25 Anniversary Reissue - LP - Clear Vinyl - Limited Edition **Includes a free digital MP3 download [320 kbps]
The CD format available is from the first edition of the album in 2001
Twenty-five years after its original release, one of the most relevant sophisticated pop albums in Spanish is spinning on the turntable once again. "Impermeable" (2001), the fourth and final studio album released by Carlos Berlanga, is being reissued in an exclusive clear vinyl edition. This special release by Elefant Records not only rescues a fundamental album that defined the turn of the century, but also serves as the definitive tribute to an unique creator, whose sensibility remains the landmark on independent music in our country.
And the thing is, to talk about Carlos Berlanga is to talk about the DNA of modern pop in Spain. He was a key piece of fundamental bands such as KAKA DE LUXE, ALASKA Y LOS PEGAMOIDES, and ALASKA Y DINARAMA. But Berlanga didn't just provide the soundtrack to the Movida madrileña; he elevated the pop song genre to the category of haute couture. He was capable of crafting timeless generational anthems by combining infallible melodies with lyrics charged with fine irony, urban melancholy, and sharp lucidity. He understood music as a global art form. His love for French pop, bossa nova, synthpop, and melodic song endowed his work with a cosmopolitan sophistication unique for its time. And beyond the sheet music, his facet as a painter and illustrator permeated his entire universe, making it clear that his talent spanned any artistic field.
This clear vinyl reissue is a collector's item, but also the perfect opportunity to rediscover why, a quarter of a century later, the shadow of Carlos Berlanga remains the most elegant and inspiring in our music.
Original promotional text:
We’re proud to introduce you to one of the most recognized and talented Spanish songwriters: Carlos Berlanga. This is his fourth solo album (the first one he releases in Elefant) but he’s been making music since the late seventies.
In Spain he’s a very famous name as he took part in some very commercially succesful bands in the eighties. But as these bands only got popular in Spain and Southamerica, we should start from the very beginning: Carlos is the son of Luis García Berlanga, one of the most famous and popular Spanish filmakers of all ages, author of classic films like “The Executioner”, “Welcome Mr. Marshall!” or “Calabuch”, just to mention some of his works. So, Carlos was always surrounded by artists and famous people since he was a child. He started being a painter and designer, and he still alternates this with music. He made the poster for Almodovar’s movie “Matador”, which by the way featured a very young Antonio Banderas.
In the late seventies he was part of what everyone agrees to call the first Spanish punk band, KAKA DE LUXE. Though this band had a very short life, most of its members would become famous years later by being in much more popular bands. Some of these names were Alaska and Nacho Canut, who formed ALASKA Y LOS PEGAMOIDES with Carlos. A new wave band who had a tremendous success in Spain with their first and only album, “Grandes Éxitos” (1982). Alaska was the lead singer, but Carlos sung some songs apart from composing most of them. The band split shortly after, but shortly afterwards Carlos, Alaska and Nacho formed ALASKA Y DINARAMA, a band which released four albums during the eighties and got an even bigger success: they were one of the best-selling pop bands in Spain for a long time, till the group split in 1989. Then Alaska and Nacho formed FANGORIA (their current band), and Carlos started a solo career.
During the nineties Carlos released only three albums, each one in a different record company. None of them were specially succesful, despite he proved he was capable of writing perfect timeless pop songs, mostly based in electronic techno beats but with a pop heart influenced by Brazilian bossa nova movement, French pop and classic pop in general. The third album, “Vía Satélite Alrededor de Carlos Berlanga” (1997) featured the guest backing vocals of Jone and Teresa (the two girls in LE MANS) in most of the songs.
And now here is his comeback: a new album formed by eight new originals, probably his best so far, plus two cover versions: “A Vannes” by Françoise Hardy (with lyrics in Spanish and renamed “A Cannes”) and the classic bossa nova anthem “Wave” by Antonio Carlos Jobim, singing the original lyrics in English. But no doubt the main thing in this album are the originals: superbly constructed and rendered pop songs, full of perfect, catchy melodies and delicate arrangements.
The words in Spanish are very important in the whole thing, as Carlos (always helped in this task by his old mate Nacho Canut) has always excelled at writing excellent song lyrics in which humour and drama, elegance and decadence always go hand in hand. In this sense, Carlos could be placed in the same group as other masters in the art of injecting intelligence in something as supposedly inane as a simple pop song: PET SHOP BOYS or MOMUS could be perfect travel mates in this sense.
Most of the lyrics in the album deal with the suffering of loving and not being loved, in a hyper real way, but at the same time with a good deal of humour to avoid verging on tragedy. “Estrellas Y Planetas” and “Por Desgracia No” are two very good examples. They combine these bittersweet lyrics with very dancey beats. “Estados” is more languid and disenchanted, both in music and words.
“Vacaciones” is by far the most optimistic track, and at the same time the one with the biggest commercial potential due to its upbeat disco background; but it will hardly turn into a radio hit as its explicit lyrics can be too much for some Spanish Djs; the chorus goes like: “Amor de látex, caucho y goma / Vacaciones en Sodoma / ¿Qué prefieres mantequilla o Tulipán? / Amor de risa, amor de broma / Sexo muerto, sexo en coma / Gaseosa, soda, popper o champán” (Latex love, rubber love / Holidays in Sodom / Do you prefer butter or margarine? / Love as a laugh, love as a joke / Dead sex, sex in a comma / Fizz, soda, popper or champagne?).
The album has been produced by Ibon Errazkin, ex guitarist and main composer of LE MANS, which has also released his first solo album this year. This is not Ibon’s first production work, as he also produced ANA D’s first album, “Satélite 99”. He had also previously worked with Carlos, producing some tracks in “La Cajera” CD-Single, a song from Carlos’ third album, the brilliant “Vía Satélite Alrededor De Carlos Berlanga” (1997).
The album features a sound very different sound to previous Carlos Berlanga albums, which were based on electronics in a bigger deal than this one, mainly acoustic. Ibon’s guitar and bass, Antonio Galvañ (who makes records as PARADE) on synths and piano, backing vocals from Mikel (LA BUENA VIDA) and Alaska (his old mate at PEGAMOIDES and DINARAMA). Real strings and horns are the basic ingredients of the background over which Carlos slips his dramas about abandon and disenchantment. Though most of the album is quiet and smooth, there are some dancey, upbeat moments, like the aforementioned “Estrellas Y Planetas”, “Vacaciones” and “Por Desgracia No”.
The album was mixed in UK by Ibon and Ian Catt, who had worked previously with bands like SAINT ETIENNE, THE FIELD MICE, BRIAN, TREMBLING BLUE STARS, PIZZICATO 5, REPUBLICA, COMBUSTIBLE EDISON, SHAMPOO, THE BOO RADLEYS, Tim Burgess (CHARLATANS), OVAL, ANOTHER SUNNY DAY, Sarah Cracknell and French hitmaker Étienne Daho.
The exquisite final touch is Javier Aramburu’s delightful graphic work. Apart from Carlos’ third album (“Vía Satélite Alrededor De Carlos Berlanga”) he has also made all the sleeves for many independent Spanish bands: that includes all LE MANS and LA BUENA VIDA records, plus ANA D’s “Satélite 99”, and of course FAMILY’s “Un Soplo En El corazón” (Javier was the singer of this band).
In Spain this album means the coming back of Carlos Berlanga, after an absence of some years; his return takes place in the right moment as there’s a new generation of bands (led by ASTRUD) who admires his glamour and talent; for the rest of the world, it means an introduction to a very fine pop songwriter that deserves to be recognized worldwide.
