Los Amigos Invisibles 'The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera' 2xLP

Los Amigos Invisibles (The Invisible Friends) have created the ultimate party album. Surprising segues — one after another — join non-stop grooves. Like having an incredible DJ at your house working for the mere price of a CD (or Cassette)… it flows and swings and never stops… one song/groove leads right into the next, no waiting. It feels like being smacked upside the head in a delicious way.

The New Sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera is a journey deep into the pants of rhythm. (We won’t even mention the old sound of the Venezuelan Gozadera). Party music hasn’t sounded this chic since Chic. “The Gozadera, more than a musical style, is a concept allowing us to use whatever music we enjoy and mix it up,” says guitarist Jose Luis Pardo. “Like boogaloo, salsa, bossa nova, funk, disco, house, techno, jungle, merengue, New Wave, cha-cha-cha, mambo, and of course Acid Jazz.” And who better to pull this off than producer Andres Levin (Aterciopelados, Chaka Khan, La Portuaria, La Secta, El Gran Silencio, David Byrne, Arto Lindsay, and many more) along with engineer Fernando Aponte (Masters at Work, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Deee-Lite, Towa Tei)?

This, their second album, finds the young Venezuelans stepping out from under the shadow of the Rock en Español moniker and giving it a much needed face-lift. “We are a rock band that does not just play just rock music,” says singer Jose Briceño. The 19 tracks on the album combine keyboard driven dance-rock with elements of Latin music worked in. Whether it’s the funked out bliss of “Sexy,” the mambo lounge of “Mango Cool,” or the trip-hop ecstasy of “Otra Vez” (on which Arto Lindsay contributes a bit of distorted 12-string electric guitar), Los Amigos Invisibles have created the perfect party album. Their lyrics tell stories inspired by real-life experiences of love (sex), relationships (sex), and more often then not, the taboos that accompany each (sleazy sex).

Formed in 1991 as part of Caracas’ mobile party scene, the six members of Los Amigos Invisibles quickly developed their unique sound by blending all styles of Latin music with modern beats. Their influences are vast, incorporating the space-age sounds of Esquivel, the whacked-out funk of Parliament, and the beat-friendly Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai. “We began making music influenced by the development of the acid-jazz scene and the dance music coming out of London,” says Jose Luis, “but when it came down to playing it, we realized that our culture and environment kept creeping into our music. The tunes that are played over the radio at the corner shop or that we whistle along with from the bodega are songs that interest us… that music is part of our people and that makes it part of us. All we want to do is have fun and make fun of it all at the same time.” Their first album, A Typical & Autoctonal Venezuelan Dance Band, was released in 1996 and received Best Band, Record of the Year and Best Guitarist awards in the Venezuelan Rock Awards.