La Casa Azul

2007
On March 23rd has been premiered in Spain the movie "The Svensson's Syndrome", the first full length movie by Spanish filmmaker Kepa Sojo, who had already been awarded many times with his previous short movies, "100 maneras de hacer el pollo al txilindrón", "Looking for Chencho" and "Cuando puedas". Defined as the first nonsense-pop movie, "The Svensson's Syndrome" is a nonsensical, surrealistic, underground film with music as its background. The main characters travel in an absurd epic trip to Xàtiva, where there's a pop megaconcert by the hype band of the moment, the KU-3. Music is a very important part of the movie, and on it we can listen to such important names in the independent music scene as FAMILY, LA CASA AZUL, TENDER TRAP, NOSOTRÄSH, JUNIPER MOON or MOGUL.

Music by bands on Elefant Records has been used very often as the perfect dressing for movies, TV series and several commercials. Many music advisors and publicity executives are fans of the label and its bands, and obviously a big part of the music we release is ideal for this task. The last experience we've had on this note is the ad for the new Samsung mobile telephone, where two songs from our catalogue have been chosen as soundtrack to its images: "Avalon" by BEEF (already used in the US on a "Summerland" episode) and the new song by LA CASA AZUL "Un mundo mejor" (which will be included on their next album, "La revolución sexual"). Besides, the ad has been directed by a longtime friend, director Domingo González (who directed the short film "Las superamigas contra el Profesor Vinilo", and videos by LA CASA AZUL or CAMERA OBSCURA). So get ready to watch daily on TV an ad with pop aesthetics and delicious music in the background.

Finally, in November arrives “La revolución sexual”  ("The sexual revolution"), and it features thirteen new songs where Guille Milkyway makes a big step forward in the evolution of his sound and the concept of one of the more successful records we have ever released in Elefant Records.

On this new release we will discover one of the best kept secrets of our age: the boys and girls in the band... are not human! They are humanoids, programmed by Guille so that they can perform his hyper-tech, super-vitaminic, heavily Nippon influenced pop songs! Soon we will let you know more about this, but you must also know that in the new songs by LA CASA AZUL both sound and the themes they sing about evolve towards new landscapes, without losing the direction they have always followed: love and despair are not the only axis on the songs anymore, but we find other feelings as frustration, failed relationships or personal fears; but the music does not lose its chirpy, effervescent qualities at all: this goes to the extreme and the new songs sound even more technological, more Made in Shibuya than ever.

The new shows will be very different to what producer Guille Milkyway used to do until now: it will be an audiovisual, technological experience, a total performance designed to surprise, where Guille will finally have the help of the boys and girls in the band. The shows will be full of unexpected actions with a concept that's very different to what you're used to see in a pop concert. You can believe us when we we tell you that no one will be deceived by these shows, and people will talk very much and very long about them.

Ever since we announced the release of “La Revolucion Sexual” a true revolution has broken out amongst LA CASA AZUL fans. The tickets to both of the Madrid concerts in Sala Sol (Nov. 16th and 17th) have been sold out since last week, clearly demonstrating the excitement this new album is causing . We felt the fever rise with the number of LA CASA AZUL fans when the album was released in FNAC in Madrid and Barcelona, with lines of people cueing for Guille Milkyway to sign their copy of the new release: the cds quickly sold out, and Guille ended up autographing until the stores closed their doors to the public. The same positive energy ignited at the Elastico Club in Madrid where fans were waiting patiently outside before the club even opened: it’s clear that the LA CASA AZUL phenomenon would not exist without the faithfulness and enthusiasm of fans. Without you, none of this would be possible. Although we were ecstatic with the ticket sales this weekend in Madrid, we’re left with a bittersweet sensation for those of you who were not able to purchase tickets. Do not be discouraged and do not throw out the possibility of seeing upcoming concerts in other cities (and sharing the experience with fans from other parts of the country).

Throughout this week you can hear Guille presenting songs from the album on the radio program Siglo 21 on Radio 3, read interviews in various national newspapers such as: Tuesday Nov. 13tth (PÚBLICO Newspaper), Friday Nov. 16th (La Luna EL MUNDO), Friday Nov. 16 (LA RAZÓN), and the amazing, bomb news is that the Guillemania jumps into the mainstream: next Sunday November 18th you can read all about Guille/LA CASA AZUL in the supplement of EL PAÍS SEMANAL (EPS). Even your grandma will know about LA CASA AZUL!

