A La Izquierda De La Tierra Review

Date Of Release: ???, 1999

Panteón Rococó is a Mexican Ska/Rock band that formed in Mexico City, Mexico in the year 1995. The band's members consist of:

• Luis Román Ibarra "Dr. Shenka" (Vocals)
• Leonel Rosales "Monel" (Guitarist)
• Rodrigo Bonilla "Gorri" (Guitarist)
• Darío Espinosa (Bass)
• Hiram Paniagua (Drums)
• Marco Huerta "Tanis" (Percussion)
• Paco Barajas (Trombone)
• Felipe Bustamante (Keyboard)
• Missael Oseguera (Saxophone)

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Not a lot is known about Panteón Rococó's beginnings. Though it is known that they formed in the year 1995 in Mexico City, Mexico. During their early years their music was very popular in black markets. It was a way of getting their music out there without a recording label. Eventually though, RCA would sign the group up and their debut album, A La Izquierda De La Tierra (To The Left Of The World) would be released. The album was a major hit and immediately catapulted them into fame.

Aside from having a recording label in Mexico, they also have one in Germany, that being Übersee Records. Panteón Rococó often tour in Europe as well, it being something of a second home to them.

Panteón Rococó's musical style blends several styles of popular music such as Rock, Punk, Salsa, Mariachi, Reggae, and Ska. Into a very energetic and groovy sound. Their lyrics are often times political and contain political statements. As the band as a whole support the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (ZANL). A political and militant group mainly made up of the Indigenous people of Mexico that opposes the Mexican state. They'll often show up in this album in particular. Not all of their songs are about politics however. Many are also about love, humor, and fictional stories.

As with other Rock en Español bands, I was also introduced to this band by my dad. As a kid I remember loving the songs: Arréglame el Alma (Fix My Soul), La Dosis Perfecta (The Perfect Dose), Vendedora de Caricias (Seller Of Caresses), and La Carencia (The Cost Of Living). Their groovy and high energy Latino music is what I loved most about them. I never checked out any of their albums however, not until now that is.

That brings us to today's album review of Panteón Rococó's debut album A La Izquierda De La Tierra. When I first went into this album I had some expectations. But nothing could've prepared me for what I heard that day. What I got was an album filled with back to back bangers. To say I loved this album is an understatement, this is definitely up there as one of the best albums I've heard this year.

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Songs
No Te C... (I Don't C...)
Starting off, this song wastes no time and immediately hits you full force with blaring trumpets and heavily distorted guitars. Everything is coming at you with the speed of a bullet train. You also have a booming and groovy bass line going off in the background. Be prepared for me to talk about the bass a lot during this review, because the bass on this album is fucking phenomenal.j

The lyrics are about living life the way you want to and not having anybody else tell you how to live it.

Es Tan Poco El Tiempo (There's So Little Time)
Taking a step back from the previous chaos, this song starts off with a groovy and moderate tempo. The bass, keyboards, and trumpets are the heart and soul of the track. You'll also have awesome distorted chords come out of electric guitars occasionally to spice up the song. The trumpets at certain points give the song a cool jazz vibe. It's an overall good song with intriguing trumpet playing.

La Dosis Perfecta (The Perfect Dose)
One of Panteón Rococó's greatest hits is our next song up. A fast and groovy tempo kicks us of. With that comes an amazing bass line and Dr. Shenka's great vocals, you can really feel the energy he's putting out. The brass instruments and keyboards are also phenomenal! Towards the middle of the song a guitar solo is played using a pedal that gives it this trippy effect, which produces this wonky yet fun sound.

Lyrically this song is about a man longing for his ex girlfriend after she left him for reasons unknown. He sings about how much he took her for granted. To him she was his perfect dosage, hence the name of the song. I really like the lyrics to this song, especially the chorus that goes, "That the perfect dose is in your hips, In your kisses, your smile, your hair, and that body that bristles me".

Asesinos (Assassins)
The fast and aggressive tempo from the opening track comes back with a vengeance. As always the bass and trumpets don't disappoint. But What I especially love about this song is the aggressiveness that the instruments give out. After hitting the chorus a second time all the instruments give it their all and it's really amazing to hear. This song even has a sort of surf rock vibe to it.

