Oakland-based group Bang Data gets the summer started right with “Galáctica”, a rocket-fueled mix of dancehall rhythms, driving Latin surf rock, and melancholy lyrics. As producer Juan Manuel Caipo explains, “Galáctica is this girl, completely out of this world in every way, who is somewhat of a wild card. At the same time, she’s kind of breaking our heart.”
Under the moniker Bang Data, Caipo and vocalist Deuce Eclipse (joined live by guitarist Michael Cavaseno) have made a distinctive splash across many forms of media with their genre-bending style. The group’s songs have been featured on everything from Lucha Underground to Breaking Bad, and star-studded 2014 album Mucho Poco featured Chico Trujillo, Hector Guerra, and members of Santana and Ozomatli. “Galáctica” shows this fusion at its most organic, as steel drums and handclaps weave tightly through layers of sharp guitar. Deuce Eclipse’s voice, meanwhile, soars straight into outer space with undeniable pathos.
“‘Galáctica’ is about someone who doesn’t give you the time of day after you try and try,” says Deuce Eclipse. “In the end, you have to move on because the other person just doesn’t see it.”
“Galáctica” is the first single off of Bang Data’s upcoming album LOCO, due this summer. In an increasingly xenophobic world, Eclipse’s and Caipo’s resolve to spread their culture through bilingual music is stronger than ever, saying, “with LOCO, more than ever, we feel we want to share our music, stories and culture in a time that many call ‘Trump’s America’. We are Latinos born in the USA, we’re from here, and our music is a reflection of that as well as a contribution to American culture. Hopefully, this album will open the mind of those people who feel that people that speak another language do not belong here.”
Out on Futuro Sonico, single “Galactica” is available now for purchase on iTunes, ahead of this summer’s full album LOCO.