Le Mans

2006

Young Spanish artist Juan Carlos Bracho -winner of several art prizes, and with work exhibited at the ARCO06 fair- chose for one of his most celebrated works the title: "Catástrofe nº17", name inspired in the song that also gives title to the singles compilation by LE MANS. With this work he won in 2005 the Purificación García Photography Contest.

On November 14th comes out "Pío Pío", the debut album by SINGLE. Ibon and Teresa have reinvented pop music's language choosing the best from the most diverse origins: reggae and country-pop, R&B, synth-pop and hip-hop, picking up the thread (and going much further beyond) where LE MANS had left it with their fabulous farewell trilogy.
The cover artwork is, as usual, a new great work by Javier Aramburu.

At the end of 2006, Spanish video production company Malvalanda released a double-DVD featuring the work of 18 Spanish filmmakers who work in the videoclip field. The title of this compilation, which apart from the videoclips includes interviews and comments with the directors, is "Eclectia". As you can tell from the name itself, the list of artists featured is quite eclectic, going from ASTRUD to the commercial latin-pop of Bisbal or the rockist ways of Andrés Calamaro. But we are of course especially interested in the interviews and comments with two of the directors that work regularly with Elefant Records: Gabe Ibáñez (with "Canción de todo va mal" by LE MANS) and Domingo González (with "Como un fan" by LA CASA AZUL).

Discography in Elefant:

R-1005 LE MANS “Le Mans” LP/CD (December 1993)
ER-1020 LE MANS “Entresemana” LP/CD (November 1994)
ED-002 LE MANS “Zerbina” Mini-LP/CD (July 1995)
ER-1023 LE MANS “Saudade” Double-LP/CD Digipak (February 1996)
ER-168 LE MANS “Dry Martini” Single 7" (January 1996)
ED-004 LE MANS “Jonathan Jeremiah” Maxi-Single 12"/CD-Single (October 1996)
ER-312 LE MANS “Mi novela autobiográfica” Maxi-Single 12"/CD-Single Digipak (September 1997)
ER-188 LE MANS “Mi novela autobiográfica” Single 7" (September 1997)
ER-314 LE MANS “Yin Yang” Maxi-Single 12"/CD-Single Digipak (April 1998)
ER-1058 LE MANS “Aquí vivía yo” Double-LP/CD Digipak (October 1998)
ER-1105 LE MANS “Castástrofe nº 17” CD Digipak (November 2003)
ER-1110 LE MANS “Aquí vivía yo” CD Digipak (February 2004)
ER-1111 LE MANS “Saudade” CD Digipak (May 2004)
ER-1112 LE MANS "Entresemana" CD Digipak (November 2005)
ER-1113 LE MANS "Le Mans" CD Digipak (November 2005)

