Concepción Huerta - The Earth Has Memory (2024)

Elevator Bath is thrilled to present the first solo vinyl LP from Concepción Huerta, highly accomplished multidisciplinary artist from Mexico who employs tapes to manipulate recordings of everyday objects and electronic instruments. The fruit of these experimental methods is an intense, heavy take on dark ambient and noise music: a densely atmospheric exploration of sound driven by narrative, more akin to storytelling than songwriting.

“The Earth Has Memory” was recorded while in residence at Elektronmusikstudion (EMS), Stockholm and then partially fine tuned at a seminar at UNAM with Olivia Block (Block is credited with co-production on two of the album’s pieces). Instruments used were primarily the Buchla and the Nord, which were then processed via magnetic tape, lending a tactile, organic quality to the work — appropriate as “The Earth Has Memory” tells of a descent to the center of the earth. Purely abstract resonances dominate this chronicle, reflecting the mystery of what lies beneath the surface. High-pitched tones occasionally appear, like glimpses of light showing through the cracks while looking up from within the earth. Low frequencies indicate the pressure at the core, while lurching drones replicate geological movements larger than humanity.

The album’s cover art consists of exquisite color photography by Magaly Ugarte, taken while on a visit with Huerta to an obsidian mine in Hidalgo. This trip was full of discovery for the two women, forming a bond between the artists and a connection with the minerals they found. This literal excursion served as a perfect counterpoint to the figurative explorations through which the album was created.

Concepción Huerta has a storied background in audiovisual media and a deep focus on the sound spectrum. She is an active solo performer as well as a member of the experimental ensemble Amor Muere with Gibrana Cervantes, Camille Mandoki, and Mabe Fratti, with whom she has collaborated on several releases. She has also worked with a diverse array of artists including Fernado Vigueras, Martin Escalante, CNDSD, Resonancia, Rick Reed, Tommi Keränen, Camilo Angeles, and Daniela Huerta, among others. Her recordings have been issued by labels such as Static Discos, SA Recordings (Scrawl), Aurora Central, and Umor Rex. Huerta has performed at a wide range of festivals and venues in America, Europe, and Asia.

"....I believe some of this could function quite well in a soundtrack; wide lens shots of mountains, deserts and dark clouds and 'Trepidation' as its soundtrack would work quite well. An excellent record!"
- Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly