Capsula

Capsula
Background information
Origin	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Genres	Garage rock punk alternative psychedelic rock stoner post-punk indie rock
Years active	1998–present
Labels	BCore Disc Hotsak Vicious Circle Silver Recordings
Website	capsulacapsula.com

Capsula is an Argentine rock band formed in 1998. Their name, which means "capsule" in Spanish, is derived from the David Bowie song "Space Oddity".

Despite not having released an album yet, they played shows in clubs across Europe, showcasing their raw and energetic live performances. As they continued to develop their sound, Capsula caught the attention of legendary producer Tony Visconti, known for his work with David Bowie and T. Rex. Visconti was impressed with their music and agreed to produce their album *Solar Secrets* in 2013. The album was a critical success, with Rolling Stone magazine describing it as "garage-glam heaven on a platter." Capsula's sound was praised as "a dynamic compression of The Who, The Cramps, and Sonic Youth in a high tide of psychedelia."^[1]

The band's reputation grew quickly, and they became known for their intense live performances and unique sound. Capsula's success continued as they toured relentlessly across Europe, the United States, and South America, playing shows with bands like Iggy Pop, Os Mutantes, and Pearl Jam, while developing a devoted fan base. They continued to push the boundaries of their music, experimenting with new sounds and influences.

Today, Capsula is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential rock bands of their generation, with a career that spans over two decades and countless live performances and recordings. Their music has been praised by critics and fans alike, and their influence can be heard in the work of other artists.

Capsula self-released their debut album, Sublime, in 1999, followed by Yudoka in 2000, which showcased their unique blend of alternative rock, lo-fi, experimental, and psychedelic rock genres. After relocating to Bilbao, Capsula continued to experiment with their songwriting process, employing surrealist automatism and cut-up techniques for their self-titled album, Capsula, released in 2002. The album was published and distributed by the independent record label DDT Diskak from Bilbao and was characterized by its alternative rock, experimental, and psychedelic rock sounds. To promote the album, the band played intimate acoustic performances at libraries and on radio shows starting in 2003.

In 2005, Capsula began recording their album Songs & Circuits, which was eventually released by the Madrid-based label Discos Liliput. This album showcased a mix of garage rock, pop rock, indie rock, psychedelic rock, and glam, and was distributed globally by the label Northern Star Records. It was described as "garage rock for the 21st Century." The album hinted at the feeling of being in the presence of a truly great group. Capsula embarked on an extensive tour in support of the album, performing 110 shows across the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America, receiving rave reviews for their electrifying live performances.

Capsula's musical influences, including The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, early David Bowie, and Television, are evident in their acclaimed live performances.

Since then, Capsula has toured extensively across three continents, including five tours in the United Kingdom, France, Germany (where their participation in the Popkomm 2008 festival raised their profile and led to their inclusion in the BCore Disc roster), Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, South America, and a tour of the United States, including a celebrated performance at the SXSW festival in Texas.

After the release of their album Songs & Circuits in 2006, Capsula signed with the Barcelona-based independent record label BCore Disc in October 2008 and released their album Rising Mountains in April 2009. Rolling Stone critic David Fricke hailed them as one of the best surprises at the 2009 SXSW festival.^[2] The band toured extensively in support of the album, performing 54 shows across Europe, the United States, and South America.

Capsula's live performances are renowned for their integration of visuals and a technological display, creating a distinctive style of futuristic garage-rock. In 2009, they collaborated with New York City rock legend Ivan Julian of Richard Hell and the Voidoids to record the album The Naked Flame. The album was released in Spain by Bloody Hotsak in July 2009.

In 2011, Capsula released In the Land of Silver Souls, produced by John Agnello. The album was supported by a tour in the United States, including 39 shows, such as performances at KEXP's Concerts at the Mural in the Seattle Amphitheatre and the City Arts Festival. The band also toured extensively across South America, performing in Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.

In 2012, Capsula returned to the studio to record a personal reinterpretation of David Bowie's classic album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, produced by John Agnello. The process of recording the album was documented in a film titled Dreaming of Ziggy Stardust, which was featured in the Official Section of the Dock of the Bay Music Documentary Film Festival in San Sebastián.^[3] The album was described as "more than simple curiosity, a contemporary approach to the album. A bit more lo-fi, garage. A bit dirtier. Equally rocking."^[4]

In 2013, Capsula recorded a new album titled Solar Secrets, produced by Tony Visconti, who had just completed David Bowie's powerful comeback album The Next Day. The album drew inspiration from Argentine painter Xul Solar and featured tracks such as "Constellation Freedom," "Seven Crimes," and "Trails of Senselessness." Rolling Stone and the Chicago Tribune premiered the song "Blind," with critics describing the album as "garage-glam heaven on a platter" and "a dynamic compression of the Who, Cramps, and Sonic Youth in a high tide of psychedelia."^[1]

Capsula performed 53 shows in the United States, touring with the influential Brazilian psychedelic rock band Os Mutantes, and 57 shows across Europe. They played at Austin Psych Fest 2013, where the Austin Chronicle described their performance as "a fabulous gilded snake, writhing on a big stage while plying seismic garage rock.^[5]" In December 2013, Capsula opened for L.A. punk band X, with singer, artist, and poet Exene Cervenka publicly expressing her admiration for the band.

Capsula appeared at several music festivals, including SXSW from 2008 to 2012, San Sebastian Jazz Festival in 2013, Día De La Música Festival in Madrid in 2013, Nox Orae in Vevey, Switzerland in 2013, Sonorama Festival in Burgos in 2013, DCode Festival in Madrid in 2012, Primavera Sound in Barcelona in 2011, Bilbao BBK Live in 2010, Low Cost Festival in Benidorm in 2011, Nrmal Festival in Monterrey, Mexico in 2010, Decibelle (formerly Estrojam) in Chicago in 2010, and Incubate (formerly ZXZW) in Tilburg, Netherlands in 2008, among others. In November 2015, they opened for Pearl Jam in Argentina at Estadio Único de La Plata.

Capsula has also been featured multiple times on KEXP, the iconic Seattle-based radio station, where they delivered live sessions that highlighted their electrifying presence.

In 2016, Capsula recorded Santa Rosa, an album heavily influenced by surrealism, The Cramps, Dead Kennedys, and science fiction. The band played 110 shows in 220 days across 93 cities^[6] while promoting the album.

The album was mastered in Argentina by Eduardo Bergallo and released by the Basque label Gaztelupeko Hotsak in Spain and the independent label from the city of Bordeaux, Vicious Circle, in France.

In 2018, Capsula began writing a new album titled Bestiarium, which was inspired by antique bestiaries as well as the 1962 film by Jean Cocteau in which he asks whether humans in the 2000s have become robots. The album is Capsula's personal answer to that curious and accurate question.

Each song on Bestiarium features a creature that is a unique blend of human, animal, and divine characteristics. Capsula imagines these beings as representing the cyborgs of the future, exploring themes of identity and transformation in a rapidly evolving world.

The album was created using a combination of surrealistic cut-up techniques with algorithms, which enabled the band to experiment with new sounds and push the boundaries of their music. Bestiarium was released in 2019 and received critical acclaim for its innovative approach to rock music.

Recorded at Silver Recordings, the songs of this album have a noir spirit. The first singles are "Sirens's Lips," "Cry With You," and a cover of The Lords of the New Church's "Russian Roulette."

The album was published on March 22, 2019. Barcelona's magazine Ruta 66 described Bestiarium as a "dark retrofuturist and punk paradise."^[7] The musical publication MondoSonoro called it a "Devilish and exciting artifact," rating it 8/10.^[8]

Phantasmaville, released in 2021 and published by Capsula's label Silver Recordings, features a unique combination of psychedelic, post-punk, and Latin sounds, with pulsating rhythms and raw, energetic guitar riffs. Capsula accompanied the release with a tour of 54 concerts throughout Spain, France, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and the United States.