The release of the cd was highly anticipated and long awaited for and we knew what was coming, but good news always makes for a nice surprise: LA CASA AZUL hits the top of the charts in Spain. Throughout the first week on sale, the new album completely sold out in every store, as well as tickets to scheduled concerts, LA CASA AZUL landed directly to number 25 on the charts! Finally a bit of indie color among the top of the charts!

"La revolución sexual" the new LA CASA AZUL video shows the new technological twist of the second phase the group is wrapped up in. Domingo González, director of the three previous LA CASA AZUL videos, has left us absolutely astonished; More inspired than ever, he intelligently achieved mixing two opposing worlds into the video -futuristic coldness and technology- skillfully displaying the new phase of LA CASA AZUL, the synthetic aspect of the group and the human and sentimental side which Guille releases with himself and his music. An explosive mix of the musical influences which saunters about LA CASA AZUL, in a virtual reality format; a refreshing world to dance in, have fun, enjoy oneself, feel the love, loneliness...and of course insisting on our greatly admired Japanese country (with a tribute included to the dance “para para”). The perfect video for truly digging deep into the true sexual revolution.

In December, the group is on the cover of the music magazine MONDO SONORO.

Full house for their concerts in the Apolo in Barcelona (sold out) and the Sala Heineken in Valencia.


2008
Since the release of "La Revolución Sexual" last November, 2007, so many things have happened that it’s impossible to summarize them in these few lines; the press has unanimously loved the album and turned it into a classic in the history of music in this country from the very first day it went on sale. But the most important thing has been how the fans flocked to the stores, longing to get their hands on this delicious collection of songs, placing the album on the best-selling lists in Spain for three consecutive weeks, which is a serious feat for an independent album. The fans’ unconditional support has been and is absolutely fundamental in understanding what many call “la Guillemania”, and not without reason – Guille is a magnetic and special person who has won the heart of his fans; his albums and his songs instantly become a reflection of our own lives and his concerts, in addition to being an original and different audiovisual and technological experience, they have also become an explosion of happiness and liberation, an exercise charged with emotion and paradisiacal satisfaction. Madrid was the chosen city for setting off the “La Revolución Sexual” tour with two incredible nights in the mythic club El Sol, with tickets sold-out days before the concert and absolutely desperate fans unable to get tickets to see their favorite group. They have all been promised a new date in Madrid on March 10th, when “La Revolución Sexual” will unfold in all its glory in Joy Eslava, one of the nicest and most elegant clubs in the capital.

Success and full houses in their concerts in Murcia (Auditorio), Bilbao (Santana 27), La Coruña (Playa Club) and Bilbao (Breogain).

LA CASA AZUL was one of the artists chosen via MySpace for the pre-selection party for TVE’s “Salvemos Eurovisión”. The winning group would represent our country in the EUROVISIÓN 2008 festival (Belgrade). The gala takes place on March 8.

Throughout the year they play in the most important festivals in Spain: Cultura Pop (Madrid), Valladolindie (Valladolid), Día de la Música (Barcelona), Murcia Sound (Murcia), Pop-Arb (Arbúcles), APTC (Zaragoza), FIB (Benicassim), Contempopranea (Badajoz), Semana Grande San Sebastian, Altaveu (Barcelona), BAM (Barcelona), Lemon Pop (Murcia), CamOn (Alicante), FIZ (Zaragoza), Benvinguda (Valencia), Periferias (Huesca), Fiestas Mayores patronales de Benidorm, Palma de Mallorca…etc

In July, the video “Esta Noche Solo Cantan Para Mi” is shown in the Ocho y Medio club in Madrid. The video-clip was directed by Domingo González, with whom the group has worked before and who has always known how to understand and perfectly convey the song, showing the most intimate side of LA CASA AZUL, put never losing sight of the imaginary and artful world that characterizes the group. MTV made a Making of the Video with it, (perfect to learn how a LA CASA AZUL video is created and to listen to declarations from Guille as well as many others who float around in the blue universe).

LA CASA AZUL write the theme song for the TV3 program “Els 25”. “Vull Saber-ho Tot de Tu” is another super-hit for the group, an explosive and catchy melody, outstanding arrangements, references to disco and lyrics, written in Catalan for the first time, about the televised world.

In September they perform in the MTV BAM Music Week festival in Barcelona; more than 20,000 people gather to watch the live recording of LA CASA AZUL’s concert for MTV. The moment was immortalized thanks to MTV’s cameras, which caught every unique and special moment of the performance.

After a very active year, the group decides to take some time off and they give their last concert of the “Lav Revolución Sexual” tour on December 20th in Palma de Mallorca. 2009 will be a year in which Guille is working on new songs in the studio both for LA CASA AZUL and for MILYWAY.