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Mœnia is a Mexican electronica/synth pop/ambient/alternative rock group.
HistoryAlthough originally comprised only of Juan Carlos Lozano as lead vocalist on 1997's debut album Mœnia and its companion remix album Mœnia Mixes, since the 1999 release of Adición+, Mœnia has consisted of vocalist Alfonso Pichardo, and keyboardists Jorge Soto and Alejandro 'Midi' Ortega, Mœnia has released over ten albums on Universal Latino and RCA Records. Pichardo briefly left the group due to the Mexican listening public's lack of interest in electronic and synth music. When Lozano decided to leave Mœnia as vocalist and form the still electronically-oriented but more guitar-centered Morbo, despite the acclaimed success of 1997's Mœnia and its subsequent album of remixes (a risky and previously-unheard of novelty in the Mexican music industry), Pichardo reunited with the remaining two of his former bandmates to complete Mœnia's line-up, which has remained unchanged since 1999.
Mœnia is often compared to New Order, Erasure, OMD, The Cure, Depeche Mode and Garbage. Popular within the Latin club scene while simultaneously pioneering a darker, more experimental, more poetic side of Spanish-language electronica, Mœnia has had three top-20 hits. Along with Aleks Syntek, Mœnia is often considered one of the first successful experimental Mexican music composers and performers, finding commercial viability in a market normally dominated by Latin ballad crooners, teenage vocal groups and musical styles with more mass appeal like cumbia and ranchera
. Mœnia is also popular in other parts of Latin America, including the argentinian and chilean music markets, where they have also charted. Some of their most recognized singles include "Estabas Ahí," "No Dices Más" and "Manto Estelar".
Stereo Hits is by far Mœnia's highest-selling album to date. It is a series of successful 80s and 90s Latin pop/rock and ballad hit covers such as "En Algún Lugar" by Duncan Dhu, "Tren Al Sur" by Los Prisioneros, "Beber de Tu Sangre" by Los Amantes de Lola, "Mátenme Porque Me Muero" by Caifanes and "Ni Tú Ni Nadie" by Alaska y Dinarama. The album was originally intended to serve as a stopgap to keep fans happy while the group worked on their next album, but became so popular that it was soon followed by a tour, which in turn was followed by an album of its own in 2005, HitsLive.
In 2006 Mœnia released a new album, named "Solar", which follows a more 1980s electropop style, including more electric guitar sounds. Also includes a duet with Denisse Guerrero (of Belanova) called "Me Equivoque".
Alfonso Pichardo has started a solo project entitled Equivocal, with the first single "Dar la Vuelta".
In November 2009 a compilation album entitled "En Electrnico" is scheduled for release. Produced by Armando Avila, and will feature Paco Huidobro (Fobia), Maria Jose & Juan Carlos Lozano (ex-vocalist).
Members- Alfonso Pichardo -Voice (Co-Founder / 1991-1994 returned 1998 - Present day)
- Jorge Soto - Keyboards & Guitar (Co-Founder / 1991 - Present day)
- Alejandro "Midi" Ortega - Synth & Programing (1995 - Present day)
Former members
- Juan Carlos Lozano -former vocalist (Co-Founder / 1991-1995) & singer (1995 - 1997)
Trivia - Mœnia famously covered José José's 1970s hit "Volcán" from the album Volcán: Tributo a José José, which received a lot of airplay in Mexican radio.
- Moenia also did a track "Lado Animal" for the movie Amores Perros which actually was not featured in the movie, but only on the sountracks second CD.
- They've also covered the Soda Stereo song "Zoom", the song "Huellas en la Bajamar" by Hombres G and covered the José Alfredo Jiménez song "Amanecí en tus brazos"
- They've also covered the Caifanes song "Mátenme Porque me Muero". Later on scoring another chart topper with "Juegos de Amor", a song that in 1988 was made popular by Neón. Both of these are included in their Stereo Hits album.
Discography - Disco Perdido, 1992
- Mœnia, 1997
- Adición+, 1999,
- Le Modulor, 2001
- Televisor, 2003
- Solar, 2007
Compilations - Mœnia Mixes, 1998
- Serie Sensacional, 2000
- Éxitos, 2001
- Sólo Para Fanáticos, 2001
- Stereo Hits, 2004
- Grandes Éxitos, 2005
- HitsLive, 2005
- En Electrnico, 2009
Singles
Moenia (1996)
Adicion (1999)
Le Modulor (2001)
Televisor (2003)
Stereo Hits (2004)
Hits Live (2005)
No dices más (Live)
Solar (2006)
Copyright Citations
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