreams of freedom and desire, mirroring the vortex of our time.

And borders were at the center of these struggles.
Borders—of nation, of belonging—are the struggle.

And so, this album is a set of dispatches from that wondrous journey…
…our journey across and into a sunburst surreal.
…our astral meditations on loss and triumph.
…our sonic trek across a landscape of trauma and effervescence.

…The border divides and defines places—yes. But it is equally a place unto itself—a borderland.
It is the forbidden place where we dwell.
The enchanting space where we are at home.
The bustling city where we reflect.
Look into our mirror. See us in you.
 


released October 15, 2021

Alex Chavez – vocals, keyboards, guitars
Jaime Garza – electric bass
Nathan Karagianis – guitars, sampling, programming, keyboards, vocals
Peter “Maestro” Vale – congas, percussion
Daniel Villarreal – drums, percussion
Elliot Bergman – baritone saxophone (track 2), clarinet (track 4), upright bass (track 13)
Martín Perna – baritone saxophone (track 4), flute (track 5)

Produced by: Elliot Bergman
Recorded and Edited by: Michael Craver & Elliot Bergman
Mixed by: Michael Craver
Mastered by: Dave Cooley

Original Artwork by: Amara “Rebel Betty” Martín
Additional Artwork by: Estudio Pneuma
Design by: Jeremiah Chiu

Dos Santos extends their deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported the making of this album—families, partners, friends, and compañerxs musicales. In these times, we offer this music and these words in the spirit of creating a world otherwise. Paz


Dos Santos have released their highly-anticipated album, City of Mirrors.

“City Of Mirrors . . . feels like it’s perpetually building and expanding . . . the bolts are tighter than ever on this project — and the subject matter is weighty & pressing, marking an imaginative step forward for a band that’s never limited itself to begin with. — Rolling Stone

“A sweeping epic of Latin American rhythms and borderland poetry . . . The album is a loving melange of tradition, spirituality, and odes to a Latinx diaspora…” — Bandcamp

"Dos Santos’ lyrics reflect current cultural shifts, just as their music merges the past with the present. This satisfies a yearning felt by many BIPOC to connect their daily lived experience with their roots. For Latine folks in Chicago and beyond, City of Mirrors reflects our heritage and our lineage, and reminds us that we’re an ancient people—we’re still here, and this is what we’re going through.” — Chicago Reader

“Exuberant and teeming with character, City of Mirrors is a record that sonically captures the push and pull of our contemporary world . . . Charismatic and sharp, the record is sure to please fans both new and old.” — Chicago Tribune

“Dos Santos create their own tales of freedom and unity with a dazzling technicality . . . City of Mirrors is an album to be enjoyed for years to come, passed on for generations, like the songs of our ancestors’ triumphs and hardships.” — Paste Magazine

 

Cinematic in its journey, the album reflects sounds from across the Americas combined with compelling poetic narratives. Its 13 tracks consolidate the band’s unique identities, creative and cultural roots, and their penchant for honoring traditional Latinx music with contemporary compositional expressions and production techniques. It achieves the band’s mission to push against their own musical boundaries while also exploring themes of social justice, migration, and contemporary human struggle. Chavez articulates beautifully: “City of Mirrors is an assemblage…glimpses of tradition… reflections on our collective present… luminous echoes between love and solitude, hope and absurdity, euphoria and mourning. This album grapples with and transgresses these binaries because we have/and continue to cross borders. Yet, for us, the border is no metaphor—too much real staring back at us. We embody the border. We (our families) have crossed it. We (our stories) are coated with its residues. And so… we cross the border of self through our art – out of necessity.

 The five began working on City of Mirrors without any expectation of what it would be. They simply hoped to create an honest, unique, and border-defying but broadly communicable sound. To achieve this, they decided to incorporate a sixth member. That led to City of Mirrors being recorded in Los Angeles under the direction of artist, producer, and longtime friend of the band Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle, NOMO).

 


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