Browse by Artist: SANDHY & MANDHY

Artist:	SANDHY & MANDHY
Title:	Para Castukis
Label:	LION PRODUCTIONS
Format:	LP
Price:	$22.00
Catalog #:	LION 105LP

"Here at last is a chance to discover why people have been willing to pay a very steep price to hear Sandhy & Mandhy, the duo who were not a duo, the band who were not a band, creators of perhaps the rarest and most expensive album from Argentina. To tell the story of Sandhy & Mandhy, we have to go back to 1967, when Alberto Infusino (Sandhy) and Alberto Vanasco (Mandhy) began their musical partnership in the beat band The New Free Men. Like many bands of that time, Los Shakers and Los Walkers, for example, the New Free Men played covers of songs by The Zombies, Animals, Kinks, Yardbirds, Doors, and so on, in clubs and at parties. Yet at the same time, Infusino and Vanasco started to play their own compositions, with a national touch to the music. Let's let Vanasco (Mandhy) take up the story: 'In 1969, we went to talk with Billy Bond, chief of La Pesada del Rock Roll to ask about the chance to make an album. Bond said that he was not looking for a band, but for a duo who sang songs in Spanish... So, we called some friends to play together, and we called the project Sandhy & Mandhy.' They recorded the album in three hours, with a full band (Farfisa organ, congas, drums, bass, and guitars) -- one take of each song. Instead of a demo, they decided to press an LP: the company (Phonalex) pressed 110 LPs in total, which the band gave out at gigs. Sandhy & Mandhy were one of the first bands in South America to bring a rebellious attitude to the music scene -- all this in a period of military repression, when forced haircuts in the streets were a common occurrence. Although they broke new ground, success was not their fate. And so 38 years after the burst of improvisation that was Sandhy & Mandhy, the rest of the world can finally take a taste of their dark, groovy, beat-influenced psychedelia (that fuzz guitar on the excellent 'Lluvia'!). At times introspective and acoustic, at others manic and ramshackle in the best way, it's quite a discovery. Now, on to the presentation -- the highest quality mastering and pressing (done at Acoustech Mastering/RTI in California, the same people who master and press every title that audiophile label Classic Records makes); the resulting LP is housed in a poly-lined sleeve, inside an ultra-heavy 1960's style gatefold jacket, which is housed in a loose-fitting plastic sleeve. Inside the sleeve, you will find an insert with full details on Sandhy & Mandhy, including lyrics in Spanish and English, printed on 100% recycled paper. The LP labels are replicas of the originals. A top of the line pressing all the way. Limited edition of 800 copies."

Artist:	SANDHY & MANDHY
Title:	Para Castukis
Label:	LION PRODUCTIONS
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	LION 643CD

"Sandhy & Mandhy: Alberto Infusino (Sandhy) and Alberto Vanasco (Mandhy) began their musical partnership in beat bands The New Free Men and La Maquina de Musica. In 1969, Billy Bond, chief of La Pesada del Rock Roll and legendary major domo of Argentine rock, asked them to prepare a demo as a duo. Instead, they recorded an album (in three hours!) with a full band (Farfisa organ, congas, drums, bass, and guitars): one take of each song. They decided to press the record-only 110 LPs were made, making this album the ultimate Argentine rock rarity. Sandhy & Mandhy were among the first in South America to bring a rebellious attitude to their music-all this in a period of military repression, when forced haircuts (and brutality) in the streets were a common occurrence. The simmering, intense 'La indeferencia los pone mal' (Indifference Upsets Them), was an important protest song, possibly the first from South America. Every word demonstrates the strong concern that Sandhy & Mandhy felt about the repressions they experienced every day: 'Like little birds, we will have to fight/against all who want to change us with stones/why do they have to be so cruel/or is that indifference upsets them/I do not know what they want, to teach us morals/they should clean first their consciences/and then we will talk.' In the end, Bond said that Sandhy & Mandhy sounded too much like a band (not a duo), so success was not their fate. But now through the magic of reissues, you can check out their groovy, organ-driven melancholy psych, with Zombies-ish harmony vocals, a little touch of bossa, and other treats (that fuzz guitar on the excellent Os Mutantes-esque 'Lluvia'!). There are artistic ambitions too, with tape edits/inserts very unusual in an album of the era. At times introspective and acoustic, at others manic and ramshackle in the best way, it's quite a discovery. This CD companion to our deluxe LP edition (LION 105LP) has an additional five tracks."

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