Tristeza
Encyclopedia
Tristeza is a post-rock
band from San Diego, California
. The band has performed in 19 countries.
Tristeza is a California-based band, with most members currently living in Oakland, CA.
4 out of 5 current members are the parents of 5 daughters, with one son expected in 2011.
The band has drifted in and out of the scene for over 13 years, with their roots still firmly-planted in the underground.
Although the group formed in San Diego during 1997, no current members reside there.
The original line up was: Christopher Sprague, Luis Hermosillo, James LaValle, James Lehner, and Stephen Swesey. This line-up recorded all material that was released through 2003, including the albums "Spine and Sensory(1999)" and "Dream Signals in Full Circles(2000)"
In January 2003, Tristeza played its last concert with Jimmy Lavalle as a main member, but he has joined the band occasionally since then to fill in on guitar and additional keys.
During 2004, they enlisted guitarist Alison Ables and keyboardist Sean Ogilvie to begin writing songs for "A Colores(2005)". This line-up recorded all material that was released during 2005-2006.
At the start of 2007, the core of Tristeza(Sprague, Lehner, and Hermosillo) with the assistance of Ogilvie, began collaborating with various musicians around the Bay Area, including Camaron Stephens on guitar, and released the scarce/disjointed/lo-fi "Fate Unfolds(2009)" mini album.
In 2010, Tristeza recorded their current album "Paisajes(2010)" with Tim Green who recorded the band's first album.
"Paisajes" features the band's current line-up: Christopher Sprague(guitar), Luis Hermosillo(bass), James Lehner(drums), Camaron Stephens(guitar), and Chris Hash(keys).
described Tristeza's style in a review of their album, Dream Signals in Full Circles, "A typical Tristeza track involves a down-shifted take on emo's rhythmic lopsidedness, beds of washy, behind-the-beat keyboards, and Christopher Sprague's arpeggiated, effect-drenched guitar melodies. It's all adeptly played, but the point is less individual virtuosity than collective compositional panache."
Piero Scaruffi
wrote, "San Diego's Tristeza seemed to wed new-age music and instrumental post-rock with the slow, gentle pieces of Spine and Sensory (1999)."
Discography notes:
Tristeza's first release was the "Foreshadow" b/w "Smoke Through Glass" single.
It was recorded and mixed by Gar Wood in a garage in San Diego during December, 1997 in one afternoon.
The "Spine and Sensory" album was recorded at Tim Green's Louder Studios, a basement studio on the south side of San Francisco. It took one week to record and mix the album in the Autumn of 1998.
"Dream Signals in Full Circles" was recorded/produced in Chicago by Dave Trumfio at Kingsize Soundlabs during the Spring of 2000. The album was recorded and mixed in 10 days.
"A Colores" was recorded during 3 winter weeks of 2005 at Key Club Recording in Benton Harbor, MI by Bill Skibbe and Jessica Ruffins. The album was mixed during the summer of 2005 by Alan Sanderson in San Diego.
"Paisajes" was recorded and mixed again at Louder Studios with Tim Green in the Winter and Spring of 2010. The band took a low-stress approach to this album. It took about 4 months to complete.
Tristeza's many other various ep's, singles, tour cd's, demos, etc. were mainly self-recorded by the band, as well by Matt Anderson, Alan Sanderson, Mike Hammel, and Pall Jenkins.
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band from San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The band has performed in 19 countries.
Tristeza is a California-based band, with most members currently living in Oakland, CA.
4 out of 5 current members are the parents of 5 daughters, with one son expected in 2011.
The band has drifted in and out of the scene for over 13 years, with their roots still firmly-planted in the underground.
Although the group formed in San Diego during 1997, no current members reside there.
The original line up was: Christopher Sprague, Luis Hermosillo, James LaValle, James Lehner, and Stephen Swesey. This line-up recorded all material that was released through 2003, including the albums "Spine and Sensory(1999)" and "Dream Signals in Full Circles(2000)"
In January 2003, Tristeza played its last concert with Jimmy Lavalle as a main member, but he has joined the band occasionally since then to fill in on guitar and additional keys.
During 2004, they enlisted guitarist Alison Ables and keyboardist Sean Ogilvie to begin writing songs for "A Colores(2005)". This line-up recorded all material that was released during 2005-2006.
At the start of 2007, the core of Tristeza(Sprague, Lehner, and Hermosillo) with the assistance of Ogilvie, began collaborating with various musicians around the Bay Area, including Camaron Stephens on guitar, and released the scarce/disjointed/lo-fi "Fate Unfolds(2009)" mini album.
In 2010, Tristeza recorded their current album "Paisajes(2010)" with Tim Green who recorded the band's first album.
"Paisajes" features the band's current line-up: Christopher Sprague(guitar), Luis Hermosillo(bass), James Lehner(drums), Camaron Stephens(guitar), and Chris Hash(keys).
