Los Venturas started out in 1998 as ‘Harley & The Revtones’. Playing mostly 60's double-picked instro-tunes they aimed to conquer the Belgian surf scene. The same month they did their first gig, 2 demo-tracks were recorded under the supervising eye of John Blair (!). Sadly these tracks have never been released on CD or vinyl, but maybe someday they will appear on a rarities album...
By the end of 1999 ‘Los Venturas’ was formed after a bassist-switch and a change of name, as ‘Harley & The Revtones’ would wrongly be associated with the motorcycle-brand.
The new name had to sound fresh, warm, ad-venturous and exotic. So ‘Los Venturas’ has –nothing- to do with ‘The Ventures’, sixties-band ‘The Venturas’, Jim Carrey's alter ego 'Ace' or the city with the same name..
Meanwhile they had found their specific sound and started making own compositions. In 2001 these Belgian youngsters released their first 4-track vinyl-only EP ‘Sharkfest’. For some already a classic in neo-surf.
For their full-album ‘Aloha Summer’, Los Venturas wanted to attend that classic sixties surf-sound. In early 2003 they went on a trip to London to record in Liam Watson’s famous ‘Toe Rag Studio’ (think of The White Stripes’ much praised album ‘Elephant’, also recorded in ‘Toe Rag’...).
Still chasing the sparkle of instrumental power, people came, people went, some traded their instruments, but they all switched into high gear and ventured forth into the vast realm of instro-rock.
Thanks to the brilliant songwriting skills of Thomas Molineaux, ‘Aloha Summer’ had a strong follower, ‘Surfers Brew’, an album that mixes ska, surf and a touch of reggae. Mention that all band-members were writing for this album which explains the diversity in styles...
Today they provide a mix of surf, ska, funk, rock-steady, soul, groove, reggae, rai and indie-rock. The recently recorded 4-track EP ‘Besame Mucho’ is the best example of what an instrumental band is capable of... with groovy hot tracks like ‘Theme from P.O.R.N.’, ‘Met de Vespa op de baan’ and ‘Rai Uno’... they will easily blow your mind. Touring in Italy, England, Switzerland, Holland, Luxemburg, Germany, France, Austria, Greece, the Czech Republic, California-USA & Mexico, they sure have marked their spot in the international instrumental scene. Los Venturas have shared the stage with The Surfaris, Slacktone, Jon & The Nightriders, the Trashmen, Leighton Koizumi (The Morlocks), the Neanderthals, De Heideroosjes, Bee Dee Kay & The Roller Coaster and many many more. Keep an eye on their gig-list (on the Los Venturas website or myspace) and maybe you can catch them on a concert in your neighborhood as they keep on touring frequently.
Yours to discover!
Los Venturas are currently working on a new full album to be released in 2009. The first part of the album is recorded by Pete Curry in his 'Powow Fun Room', Culver City. Some of the recorded tracks are already available for your listening pleasure... keep in mind they're not 100 percent finished and unmastered. Prepare for some psychedelic grooves, gypsy swings, reggae-rocksteady vibes and some true surfrockers!
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