Descartes a Kant

Mexico · formed 2001 · last active 2023

Formed in Guadalajara in 2001 by composer Sandrushka Petrova, Descartes a Kant fuse noise rock, punk, surf, jazz, new wave, and shoegaze into what their own booking bio calls a theatrical 'punk cabaret' built around gas-masked, Dresden Dolls/Rocky Horror-inspired stagecraft. Their 2017 LP Victims of Love Propaganda was tracked by Steve Albini and drew the attention of Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo, who invited the band to open Dead Cross's debut tour.

YouTube

SCORE PROFILE

JazzyBalkanHardcoreSurfBarbershopDeathBlackTechnicalGlitchTheatricalFolkDoomDroneShoegazeAmbient8-bit
Jazzy3
Balkan0
Hardcore3
Surf4
Barbershop1
Death0
Black0
Technical3
Glitch3
Theatrical7
Folk0
Doom0
Drone0
Shoegaze4
Ambient1
8-bit0

Accent numbers counted towards the index. Hover an axis — or hold it on a phone — for what it means.

WHY THOSE SCORES

  • Jazzy 3Wikipedia lists jazz among the band's core stylistic influences alongside noise rock, punk, surf, electronic music, and new wave (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descartes_a_Kant).
  • Hardcore 3The band describes its own range as running from 'very quiet lullabies to the most hardcore punk and digital hardcore,' per their Bandcamp Daily interview (https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/descartes-a-kant-interview).
  • Surf 4Surf is explicitly named as a formative influence on their sound per Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descartes_a_Kant).
  • Glitch 3Their Bandcamp Daily interview describes 'digital hardcore beats' and increasing use of synthesizer/electronic sounds in their arrangements (https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/descartes-a-kant-interview).
  • Theatrical 7Their booking bio describes them as an 'otherworldly, unpredictable theatrical live act' blending punk, metal, pop, shoegaze and cabaret, and the Bandcamp Daily interview details gas-mask costuming and staging inspired by Dresden Dolls and Rocky Horror Picture Show (https://swampbooking.com/descartes-a-kant-mexico/, https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/descartes-a-kant-interview).
  • Shoegaze 4Their official booking bio explicitly names shoegaze as one of the genres they blend live (https://swampbooking.com/descartes-a-kant-mexico/).

MEMBERS

  • Sandrushka Petrovavocals, guitars, programming
  • Ana Cristina Moguitar, voice, synthesizer
  • Memo Ibarrabass, synthesizer, voice, programming
  • Leo Paduadrums, sampler

CONNECTIONS

collaboration
  • Dead Crosspath →

    Descartes a Kant's Victims Of Love Propaganda 'aroused the attention of' Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo among others, and the band went on to open for artists including Dead Cross on tour — corrected from this edge's prior claim of a specific 'debut California tour' invitation, which the article's current text does not support (it names Dead Cross only within a general touring/festival list). source ↗

label

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