Every Thursday from 9 p.m. to midnight, the National Autonomous University of Mexico’s (UNAM) official radio station, Radio UNAM, broadcasts the Resistencia Modulada show with live performances at its headquarters in the Julián Carrillo Hall in the Del Valle neighborhood. Experimental music was the genre of the night featuring Ishtarka and Terr Monsta — both Mexican bands — who performed live on Thursday, Oct. 20.
A few minutes past 9 p.m., Ishtarka — aka Raúl Arteaga — opened the session with an outstanding set of electro-progressive drums accompanied by ambient tracks. His artistic name comes from an ensemble of references to different cultures — from the Babylonian goddess of love and war, to the Sanskrit word for sun — which arise from his interest in the occult and in ancient wisdom.
His music could be best described as the soundtrack to an extremely intricate dream, perfectly complemented by Óscar Ortíz’s — aka Black Hole — visuals on display during his act. The combination of digital beats with progressive drums rendered the instrumental set thrilling, but also very soothing, as any good dream should be.
The second part of the show was led by Terr Monsta, a former all-girl trip-hop band who recently admitted their first male member on the bass. The complexity of this band could be explained by the fact that they all come from different parts of the country — from Northern Chihuahua to tropical Veracruz. This diversity creates a unique sound landscape, or to put it in their own words, like “a walk through a cave of giant rubies.”
Their sound is deep and dark, best enjoyed with eyes closed: the riffs from Piaka’s guitar are unbelievable, Itzel’s voice and mastery of the keyboard is luscious and Macarena’s elegant drum skills are in perfect synch with Fernando’s smooth bass.
The choice of bands, along with the superb acoustics of the hall, ensued a remarkable concert which lasted almost two hours. And like the best things in life, Resistencia Modulada’s concerts are free.
