Replicantes

The punk rock band Replicantes came together in 1983 in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, with Wander Wildner on vocals and guitar, Cláudio Heinz also handling vocals and guitar, Herón Heinz on bass, and Carlos Gerbase behind the drums. Their initial opportunity arrived the next year once Rádio Ipanema FM in Porto Alegre began playing “Nicotina” and “Princípio do Nada.” That exposure prompted an invitation to appear on the compilation Rock Grande do Sul, where the group contributed “Surfista Calhorda” and “A Verdadeira Corrida Espacial” alongside Engenheiros do Hawaii, TNT, De Falla, and several other acts. In 1985 the quartet released an independent single on its own Vortex label that included “Nicotina,” “Rock Star,” “O Futuro É Vórtex,” and “Surfista Calhorda.” Nationwide radio play turned “Surfista Calhorda” into a national hit and earned the band its first full-length project, O Futuro é Vortex, although the track “Adúltera” was censored. After issuing the third album, Papel de Mau, in 1989, Wander Wildner exited; Carlos Gerbase moved to vocals and Biba, formerly of De Falla, took over the drum kit. Andróides Sonham com Guitarras Elétricas appeared in 1991 and signaled the start of an extended hiatus that ended only with the live album Replicantes Ao Vivo in 1996. The band returned to the stage in 2000 as one of the featured acts at the Abril Pro Rock festival.