User:Wikipaigea/Descartes a Kant

Descartes a Kant is a band originating from Guadalajara, Mexico, known for blending an eclectic mix of musical influences with disciplines such as theater, dance, and film. They balance composition and performance, crafting a narrative language that the group has developed over their career. Currently composed of Sandrushka Petrova, Ana Cristina Moreno, Memo Ibarra, and Leonardo Padua, Descartes a Kant is distinguished by their fusion of various musical styles and performance art.

A critic from the Wall Street Journal described them: "Attempting to define their music is an injustice. It’s noisy, challenging, incredibly imaginative, sophisticated, fun, and wild. It sounds like music composed by Albert Ayler, performed by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and conducted by Frank Zappa."

History
Founded by composer Sandrushka Petrova in her teens in the early 2000s, Descartes a Kant was originally an all-female band playing at local parties in Guadalajara. They took their name from a philosophy book with a chapter titled "From Descartes to Kant," reflecting the contrasting philosophical works that marked the beginning of the modern era, analogous to the band’s distinctive musical style contrasts in their early years. Their early sound was self-described as "bipolar-schizoid," alternating sweet melodic tones with dissonant and harsh noises. Their influences include noise rock, punk, surf, electronic music, new wave, and jazz, among others. Their live performances are often theatrical, with members wearing specific costumes.

After several years in the local underground scene and various lineup changes, Descartes a Kant released their debut album, "Paper Dolls" (2007), on the independent Mexican label Discos Intolerancia. The debut album challenged musical structures with a fierce and visceral female perspective, and upon its release, it was considered one of the most radical records in Mexican rock. The album attracted critical interest and national festival invitations, leading them to open for legendary bands like Sonic Youth and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Their second album, "Il Visore Lunatique" (2012), is a psychological-musical thriller with nine short songs and a musical. Inspired by madness and mental pathologies, the album drew international media attention and interest from figures like Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo. This album, considered a modern classic of Mexican avant-garde, took them to international stages for the first time, with tours in Russia, South America, Europe, Central America, and the United States, sharing stages with artists like The Melvins and Slayer.

"Victims Of Love Propaganda" (2017) is their third studio album and the first released by a North American label, recorded in Chicago by the legendary engineer Steve Albini. It is a conceptual album described as an autopsy of love, narrating the death of a romantic relationship through ten tracks filled with sonic contrasts. Presented live as a three-act concert (Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City and Teatro Diana in Guadalajara), the album explored the concept of Western love and happiness propaganda. This album led to performances across Mexico, Europe, the United States, and South America, opening for artists like Bauhaus, Cibo Matto, and Dead Cross, and performing at festivals such as Roskilde, Iceland Airwaves, Youth Brigade, Ruido Fest, Rock al Parque, Cervantino, among others.

The band has cited influences such as John Zorn, Mike Patton, Dresden Dolls, Sonic Youth, Queen, Dirty Projectors, The Locust, St. Vincent, The Blood Brothers, Veruca Salt, Mr. Bungle, Primus, Talking Heads, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Devo, Frank Zappa, Björk, and others.