# Allá

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/All%C3%A1
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/All%C3%A1.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All%C3%A1
> Source revision: 1311643371
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

This article is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

**Allá** is a [rock band](/source/Rock_band) formed by three young [Chicanos](/source/Chicanos) (Mexican-Americans) from Chicago: Jorge Ledezma (guitars, keyboards, vibraphone, composer & producer), his brother Angel Ledezma (drums) and Lupe Martinez (vocals, guitar and keyboards). As inspired by German [krautrock](/source/Krautrock) ([Can](/source/Can_(band)), [Faust](/source/Faust_(band))), '60s pop productions (from [Phil Spector](/source/Phil_Spector) to [Tamla Motown](/source/Tamla_Motown)) and [electronica](/source/Electronica) as by Mexican trio music and Brazilian [Tropicalia](/source/Tropicalia),[1] they aim at producing a kind of psychedelic Latin pop/rock.[2] The band members previously collaborated in an instrumental band called [Defender](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Defender_(band)&action=edit&redlink=1), and the Ledezma brothers have played with former Can singer [Damo Suzuki](/source/Damo_Suzuki).

Allá's debut album was produced over a four-year period by Jorge Ledezma with sound engineer Colin Studybaker ([Iron and Wine](/source/Iron_and_Wine), [National Trust](/source/The_National_Trust_(band))). Recordings took place in and around Chicago, at Clava Studios, Engine Music, ([Tortoise](/source/Tortoise_(band))'s) John McEntire's Soma Electronic Studios and others, as well as at Tambourine Studios in Sweden, where Jorge laid down the string and horn arrangements alongside arranger Patrik Bartosch ([Eggstone](/source/Eggstone), [The Cardigans](/source/The_Cardigans)).[1][3] Entitled *Es Tiempo*, the album came out on [Crammed Discs](/source/Crammed_Discs) in 2008.

Allá are about to release a mini-album of cover versions, entitled *Digs* and recorded as a tribute to artists who have inspired them: Faust, [The Residents](/source/The_Residents), [John Cale](/source/John_Cale)/[Terry Riley](/source/Terry_Riley), Mexican psych-rock band from the '70s Los Dug Dugs, and [Kanye West](/source/Kanye_West).

In Spanish, *allá* means "over there", and is the word used by Chicanos when talking about their parents' homeland, as well as by Mexicans when talking about the USA. The very ambiguity of the word perfectly represents how Jorge, Lupe and Angel feel: that they're the product of these combined cultures, neither here nor there.[4]

## Press quotes

- "This is an artist's rendering of heaven on earth. It's bliss and togetherness and absolutely perfect weather, now and forever". (Fluxblog, USA)

- "Allá updates Brazilian tropicalia for the bilingual post-rock set." (Time Out Chicago, USA) [5]

- "The Chicano Portishead… Shiny, summery… recall the [retro-futurism](/source/Retro-futurism) of Stereolab… spookier instrumentals suggest Can or Faust. Throughout, Lupe Martinez's voice provides a constantly hypnotic feature" (Uncut, UK)

- "The trio's globally savvy pop embraces not just their Mexican heritage, but immaculate Swedish pop, Brazilian Tropicalia, Krautrock, and Chicago's post-rock scene. Just as creative as it is sophisticated". (All Music Blog, USA)[6]

- "The hypnotic title track underlines the band's declared love of Krautrock, while Golpes del Sol sounds like a subtle tribute to Brian Wilson… an interesting instrumental interlude shows a more adventurous, psychedelic post-rock side" (BBC.co.uk)[7]

- "Chicago is the city with the third-biggest Latino population in the U.S., but 'Es Tiempo' imagines it as an even more cosmopolitan city of the future" (Pitchfork, USA)

- "Allá sound like the Cocteau Twins at a cocktail lounge on an Acapulco cruise ship... hints of Stereolab and Tortoise... sumptuous, exotic vibe" (Spin, USA)[8]

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-guardian.co.uk_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-guardian.co.uk_1-1) [New band of the day No 379: Allá - The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/aug/29/alla)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["A Mexican Mutantes? - Chicago Reader"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080804024013/http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/sharpdarts/080612/). Archived from [the original](http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/sharpdarts/080612/) on 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2008-12-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["New Music: Allá: "Es Tiempo" (MP3/Stream) - Pitchfork"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080926135907/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/49595-new-music-all-es-tiempo-mp3-stream). Archived from [the original](http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/49595-new-music-all-es-tiempo-mp3-stream) on 2008-09-26. Retrieved 2008-12-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Electro-psych trio Allá says it's time for el musical movimiento revoluciónario with Es Tiempo - Venus Zine"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120217055011/http://venuszine.com/articles/music/features/3489/Electro_psych_trio_All_sa). Archived from [the original](https://venuszine.com/articles/music/features/3489/Electro_psych_trio_All_sa) on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2008-12-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [The Infinite Loop: Allá - Time out Chicago - TOC Blog](http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/?p=4192)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Crush Band: Allá - The All Music blog](https://web.archive.org/web/20080509155151/http://blog.allmusic.com/2008/03/25/crush-band-alla/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Review of Es Tienpo - BBC.com](https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/r9zf/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Alla', 'Es Tiempo' (Crammed Discs!) a- Spin](http://www.spin.com/reviews/alla-es-tiempo-crammed-discs)

## External links

- [Allá pages on the website of their label](https://web.archive.org/web/20101007085551/http://crammed.be.dd5126.kasserver.com/index.php?id=34&art_id=4), [Crammed Discs](/source/Crammed_Discs)

- [Live video](http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/622074)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

- [Allá interview on Californian radio KCRW](http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb080710alla) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080929184213/http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb080710alla) 2008-09-29 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

Authority control databases: Artists MusicBrainz

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Allá](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All%C3%A1) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All%C3%A1?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.