Ponk Records are hard at work establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in 2015. Having spent last year releasing great stuff, including Entrópica’s debut and the Talking Heads tribute album Sin Mucho Sentido, they’ve proven they have everything at their disposal to make it big. Today, Ponk brings us further proof that the label’s future looks bright for them.
Rubio is the alias of Fran Straube, better known as the drummer for Miss Garrison. Judging by the music displayed on the first track released by this project, we can say that Straube is quite an ambitious artist. “R U B I O” is an epic track by default, even if it slightly defies your expectations. There are dramatic synths present throughout the piece, punctuated by snap clap drum machines for that bassy pulse. There are almost subliminal vocal hooks that make the track catchy without making it too obvious. You’d be hard-pressed to find something as delicately off-center as this.
“R U B I O” is accompanied by a video that is every bit as ambitious and ambiguous as the track itself. Set in a striking, tinted black and white format, the Paula Esp-directed clip shows contrasting images of a horse in the wild while Fran does some minimal dancing on empty streets, a bridge, and in the middle of a forest. By the time the track switches rhythms and digital chords slightly phase in and out of tempo, we can see Straube running through the settings she was just dancing in, ending everything with some cryptic images that will leave you guessing what might come next.
Listen to the song via Ponk’s Soundcloud, and watch the video exclusively right here.