Songs in compilations:
- “Un rayo de sol”, in THE WORLD SHINES BRIGHTLY (CD Trattoria, Japan, 1994)
- “My darkest light will shine”, in A TRIBUTE TO FELT (CD ER-1001, 1995)
- “A la hora del café”, in POP BIZ vol.2 (CD Japan, 1995)
- “Perezosa y tonta”, in BENICASSIM 95 (CD/MC RCA, 1995)
- “Perezosa y tonta”, in ELEFANT JUICE (CD ER-1018,1995)
- “Un rayo de sol”, in RUIDO? (Double CD/ Doble MC RCA, 1995)
- “Lucien”, in ELEFANT RADIO (CD ER-1029, 1996)
- “Zerbina (té y kriptonita Vanguard mix)”, in COSMOSOUND 1 (CD Cosmos Records, 1996)
- “Evelyn (with PENELOPE TRIP)”, in CANCIONES DEL CINE ESPAÑOL (CD Astro, 1996)
- “Dry Martini”, in RUIDO? vol. 2 (CD RCA, 1997)
- “La balada de la primavera”, in split EP Bedtime Records (USA, 1998)
- “La balada de la primavera”, in SUPERMARKET (CD ER-1051, 1998)
- “Dos marinos en la playa”, in TRANSMARINE (CD Radio Khartoum, USA, 1998)
- “La balada de la primavera”, in Sniegowe RytmY (cassette Arnold, Poland, 1999)
- “La balada de la primavera”, in DREAM POP (CD BigFish Music, Japan, 1999)
- “Ay qué triste estoy”, in VERANO DEL 99 (CD ER-1062, 1999)
- “Jueves 27”, in ELEFANTDIEZ (CD ERDL-001, 1999)
- “Canción de todo va mal” and “Belleza arrebatadora”, in O MOUCO #3 (CD Portugal, 1999)
- “La balada de la primavera”, in MOSHI MOSHI, POP INTERNATIONAL STYLE (CD March, USA, 2000)
- “Zerbina”, in ATOMIUM 3003 (CD Bungalow, Germany, 2000)
- “El amor”, in DO NOT FEAR THE FUTURE (Grimsey, USA, 2000)
- “Yin Yang”, in CAFE BIZARRE SUNSET DANCETERIA (CD Primeros Pasitos, 2000)
- “Ay qué triste estoy”, in CD with fanzine SENSE (Greece, 2001)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica (Kabuki remix)”, in TRAFFIC VARIOUS STEPS (CD Combination, Germany, 2001)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica”, in FOLKY, ACOUSTIC MUSIC IN DIGITAL TIMES (CD Spectrumworks, Germany, 2001)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica”, in FOLKY, ACOUSTIC MUSIC IN DIGITAL TIMES (CD Quattro, Japan, 2002)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica (Kabuki remix)”, in FROM THE DECKS OF MARSCHMELLOWS (CD Audiopharm, Germany 2002)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica (instrumental)”, in BEACH LIFE: THE SALINAS SESSIONS VOL II (CD Incredible 2002)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica (Kabuki remix)”, in WILDSTYLE 01 (Double-CD Stereo Deluxe, Germany 2002)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica (Kabuki remix)”, in GROOVE ANTHOLOGY (CD Indigo, Germany 2002)
- “La balada de la primavera”, in RITMIC.POP (CD Junk Records, 2002)
- “La tarea”, in ELEFANT 2002 (CD Suave, Mexico, 2002)
- “Buenos días corazón”, in MODAPOP (CD ER-1094, September 2003)
- “Catástrofe nº17”, in MODAPOP (CD ER-1094, September 2003)
- “Zerbina (Pez club mix)”, in MOMENTOS PERDIDOS (ER-1115 CD, 2004)

Records in other Spanish labels:
- “Me quedaré soltera” (cover version of Spanish folk singer Cecilia, with FANGORIA) in a flexidisc for Club Fan Fatal, 1994. Also in FANGORIA’s “Interferencias” album (CD Subterfuge, 1998)

Non-Spanish releases:
- “Le Mans+Entresemana” (CD Tokuma Japan Communications, 1996)
- “Saudade” (CD Tokuma Japan Communications, 1996)
- “Un Rayo De Sol” (7” single Grimsey Records, USA, 1996)
- “Le Mans+Entresemana” (CD Grimsey Records, USA, 1996)
- “Aquí vivía yo” (CD Grimsey Records, USA, 1999)
- “Canción de si tú me quieres” (CD-Single Indice Virgen, Argentina, 2000)
- “1993-1998” (compilation CD Indice Virgen, Argentina, 2000)
- “Mi novela autobiográfica (instrumental)” and “Mi novela autobiográfica (Kabuki remix)” (Maxi-Single Spectrumworks, Germany, 2001)

Press:

Aventuras de Kirlian
- “In the year of 1989, when there was a notorious lack of ideas and freshness in the Spanish musical scene, songs like “Maravillas” or “En un día gris” turned the band as the only hope for all those who used the British independent pop bands as a mirror to reflect their little frustrations and weaknesses.”
César Macondo, Rockdelux (march, 1995)

Entresemana
- “Entresemana” is better arranged, sung and played, and now Le Mans are a real band, on top of the Spanish independent acts.”
Oscar Cubillo, El Tubo (february, 1995)

