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LP
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GUESS 283LP
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One of the hidden treasures of the Spanish '90s garage-revival scene, Madrid's Beat In blended beat, folk-rock, and pop, heavily influenced by bands like The Remains, Byrds, Zombies, Hollies, Kinks, and Easybeats. Songs full of melody, energy, and a true '60s spirit that never made it beyond demo tapes are now rescued and restored by Guerssen Records to celebrate the label's 30th anniversary. In the mid-'90s, Antoni, founder of Guerssen, received a cassette with demos by a Madrid band called Beat In. Despite the home-recorded sound, those songs had something special that hooked him: irresistible melodies, sparkling harmonies, and a clear connection to names like The Remains, The Byrds, and the West Coast sound. Now, Guerssen tracked down the main songwriters, Marcos de Ben and Fernando Maestú, who sent more recordings. The project slowly began to take shape, and it finally crystallized when Guerssen discovered that Jesús Sanz -- respected music tastemaker and someone Alex Carretero at Guerssen followed on social media had been the band's bassist. With Guerssen's 30th anniversary approaching, it was the perfect moment: now or never. Although Guerssen is known for rescuing psychedelic rarities from the '60s and '70s, releasing the Beat In recordings makes perfect sense. Active between 1989 and 1992 and friends with bands like Sex Museum, Los Potros (with whom they shared many influences), or Snap!, Beat In were a group deeply in love with '60s pop but with a personality of their own. In a scene dominated by raw and dirty garage sounds, they stood out for their melodic side. They left behind a good handful of home demos with memorable songs, and it's quite possible that, had they continued, they might have become one of the first bands of the Spanish indie movement.
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