Berri Txarrak
Encyclopedia
Berri Txarrak is a Basque rock
power trio
whose songs are sung in Basque
. It was founded in 1994 in Lekunberri
, Navarre
, Spain
.
, Navarre
in 1994 as a parallel project of Gorka Urbizu (vocals
and guitar
) and Aitor Goikoetxea (drums
). In 1997 they began to focus fully on the band, which had two new members: Mikel López (bass
) and Aitor Oreja (guitar).
After having released a demo
with six songs, the band obtained several awards in different demo and new act competitions, which allowed them to record their eponymous album, which was released in Autumn 1997. Berri Txarrak was a success inside the Basque rock scene thanks to singles like "Lotsarik gabe", "500 urte ta gero" and "Ardifiziala". According to the band's members, that album was a step forward for their music and it became the base for their later works.
In 1999, the band released Ikasten. In this second album, Berri Txarrak's style had also evolved. Tracks such as "Ikusi arte", "Ez" or "Ikasten" allowed the band to offer a lot of live acts.
Two years later, in 2001, Eskuak/Ukabilak was released. It features famous songs such as "Oihu", "Stereo" and "Biziraun", which won the Gaztea Saria award for best song of the year. With this album the band obtained the attention of public and press outside the Basque Country
.
2003 was the year in which the band released their fourth album, Libre ©. This album obtained a very good reception from critics and brought the band to their first tour on Europe
(UK
, Denmark
and Germany
). Libre © is Berri Txarrak's most hardcore
album. The album received the best Spanish album of the year award from the magazine Rock Sound and Euskadi Gaztea. The album includes interesting songs such as "Denak ez du balio" (which features additional vocals from Rise Against
's Tim McIlrath
), "Hil nintzen eguna" and "Izena, izana, ezina".
After a long tour, the guitarist Aitor Oreja abandoned the band. In 2005, Gorka, Aitor G and Mikel decided to carry on as a three-member band and focused on what would be Berri Txarrak's fifth album, Jaio.Musika.Hil
. Then Berri toured on Mexico
and Nicaragua
.
That year, Berri Txarrak toured the US. The band supported Rise Against
on their 2006 European Tour. Currently, they are showing their new songs on tour.
Berri Txarrak has worked on many music compilations like Nafarroa, Hitza Dantzan (GOR, 2001), Tributo a Judas Priest (Zero Records, 2000) and the successful single "Bisai Berriak", composed in 2002.
In late 2008 they announced a new album for September 2009 with Roadrunner Records
, recorded by Steve Albini
at the Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago
and featuring Tim McIlrath
. A new single called Dortoken Mendean became available at their myspace and at Roadrunner Records's official webpage on June 29, 2009.
In January 2011, Berri Txarrak was nominated for the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Punk Song for their song "Folklore."
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
whose songs are sung in Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
. It was founded in 1994 in Lekunberri
Lekunberri, Spain
Lekunberri is a municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre , northern Spain. It is situated in the northwestern portion of the province, some 30 km from the provincial capital, Pamplona...
, Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
History
Berri Txarrak was founded in LekunberriLekunberri, Spain
Lekunberri is a municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre , northern Spain. It is situated in the northwestern portion of the province, some 30 km from the provincial capital, Pamplona...
, Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
in 1994 as a parallel project of Gorka Urbizu (vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) and Aitor Goikoetxea (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). In 1997 they began to focus fully on the band, which had two new members: Mikel López (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Aitor Oreja (guitar).
After having released a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
with six songs, the band obtained several awards in different demo and new act competitions, which allowed them to record their eponymous album, which was released in Autumn 1997. Berri Txarrak was a success inside the Basque rock scene thanks to singles like "Lotsarik gabe", "500 urte ta gero" and "Ardifiziala". According to the band's members, that album was a step forward for their music and it became the base for their later works.
In 1999, the band released Ikasten. In this second album, Berri Txarrak's style had also evolved. Tracks such as "Ikusi arte", "Ez" or "Ikasten" allowed the band to offer a lot of live acts.
Two years later, in 2001, Eskuak/Ukabilak was released. It features famous songs such as "Oihu", "Stereo" and "Biziraun", which won the Gaztea Saria award for best song of the year. With this album the band obtained the attention of public and press outside the Basque Country
Basque Country (historical territory)
The Basque Country is the name given to the home of the Basque people in the western Pyrenees that spans the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast....
.
2003 was the year in which the band released their fourth album, Libre ©. This album obtained a very good reception from critics and brought the band to their first tour on Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). Libre © is Berri Txarrak's most hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
album. The album received the best Spanish album of the year award from the magazine Rock Sound and Euskadi Gaztea. The album includes interesting songs such as "Denak ez du balio" (which features additional vocals from Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
's Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath
Timothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
), "Hil nintzen eguna" and "Izena, izana, ezina".
After a long tour, the guitarist Aitor Oreja abandoned the band. In 2005, Gorka, Aitor G and Mikel decided to carry on as a three-member band and focused on what would be Berri Txarrak's fifth album, Jaio.Musika.Hil
Jaio.Musika.Hil
Jaio.Musika.Hil is the fifth studio album by Basque alternative rock band Berri Txarrak and the first one as a power trio without the guitar player Aitor Ojea as a member of the band...
. Then Berri toured on Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
.
That year, Berri Txarrak toured the US. The band supported Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
on their 2006 European Tour. Currently, they are showing their new songs on tour.
Berri Txarrak has worked on many music compilations like Nafarroa, Hitza Dantzan (GOR, 2001), Tributo a Judas Priest (Zero Records, 2000) and the successful single "Bisai Berriak", composed in 2002.
In late 2008 they announced a new album for September 2009 with Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
, recorded by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
at the Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and featuring Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath
Timothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
. A new single called Dortoken Mendean became available at their myspace and at Roadrunner Records's official webpage on June 29, 2009.
In January 2011, Berri Txarrak was nominated for the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Punk Song for their song "Folklore."
Members
- Gorka Urbizu (vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) - Galder Izagirre (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) - David Gonzalez (bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
)
Albums
- Unreleased demo (1994)
- Berri Txarrak (1997, GOR Diskak)
- Ikasten (1999, GOR Diskak)
- Eskuak/Ukabilak (2001, GOR Diskak)
- Libre © (2003, GOR Diskak)
- Jaio.Musika.HilJaio.Musika.HilJaio.Musika.Hil is the fifth studio album by Basque alternative rock band Berri Txarrak and the first one as a power trio without the guitar player Aitor Ojea as a member of the band...
(2005, GOR Diskak) - Payola (2009, Roadrunner Records)
External links
- Berri Txarrak in MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Official Website