La Consentida (Concha) (The Spoiled (Shell))
I can't even begin to tell you how much I love the beginning of this song. Bongos are introduced and start the song off, along with the amazing bass and drums. It's hard to describe when you aren't Latino but this song has a familiarity to it, there's this tropical vibe to this song that I love. The brass packs a helluva punch on here too.

Pecho Tierra (Dirt Nap)
The bongos make a comeback for this track. The bass proceeds to play this funky and groovy bass line with clapping going on in the background. The electric guitars are also repeatedly strumming cords with this weird effect. It's an effect that's sometimes used in funk songs from what I recall. Dr. Shenka is also heard to be singing the entire first verse in English before reverting back. Halfway through the song the tempo slows down to a headbanging pace, meanwhile trumpets go off in the background.

Lyrically this song is about unity between indigenous Latinos and Native Americans. Dr. Shenka also sings about how you shouldn't be ashamed of being indigenous and fighting for what's been taken from you. He especially goes after the throats of the Mexican state and the United States.

Cürame (Cure Me)
Some really cool techno notes from the keyboard starts us off and persist throughout the entire song. The bongos paired up with the booming bass line is very catchy and makes you wanna get up and dance. Dr. Shenka also delivers some energetic almost rap-like singing on here as well. Towards the halfway point the song cranks up the speed and turns chaotic. It doesn't last long though as it reverts back to normal for the ending.

La Maquinita (The Little Machine)
Fast, aggressive, and loud are words to best describe this song. It's entirely instrumental, so no singing is present. All of the instruments are going full steam ahead. The electric guitars are lashing out these western-like chords, the bass is chugging along, the trumpets are putting out everything they can. This song is definitely punk based. Overall a fun and quick song.

Marco's Hall
We have arrived to one of my favorite, if not my favorite song off the album. Dr. Shenka's vicious scream sends the electric guitars shredding and the bass rolling. A salsa beat is used throughout the song with trumpets blaring at certain times. I love how nicely the trumpets complement the electric guitars on this song, there's also the amazing bass line as well. But what I adore the most is towards the end of the song everything shifts and changes to traditional mariachi music. Needless to say yeah, this song kicks ass.

At the beginning of the song an audio excerpt from one of the leaders of the ZANL is used. In it, he describes how horrible the living conditions were for Indigenous Mexicans and how they were neglected from the government. This song is dedicated to Subcomandante Insurgente Galeano, the main spokesperson for the ZANL. He also went by the name Marco, hence the name of the song. Throughout the song Dr. Shenka sings about Marco's legacy and leadership. As well as singing about the hardships of indigenous Mexicans. Towards the end of the song, Dr. Shenka chants out, "To Victory forever, and ever, and ever!" Before ending.

Pequeño Tratado de un Adiós (Small Treaty of a Goodbye)
Taking a step back from the aggression we have a song that fully embraces the ska sound. I gotta say, this song has one of the best trumpet playing out of all the songs on the album. That scratch strumming coming out of the electric guitars with the trumpets playing alongside them sounds awesome. The bass is as always phenomenal. An acoustic guitar is also introduced into this song but sadly isn't used that much. The chorus is extremely catchy and I constantly find myself singing along to it. Speaking of, Dr. Shenka absolutely kills it on vocals.

Lyrically this is a love song about a man's conflicted emotions for his ex girlfriend. He tries everything he can to get her back but because of her arrogance and urge of watching him anguish over her, he develops a sort of hatred. A line that best describes this song has a whole goes, "Don't forget my dear that in this game we play called love. Whoever wishes for gains is the one who losses."

Toloache Pa Mi Negra (Toloache for my Girl)
This is another one of my favorite songs off the album. Staring off we wave a very catchy riff coming out of an electric guitar. Bongos and the bass join in shortly after. A saxophone, piano, and tuba are also introduced in this song. The drumming for this song is absolutely fantastic. The bass line for this song is the best out of all the songs off the album. This song is just pure fun and joy, it puts me in a good mood everytime I hear it. I also love how towards the end the song slows and quiets down and morphs into a jazz song with beautiful piano playing.

