NEW MUSIC POST REVIEW

“This is modern”

This track begins with bass and eerily delayed guitar quickly followed by angst
ridden vocals creating a dark ambience. As Stansfields bass picks up the pace, drums
are gradually and effectively affixed where you sense something contrasting may be about
to develop. It does! A change infact that takes you by surprise- crashing cymbals, high vocals and
screeching guitar altogether generating an inviting sound. “This is Modern” repeats on itself
only this time played out with more intensity. A well produced mood laden piece.

“Stand apart”

San Sebastian know how to fashion a dark atmospheric sound and they continue in that
vein here. Haunting vocals accompanied by morose bass and guitar set to a tom beat
background get this song underway. A subtle break occurs briefly detaching itself
from the opening sombre arrangement. The band play out the song in their trademark manner
- piercing guitar and vocals, pounding bass and thrashing drums.

“Peanut is a grass”

Here we`re presented with a very different approach. At only just over two minutes long
“Peanut is a grass” is very short but there is enough here to suggest the band have plenty
of inventiveness. The tune is full of diversity; nice melodic guitar, simple but effective bass
and accomplished drumming. There is a dissimilar feel compared to the afore mentioned tracks
dare i say slightly less obscure? I cant help but feel this song would flourish and become better
if it were slightly longer, that said San Sebastian have a great sound which we hope to hear more of.

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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THE NIGHT WAS ROUNDED OFF BY GLASGOW BAND SAN SEBASTIAN WHO PROVIDED A HUGE ETHEREAL CRESCENDO, WITH A SOUND THAT FELT LIKE IT WAS EXPANDING TO FILL THE TENT. THE CROWD THAT REMAINED SPURNED THE CHANCE TO WATCH ARCTIC MONKEYS ON THE MAIN STAGE AND WERE TREATED TO A VERY SPECIAL SET WHICH WAS HIGH ON ATMOSPHERICS AND SHEER BEAUTY. SAN SEBASTIAN PLAY SWEEPING WIDESCREEN ROCK - MUSIC AT ITS MOST AMBITIOUS AND HEARTWARMING. THEY SHOWED THAT SOMETIMES IT’S BETTER TO SIMPLY LET THE MUSIC DO THE TALKING AND ENDED THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE T BREAK TENT ON AN UPLIFTING NOTE.

BY MARTYN YOUNG

SUNDAY HERALD 7 DAYS SUPPLEMENT

15.06.07

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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Just horsed half a gram of Ket to explore the outer reaches of the sonic universe? San Sebastian are the band to take you there. Hailing from Glasgow, these shoegazing noisemakers are only four-men strong, but are capable of a massive, ethereal crescendo. Sweeping, monolithic rock that burns its own hole in the ozone layer with effects pedal usage.

(NME 7 July 2007)

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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Short and sweet, the way we like it…..

“San Sebastian, and their big sound full of crashing drums and guitars provides a fitting end to a strong line up. ”

http://www.artrocker.com/reviews/t-break-showcase

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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The boys of San Sebastian had already made such a good impression on The-Mag, and our Edinburgh correspondent Laura S in particular, that when we found out they were hosting their own night in the rather fantastic Brunswick Hotel venue, it was too good an offer to turn down.

Wasting no time in crashing into their set, the early part of the show featured some thoughtful sounds whilst easing the band into their stride. Initial thoughts were of Bloc Party colliding with the early 80’s U2 or Echo and The Bunnymen, such was the combination of the spatial atmospheric guitars and piercing vocals. In such a venue the potential for sound problems to arise was always a possibility but the band made the most of the set-up and quickly upped the tempo in driving the set onwards.

‘Say Something’ appeared to be the most fully formed song of the night, even inspiring handclaps from the crowd. Any band can usually engineer an audience to participate but it tends to take some form of cajoling - when the accompaniment originates from the floor, there has to be a bit more to it. This track also featured an excellent coda with the band drilling away instrumentally and locking themselves into a rhythm. Was it any wonder the fans were trying to muscle into the action?

