Chile Blunts - Why I love The Ganjas

The deepest insight I´ve ever come across was from the great Frank Zappa when he said 'talking about music is like dancing about architecture'. Having written regularly about music, and found it difficult to convey sounds into words, I totally get his point. In spite of that, I have also learnt a lot about new musicians through the writings of others and hope that I can do the same here. It also helps a lot being able to attach links to Youtube, something that only came into being a long time after good old Frank left us.

Imagine a blend of Black Sabbath, Soundgarden and The Stone Roses with King Tubby on the mixing desk and you´ll have a fair idea of the sound of The Ganjas. Relative veterans of the Santiago scene after ten years of jamming together in which they´ve released five albums, this is an exceptional psychedelic garage rock band whose music is fused with blues, indy and reggae. Fuzzy guitars grind over rolling bass rhythms as they switch effortlessly from seedy rock´n´roll to heavy dub grooves and back again. Through in some great tunes (Frio Ni Calor, Let´s Go To The Beach and Sonic Redemption to name just three) and you have what for me is the finest modern rock band in Santiago.

The Ganjas have been regulars on the city´s underground scene since their first gig in 2001 and have had a relative degree of success in that time, with MTV airplay and gigs in the US, Brazil, Colombia and at 2011´s Lollopalooza in Chile. Yet the band has refused to compromise itself for further commercial appeal and is most at home in the charged atmosphere of smaller, more intimate venues (as is the case for any garage band worth its salt). 

There are a lot of other good rock bands in Santiago but for me what sets The Ganjas apart is their absolute certainty in their sound and their incorporation of dub, whose rhythms offer a deep foundation for stoner rock. When done well the two styles combine perfectly, as both are heavy, bass-driven styles designed to be played at high volume (preferably in a residential area). The psychedelic swirls and effects cap it off with a flourish. If that kind of thing floats your boat you´ll love these guys.