In 2021, Phantasmaville was voted the second-best national album by the rock 'n' roll magazine Ruta 66. It was also included in the Top 5 list for November 2021 by the radio station KEXP.

According to rock journalist Ignacio Julià, "In 'Phantasmaville,' they maintain and amplify their psycho-glam-rocker vocation, oblivious to the trends and flavors that dominate popular music of the new millennium."^[9]

In 2024, Capsula released Primitivo Astral, an album celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary and solidifying their place as one of the most innovative acts in contemporary rock. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at their own studio, Silver Recordings, in Bilbao, the album features cover art by Jaime Zuverza and explores a narrative that blends primal and cosmic elements, transporting the listener to a universe of monumental riffs, cosmic soundscapes, and lyrics filled with mysticism and raw emotion.

The album’s title embodies the blend of the earthly and the cosmic, uniting heavy psych, post-punk, and stoner rock with a futuristic vision. According to Martín Guevara, "Primitivo Astral is a journey where riffs are always the cornerstone of everything we do. It’s a fantastic journey, an inner voyage in the format of a cosmic comic strip, with few words that shift between languages as if they were beings from tiny planets observing and synthesizing."^[10]

Coni Duchess describes the album as "a crossover between what feels ancient and what feels like science fiction, a constant balance between the familiar and the unknown." She further explains, "The context is the unreal, the intangible—the possibility of understanding our surroundings through the fantastic. Music has always been our way of exploring, but it’s also a reflection of our transformed reality."^[10]

The songs were created with complete creative freedom, as the band had total control over the studio environment. This allowed them to experiment with textures and innovative dynamics. Martín notes, "We’ve learned to combine visual material, fantasy, and memory on the road—it’s part of our dynamic." Coni adds, "This album has a raw, direct energy and a special force."^[10]

Before the album’s release, the band surprised fans with an enigmatic announcement on social media. Martín Guevara performed the release date of Primitivo Astral in Morse code using the sounds and feedback of his electric guitar. The message revealed that the album would be released on October 11, 2024: .--. .-. .. -- .. - .. ...- --- .- ... - .-. .- .-.. .---- .---- --- -.-. - ..- -... .-. . ..--- ----- ..--- ....-.

Primitivo Astral was met with widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Rock & Folk (France), in an article by Jérôme Soligny, described it as "a rock with no equivalent in today’s music scene," awarding it four stars and highlighting tracks like "Rayo Oscuro" and "La Luz Azul" for their explosive energy. Clash Magazine (UK) called it "a psychedelic journey blending 60s and 70s influences," commending its seamless fusion of post-punk and cosmic atmospheres.

KEXP (Seattle, USA) premiered the single "Spelling Love" on The Midday Show, marking its global debut. Additionally, Turbo 3 (Radio 3, Spain) included "Automatical Soul" among the best songs of the year,^[11] while El Sótano (Radio 3, Spain) recognized "(In the Garden of) Narcissus" as one of 2024’s most memorable compositions.^[12]

Ruta 66 (Spain) praised the album’s ability to combine 70s rock influences with a contemporary and retro-futuristic perspective. The magazine described the album as "a delight from start to finish, where punk, glam, stoner, psychedelia, and rock’n’roll converge in a powerful mix." During a concert in Barcelona, they noted, "The spirit of heavy psychedelia hovered over the room with 'Arrow,' as Martín shredded like a man possessed."

Louder Than War (UK) called it "impulsive, hypnotic, and vibrant." RockZone described the album as "a constant display of strength, with songs that transcend genres and leave a lasting impression." They highlighted Coni’s vocals as "exquisite and precise in their psychedelic flourishes, reminding us that this is an essential part of the band’s sound. Listen to 'Arrow' or, even more so, that darkly psychedelic masterpiece 'Spelling Love,' where Martín’s riffs transport you to another dimension. Stunning." Big Takeover further praised the album as "a timeless fusion of the best of psychedelic rock and post-punk."