The high camaraderie feeling was quickly changed however by a dark and menacing track, which at times would have made Mogwai proud, such was the underlying edge to it. With the bass player taking centre stage to intone his spoken dialect over the track, the rest of the band prowled in the background, emerging at the end to once again increase the tempo and passion of the song to bring it home.

A really strong point of San Sebastians sound is that, whilst at times there are familiarities to their songs, there’s never a direct steal and the influences seem so varied at times that it comes across freshly.

With the vocals being shared primarily between Niall Gahagan and Craig McGinnis, whose differing styles harmonised well together, there’s a lot of different aspects and interests in this band. Make no mistake that San Sebastian are definitely an act worth leaving the house for.

Reviewed Live By: Andy R (855 - [?]) View The Mag Team

Venue: Brunswick Hotel, Glasgow

Date: 18/08/2006

http://www.the-mag.me.uk/?ArticleId=1219

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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San Sebastian

King Tuts

San Sebastian have got a magnetism that is hard to ignore. Closing the second night of T Break, their alluring and ambient sound was a refreshing alternative to the raucous bands that had come before them.

Lead vocalist Niall Gahagan’s whispery vocals and moody aura draw you in like an almost supernatural force. “La Beat Humaine” vividly captures the unconscious by combining a wall of distorted sound with harmonic interludes, which then catapults fiercely into a breathtaking rush of guitar riffs, adding a fascinating dimension to the track. The truly spellbinding “This is Modern” also stands out, with its triple vocals replicating melancholic lyrics above mesmerising drum beats.

Bass player Mark Stansfield has a particularly captivating quality, enticing the audience with his seductive scowl whilst also providing a cool dynamic by way of some sensual arpeggic lines. The only flaw I can really identify is a slight lack of charisma, which may prove problematic when they try to capture wider audiences. The band could also do with cutting the length of some of their songs, as some tracks start promisingly but get lost en route, leaving the crowd wanting something more. But make no mistake, San Sebastian have a unique essence and style that is hard to come by these days.

> Andrea O’Neill

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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Small feature in Sound Control’s free nationwide Reverb magazine. Excuse the appalling quality of photo. Blame the Samsung EGH-900…

Posted: September 24th, 2007 under PRESS.
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Managed to get a copy of Bergman’s film off Amazon. I first heard about it when I came across Scott Walker. On Scott 4, the first track tells the story of the film.

I’d recommend it - a brilliant insight into one man’s search for faith. He finds it by challenging Death to a game of chess. Death inadvertently allows him to see how faith has saved and scorned other people. This shows the man, a knight, how important faith is to them.

Death cheats the knight, tricking him into explaining his strategy and eventually wins the game of chess. By this point the knight, who had no desire to live at the start of the film, must now face his inevitable demise. He and his friends are lead away by Death.

Despite the film being released in 1957, a lot of the themes are still relevant in today’s society. The knight returns from the Crusades, where he lost his faith. Perhaps similarities can be seen between his experiences and those of the soldiers fighting in the current Gulf War?

Also interesting is the performance of Max Von Sydow, who plays the knight. Those eagle-eyed viewers may recognise him in The Exorcist.

P.S. It’s Swedish.

Vinny

Posted: September 16th, 2007 under NEWS.
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Evening-

First of all thanks to all those who came to see us at the first ever pinups at the Beat Club it was a cracking night and our first gig in a few months. You’ll be glad to know we’ve not lost that magic touch…

On that note, we’re playing the Buff Club tomorrow night. It’s before the club opens mind, at 8.30pm, just enter through the Butterfly and Pig, it’s free.

See you there

Posted: September 14th, 2007 under LIVE.
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Can’t believe (the) Klaxons won the Mercury Prize. I remember when the award used to be credible

Posted: September 5th, 2007 under NEWS.
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