Critical reception
CMJ New Music MonthlyCMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly was a monthly music magazine with interviews, reviews, and special features. Each issue included a compact disc with 15 to 24 songs by well established bands, unsigned bands, and everything in between...
described Tristeza's style in a review of their album, Dream Signals in Full Circles, "A typical Tristeza track involves a down-shifted take on emo's rhythmic lopsidedness, beds of washy, behind-the-beat keyboards, and Christopher Sprague's arpeggiated, effect-drenched guitar melodies. It's all adeptly played, but the point is less individual virtuosity than collective compositional panache."
Piero Scaruffi
Piero Scaruffi
Piero Scaruffi received a degree in Mathematics in 1982 from University of Turin, where he did work on the General Theory of Relativity. For a number of years he was the head of the Artificial Intelligence Center at Olivetti, based in Cupertino, California. He has been a visiting scholar at...
wrote, "San Diego's Tristeza seemed to wed new-age music and instrumental post-rock with the slow, gentle pieces of Spine and Sensory (1999)."
Discography
- 1998 - Foreshadow CD-EP/7" (Caffeine vs. Nicotine)
- 1999 - Spine and SensorySpine and SensorySpine and Sensory is an LP by Tristeza. It was recorded at Louder Studios in San Francisco, CA, and released in 1999 by Makoto Recordings. In 2004 the album was remastered and re-released with bonus tracks by Better Looking Records.-Track listing:...
CD/LP (Makoto Recordings) - 1999 - Macrame EP/7" (Rocket Racer)
- 1999 - In Sound Tour Support Series CD-EP (Insound)
- 2000 - Are We People EP/7" (Tiger Style)
- 2001 - Tristeza Rules CD-EP (Rocket Racer)
- 2001 - Dream Signals in Full CirclesDream Signals in Full CirclesDream Signals in Full Circles is an LP by Tristeza released on Tigerstyle Records in 2000.-Track listing:#"Building Peaks" – 4:51#"Respirá" – 4:37#"City of the Future" – 5:53#"Shifty Drifty" – 3:46#"Auroura Borealis" [sic] – 4:40...
CD/LP (Tiger Style) - 2002 - Mania Phase EP (GravityGravity RecordsGravity Records is an underground independent record label from San Diego. It was formed in 1991 by Matt Anderson, a member of the influential underground band Heroin. It has been central in developing and promoting the "San Diego sound" - an idiosyncratic form of post-hardcore with loose, chaotic...
) - 2002 - Mixed Signals CD/2xLP (Tiger Style)
- 2002 - Tristeza/Lemko Hall Split-EP (Speaker Phone Recordings)
- 2003 - Espuma CD/LP (Gravity)
- 2005 - Bromas CD-EP/12" Single (Better LookingBetter Looking RecordsBetter Looking Records is a record label with offices in Los Angeles and San Diego. Founded in 1999, Paul Fischer, who DJ'd at KXLU college radio station in Los Angeles and worked at crank! Records, partnered with Dave Brown who ran Holiday Matinee Publicity and Muddle fanzine. The label grew...
) - 2005 - March of the White Lies CD (Rocket Racer)
- 2005 - A Colores CD/2xLP (Better Looking)
- 2006 - En Nuestro DesafioEn Nuestro DesafioEn Nuestro Desafio is a CD/DVD by Tristeza released on August 22, 2006 by Better Looking Records. The DVD portion contains videos for 12 songs, most of which are not on the CD.-CD:#Común#Wearing the Blues#Organ Melts You#Cuando Cuando Amor Amor...
CD/DVD (Better Looking) - 2009 - Fate Unfolds Digital (Better Looking)
- 2010 - Paisajes CD/LP (Sanity Muffin)
Discography notes:
Tristeza's first release was the "Foreshadow" b/w "Smoke Through Glass" single.
It was recorded and mixed by Gar Wood in a garage in San Diego during December, 1997 in one afternoon.
The "Spine and Sensory" album was recorded at Tim Green's Louder Studios, a basement studio on the south side of San Francisco. It took one week to record and mix the album in the Autumn of 1998.
"Dream Signals in Full Circles" was recorded/produced in Chicago by Dave Trumfio at Kingsize Soundlabs during the Spring of 2000. The album was recorded and mixed in 10 days.
"A Colores" was recorded during 3 winter weeks of 2005 at Key Club Recording in Benton Harbor, MI by Bill Skibbe and Jessica Ruffins. The album was mixed during the summer of 2005 by Alan Sanderson in San Diego.
"Paisajes" was recorded and mixed again at Louder Studios with Tim Green in the Winter and Spring of 2010. The band took a low-stress approach to this album. It took about 4 months to complete.
Tristeza's many other various ep's, singles, tour cd's, demos, etc. were mainly self-recorded by the band, as well by Matt Anderson, Alan Sanderson, Mike Hammel, and Pall Jenkins.