It had been a while since we last heard about the Spain-based, Chilean/Venezuelan girl duo Violeta Vil. Their first album, Lápidas y cocoteros (2012, Discoteca Océano,) was their attempt to mix goth-rock with tropical sounds, as suggested no-so-subtly by its title, and they succeeded. For their follow-up, they pretty much ditched the tropical part of their previous approach and went full-on dark.
On Mujeres Ulaga, Mónica and Yanara’s first album on the great Spanish label Gramaciones Grabofónicas, they honor the strong women in their lives through the concept of the “ulaga women,” a made-up mythological tribe of female warriors. Their sound is a lot darker and meaner in comparison to their first album, assuming post punk and goth as their flag. The rhythms are still based on 80s drum machines, but supported by thunderous acoustic drums. The guitars are noisier, the synths and organs sound creepier, but sometimes there is space for pop melodies, and even some humor on the sort of occultist lyrics, like the line “confundir al chupacabras con un perro malnutrido no tiene perdón,” on “Chupacabras,” the danciest number in here. This is definitely a strong comeback for Violeta Vil.