- “No doubt Le Mans are by now one of the most exciting bands of the 90’s, alongside with Portishead, Moose, Codeine or Mazzy Star. They’ve just released a classic.”
Christophe Basterra, Magic! - France (march, 1995)

- “Entresemana” is a small, wonderful treasure, surely one of the best albums done in the 90’s.”
El Tubo (april, 1995)

- “Le Mans have touched us again with their lazy and simple vision of pop music.”
Carlos Solans, Ruta 66 (january, 1995)

- “Eight precious gems, a bit sour but neccessary.”
Rockdelux (march, 1995)

Zerbina
- “Sophisticated dance music, plenty of talent.”
El País de las Tentaciones

Saudade
- “The themes they deal with now are more adult and arid, getting away with it thanks to their usual skillfullness at creating evocative melodic lines.”
Rockdelux (april, 1996)

- “Le Mans have created a world of their own, rich and subtle, with the humbleness that characterizes the best authors.”
Magic! (France)

- “They reach unsurpassable heights of beauty.”
El pez que todo lo ve

- “A nostalgic, sensitive episode.”
Ruta 66 (april 1996)

Mi novela autobiográfica
- “The best composition of the band so far (...) polished, fashionable, precise, evocative, practically perfect.”
Xavier Cervantes, Rockdelux ( may 1998)

- “The title track is as sad and cooly sexy as anything from Serge Gainsbourg, sung with the bored weariness of a smoke-wreathed chanteuse all but expiring of ennui. Yes, I mean that in a good way.”
Chris Wodskou, Exclaim (Canada, january 1998)

- “They turn off the lights and submit to melancholy, something that they perfectly know how to do”.
Llorenç Roviras, Rock Sound, april 1998)

- “Somewhere between late Stereolab and early Portishead (...) “La balada de la primavera” is a lounge gem that would fit perfectly in Stereolab’s “Dots and Loops”.”
Gerardo Sanz, Rockdelux (october 1997)

- “All the components miraculously fall into place: the white voice, an organ pretending to be a theremin and playing hide-and-seek with the guitars (...) Le Mans are an experienced band at the peak of their creative powers”.
Elizabeth Vincentelli, Puncture (USA, Spring 1998)

Aquí vivía yo
- “The sound enraptures you with its almost poetic fragility; these charming songs are welcomed into the history of pop music. No doubt it’s the best goodbye possible”.
Fernando Martín, El País de las Tentaciones (november 1998)

- “They sound at the peak of their possibilities, with that tired music which sounds simple at first, but behind that apparent simplicity hides a whole world of musical sensations (...) Very few Spanish pop albums can display the rich sound sensibility that “Aquí vivía yo” boasts.”
Rafa Cervera, efeeme (december 1998)

- “All what they have learnt throughout all these years has been put to good use: finally, fifty two minutes that sum up the grandeur of all their previous little giant steps. An inspired, elegant farewell.”
Ricardo Aldarondo, Rockdelux (november 1998)

- “I find this album extraordinary, as it transpires sensuality, emotion, maturity, tenderness, Brazilian whispers and small risks. The exact opposite of an insubstantial or apathetic work.”
Ramón Robert, Ruta 66 (january 1999)

- “A fantastic album in which melancholy and sweetness go hand in hand thanks to Teresa Iturrioz’s acid and intelligent lyrics, combined with the music of Ibon Errazkin, in his continuing progression as a composer, plus Jone Gabarain’s wonderful vocals.”
Iñaki Ellakuria, aB (december 1998)

Le Mans + Entresemana (USA edition, Grimsey 1998)

- “Imagine the rainy seaside town of San Sebastian, Spain, as the next port-of-call for the indie circuit, like Olympia or Glasgow. At least, that’s the picture you get from the elegant, impressionistic soundscapes of Le Mans, the best Spanish indie band you’ve never heard of.”
Arnold Pan, Option.

- “Le Mans music conjures up images of Claudine Longet fronting Stereolab (...) Vocalist Jone Gabarain is so charmingly laden with ennui that one might wonder if she wasn’t busy reading Sartre while she was singing her parts.”
Soma