Rock & Folk also noted how the band integrates cultural and aesthetic references, such as the surrealism of Jean Cocteau and the unsettling atmospheres of David Lynch, which enhance the narrative depth of their music. Influences as diverse as Bowie, Nebula, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Stooges, Black Sabbath, Velvet Underground, Earthless, and The Seeds are frequently invoked when describing the band’s eclectic and unique sonic palette.

The Primitivo Astral tour has taken Capsula to prominent stages and festivals across Spain, France, and Switzerland, where the band has unleashed their boundless energy in live performances. Currently, the group continues their tour through 2024 and 2025, presenting the album in new cities and international venues.

The record has been featured on numerous year-end lists as one of the best albums of 2024, further cementing Capsula’s legacy. As RockZone aptly summarized, "Capsula, over twenty years in the game, delivers a new album that is absolutely delightful and essential listening. Marvelous."

Capsula covered "I Need Somebody" and "Gimme Danger" by Iggy Pop & The Stooges, the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie, "Run Run Run" by The Velvet Underground, "Planet Caravan" by Black Sabbath, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" by The Ramones, "Color Humano" by Almendra, "Mejor No Hablar de Ciertas Cosas" by Sumo, "Imágenes Paganas" by Virus and "Russian Roulette" by The Lords of The New Church.

• Sublime 1999. La Nena Records, Hotsak
• Yudoka 2000. La Nena Records, Hotsak
• Ultimo Fragmento 2000. La Nena Records
• Capsula 2002. DDT diskak
• Songs & Circuits 2006. Discos Liliput, Devil In Her Heart
• Rising Mountains 2009. BCore Disc
• Ivan Julian & Capsula – The Naked Flame 2009. Bloody Hotsak, 02:59 Records
• In The Land Of Silver Souls 2011. Krian Music Group, BCore Disc
• Dreaming Of Ziggy Stardust 2012. (cover)
• Solar Secrets 2013. Krian Music Group
• Santa Rosa 2016. Silver Recordings, Vicious Circle and Hotsak
• Bestiarium 2019. Vicious Circle, Dynamo Tapes, Silver Recordings, Hotsak
• Phantasmaville 2021. Silver Recordings, Adrenalinfix Music, After Before, Head Records
• Primitivo Astral 2024. Silver Recordings

• Dead Or Alive 2014. Hotsak, Krian Music Group

• "Voices Underground". Bands on Tour Compilation. 2005. Ria Records
• "A boy through airwaves" Bendito Pop. Junk Records. 2006
• "Found & Lost" This Is The New Bcore Sampler For 2009. 2009. B-Core
• "Found & Lost" Psychedelica 4. 2010. Northern Star Records
• "In The Land Of Silver Souls" Bcore Disc Sampler 2010. 2010. B-Core
• "Magnetic Brain" Live At KEXP Volume Seven. 2011. KEXP
• "Under The Woods" À Découvrir Absolument Vol 24. 2011. À Découvrir Absolument
• "Hit 'n' Miss" Bigotes, Bombines y Decibelios Vol. 1. 2011. Señor López Discos
• "Hit 'n' Miss" Bcore Disc Sampler 2012. 2012. B-Core

• "Imagenes Paganas" 2001. Virus Tribute. White Label
• "From the Sun" 2004. White Label
• "Shshout" 2005. White Label
• "Run Run Run" The Velvet Underground Tribute. 2007. Green Light / Electric Mountain
• Siren's Lips 2018. Silver Recordings, Hotsak

• 2014 – Dreaming Of Ziggy Stardust

• Official site
• Capsula discography Capsula at Discogs
• Capsula at Spotify
• Capsula at MusicBrainz