Berri Txarrak

One of the most commercially impactful rock acts to emerge from the Basque-language scene, Berri Txarrak formed as an alternative rock outfit in 1994 in the town of Lekunberri, located in Nafarroa in Basque or Navarra in Spanish. The group began as a duo featuring Gorka Urbizu on vocals and guitar alongside Aitor Goikoetxea on drums, later expanding when Aitor Oreja joined on guitar and Mikel López took up bass duties. After issuing the EP Maketa in 1995, they delivered their self-titled full-length debut, Berri Txarrak, in 1997 through the GOR Diskak imprint. The same label went on to release Ikasten in 1999, Eskuak/Ukabilak in 2001, Libre © in 2003, and Jaio.Musika.Hil in 2005. Following the departure of Oreja and López, David Gonzalez came aboard on bass, reshaping the lineup into a power trio. Four years after their previous studio effort, the band returned with their sixth album, Payola, in 2009 via Roadrunner Records, a Warner Music subsidiary. Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio studios in Chicago, the record climbed into the Top Ten of the Spanish albums chart.