Nada Pasó (Nothing Happened)
This another favorite of mine, yeah I know right? Sheesh. I love this song because it constantly changes to different genres of music. It starts off as reggae, then changes to cumbia (a popular genre of music that originates from Colombia), then changes to Ska, and ends it off with changing to Cuban salsa. The tempo of the song also changes depending on which genre is being played. The band does a very great job of staying consistent and flowing in and out smoothly.

Contrary to the cheery instrumentals this song is about a village oblivious to the fact that tons of it's citizens are dying at the hands of the government. A murder happens but is quickly covered up, hence why no one seems to care or are indifferent to it. The song even calls you out for listening to the music and not the lyrics. Towards the end Dr. Shenka sings about banding together and helping out your neighbors. One of my favorite verses that perfectly captures the tragedy of the song goes, "Pity for him, pity for her. The bullet separated them both, and now he lives happily among the stars, where repression doesn't exist."

La Bruja (The Witch)
Given the name of the song, the beginning focuses on creating this mystical atmosphere. The keyboards produce these mysterious sounding synth notes. The bass is more tame and the trumpets at times emit these almost sinister sounds. Dr. Shenka even adopts a more growl-like voice to sing. A little after the halfway point the song speeds up and gets more lively but still manages to contain the atmosphere from the beginning, which is impressive. The lyrics revolve around a witch and a guy who wants her to give him the ability fly so he can escape from his current life.

Borracho Drunk Steady Beer
We have arrived at the final song off the album. Buzzy notes from the keyboard and a simplistic bass line start us off. This song has a sort of sluggish feel to it, given the title though I say it's appropriate. That is until the halfway point where the song speeds up. The trumpets are having a field day at this part. I also enjoyed their reference to the song Pachuco from the band Maldita Vecindad. Overall this was a pretty good song to end the album off.

Lyrically this song follows a guy who's getting drunk because his girl left him. Saying things like he's never drinking ever again and how he wouldn't mind the savage hangover if it meant he could get back with her one more time.

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Final Thoughts
In conclusion A La Izquierda De La Tierra by Panteón Rococó was a phenomenal album! It's an album that mostly deals with political topics but also has it's fair share of songs that deal with love and other topics. Because of their energetic, catchy, and groovy Latino musicianship you tend to get lost in the music. The replay factor on this album is high as well, I still haven't grown tired of any of the songs.

So is this album worth listening to? Yes! I think so. If political subject matter isn't your thing then I would say otherwise. But as I stated before the instrumentals have so much going on that you tend to overlook the lyrics at times. If you can get past the language barrier then you have an absolute gem if an album just waiting for you. Can't wait to hear what else Panteón Rococó has in store for me.

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If I Had To Rate It Out Of 10: 10/10

Songs I Liked:

• No Te C... (I Don't C...)
• Es Tan Poco El Tiempo (There's So Little Time)
• La Dosis Perfecta (The Perfect Dose)
• Asesinos (Assassins)
• La Consentida (Concha) (The Spoiled (Shell))
• Pecho Tierra (Dirt Nap)
• Cürame (Cure Me)
• Marco's Hall
• Pequeño Tratado de un Adiós (Small Treaty of a Goodbye)
• Toloache Pa Mi Negra (Toloache For My Girl)
• Nada Pasó (Nothing Happened)
• La Bruja (The Witch)
• Borracho Drunk Steady Beer

Songs I Disliked

• None!

Personal Favorites:

• La Dosis Perfecta (The Perfect Dose)
• La Consentida (Concha) (The Spoiled (Shell))
• Pecho Tierra (Dirt Nap)
• Cürame (Cure Me)
• Marco's Hall
• Pequeño Tratado de un Adiós (Small Treaty of a Goodbye)
• Toloache Pa Mi Negra (Toloache For My Girl)
• Nada Pasó (Nothing Happened)

For Those Interested In Checking It Out Here's A Preview Song: