Remanon
San Antonio, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | SELF
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Remanon, a Prog Rock group out of San Antonio is a band that caught my attention when I began doing this blog. When I heard their song Justice-paige I knew that they were an exceptionally talented group. They have managed to further prove my initial judgement of them by releasing an excellent album titled Episodes.
Episodes is a wonderfully textured dream that envelopes you and pulls you deeper the longer you listen. Full of sonic twists and turns the EP shows off Remanon's musicianship mastery. It is a product that is worthy of a band with a much longer pedigree than Remanon's few short years.
If you like your rock intelligent and diverse yet still able to deliver it in a palatable manor you must pick up this gem of an album. - Yeneews Records
You never know what to expect from prog bands nowadays and that’s one reason why I love the genre. It’s constantly expanding its boundaries. Remanon are another very talented prog band from Texas that for me. The 4 song EP “Episodes” is a good introduction to what Remanon are about and what they are capable of musically.
The track “Calamitous Cacophony” is a perfect example of the bands technical ability which gets framed well within the context of an actual song versus just showing off for the sake of it. They have equal parts Mars Volta and Trail of Dead in them on this track. Imagine the hyper-connectivity of The Mars Volta harnessed with the more tuneful nature of Trail of Dead. I hate having to compare new bands to existing bands but view it as a point of reference rather than a literal “soundalike” situation. It’s rather mind blowing how many notes are flying around but Remanon have a very tight arrangement that keeps it all under control.
“Justice Paige” shows that indeed Remanon are not always about twists and turns. The song is slower and somewhat spacey. It’s a great showcase for bassist Jimmy Rodriguez too. I like that about the production and mix on the EP. Each musician can be heard loud and clear. Not bad for a young band starting out! “The Magus” is a good mix of both songs prior to it. And I should mention that vocalist Nathan Alvarado has a great voice.
“Episodes” shows that Remanon should have a bright future ahead of them. Hopefully, we will hear more from these guys very soon. Support indie bands and pick up a digital copy of “Episodes.” - Progressive Music Planet
Texas based Remanon is a progressive rock band with complex compositions. Their 2015 EP, Episodes, is the first to feature lead vocalist Nathan Alvarado, who joined the group in late 2013. Together, the group forges a tight, hyper-jazz sound which is reminiscent of bands like Rush, King Crimson, Dream Theater, and classic Genesis but with some strong original elements that make it distinct to this band.
The group was originally called “Accord of Dissonance”, formed by guitarist Jeremy Matt Vela and drummer Roy Buquor Hernandez in 2004. The two San Antonio natives share a love for music that ranges from jazz to hard-edged heavy metal and together, they are the prime songwriters. Bassist Jimmy Rodriguez, a native of Brownsville, Texas, rounded out the original pre-Alvarado trio when he joined in 2008.
The music compositions on Episodes were teased out over several months of jamming by the band and they ultimately decided to do an EP to expedite the process of introducing the new Remanon sound to their following. Starting in July 2014, Episodes was recorded and mixed at Jericho Recording in San Antonio, one song at a time. With the assistance of engineer Robert Jericho, the album was self-produced by the band members.
“Calamitous Cacophony” starts things off as an adventurous sonic suite. From the , jump there are well-timed riff rudiments, held together by the drumming of Hernandez. The main theme ensues before ripping into a plethora of rapid prog rock sections intertwined between the verses. The first major deviation of the suite goes into a bass-driven section with marching drum roll and slow, wah-wah guitar which, at one point trades licks with the slap bass groove of Rodriguez. After a calm section of picked guitars and reverberation of backwards guitar effects by Vela, the song moderately builds until Alvarado brings it back to the main theme with a brief, solo vocal line.
Changing direction, “Justice Paige” starts with a solo bass riff but morphs into a moderate ballad with acoustic guitar, synths and animated but measured drum fills. Just prior to Vela’s guitar lead, it briefly gets a little heavier but never quite gets “heavy”. Alvarado’s multiple vocal styles also help make this track melodic and accessible. “The Magnus” starts with a jazz-style bass riff by Rodriguez and a drum beat with odd timings. The song quickly alters to multi-part heavy rocker with a main lyrical theme of “shall I cripple the Earth?” Closing out the EP is “…I Only Exist In Your Mind”, which almost seems to extend the previous track with its long opening instrumental. Beyond that, it straddles the line between vintage Rush in musical approach and the post-alternative sound of more recent years, with rapid bass and pedal-effected guitars during the brief vocal section.
Remanon is currently touring through Texas and continues the process of jamming and composing new material, with the hopes for a vinyl release in the near future. - Modern Rock Review
"Calamitous Cacophony" is anything but a discordant collection of sounds, but instead a thought-out, provoking slice of modern prog by San Antonio's Remanon. Filmed in a decked-out storage space, complete with a fog machine set to full blast, cluttered band equipment and hair whipping, the video sets the scene for a chilling account of love gone sour, accented by shredding and go-hard drum and bass beats. The reiterated lines "I will regret you" and "I will regret you to my grave" add extra emphasis on heartache and woe, relatable to either a tumultuous relationship or one hell of a one night stand.
With their debut music video released on DIY music distributor/YouTube channel BlankTV and an upcoming guest spot on KRTU's Indie Overnight Radio Show, Remanon is proving to be a serious force in the SA music scene. - San Antonio Current
Discography
Episodes (May 2015) - Self Released
Remanon (June 2013) - Self Released
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Bio
Remanon is a four piece prog-rock space fusion band based in San Antonio, TX.
The two most veteran members of the group, Roy Buquor Hernandez (drums)
and Jeremy Matt Vela (guitars) began jamming together in 2004 after
being introduced by a mutual friend. They started an instrumental group
called Accord of Dissonance, which bassist Jimmy Rodriguez joined in
2008. After a few years playing around town they changed the band name
to Remanon, still being mostly instrumental. In late 2013, vocalist
Nathan Alvarado was seeking a new project, and heard that Remanon was
looking for a lead singer. The chemistry was apparent during the first
couple of practice sessions, and almost immediately Alvarado became the
official lead vocalist of the new Remanon. The new lineup played their
first public live performance on Dec. 6, 2013 at 502 in San Antonio.
Since then, Remanon has gigged steadily in S.A. and surrounding areas in
Texas. They recently released the EP "Episodes" on May 5, 2015, and
plan to continue with regional touring while writing new material for
another album.
All the musicians in Remanon are native Texans, and have been around
different music styles since childhood. Drummer and founding member,
Roy, got turned on to the complex compositions of Jazz through his
grandfather when he would ride around San Antonio with him. Hearing all
the different leads and voices inspired him pick up various instruments
always trying to replicate those heavenly sounds.
Remanon's other founding member, electric & acoustic guitarist Matt Vela got
into music quite simply yet powerfully because of one great metal
band...Metallica. