Manta Ray

Manta Ray, an indie rock outfit from Gijón, Spain, maintained a restlessly exploratory stance across much of their trajectory, beginning with blues-tinged noise-rock foundations before shifting progressively deeper into avant-garde domains. The initial roster included José Luis García on lead vocals and guitar, Nacho Vegas on guitar, Nacho Alvarez on bass, and Isaías Sanz on drums; the group launched in 1994 via Subterfuge Records with the EP Escuezme!. Their self-titled full-length appeared late in 1995 once Juan Luis Ablanedo had assumed drumming duties, prompting comparisons to blues-driven, demanding alt-rock acts such as Come and establishing the band as favorites within the Spanish indie circuit.

In 1997 they joined forces with vocalist Javier Corcobado on the Astro Discos release Diminuto Cielo and simultaneously issued the split EP La Ultima Historia de Seducción with French art-punkers Diabologum. Their first fully independent album, 1998’s Pequeñas Puertas Que Se Abren, Pequeñas Puertas Que Se Cierran, brought aboard new drummer Xabel Vegas plus keyboardist, percussionist, and electronics manipulator Frank Rudow; Come members Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw appeared as guests, after which Manta Ray undertook their debut international tour opening for that band and performed at several European festivals, among them Benicàssim alongside Yo La Tengo, PJ Harvey, and Sonic Youth.

The next year yielded two standalone projects—the remix album Manta Ray Vs. Cosmos and the live set Score, on which the group expanded cinematic soundtrack themes to mark their hometown’s film festival. Nacho Vegas’s subsequent exit left a quartet that delivered the more electronically inclined Esperanza in 2000. Following assorted side endeavors and joint work, Manta Ray resurfaced in 2003 on the Acuarela label with Estratexa.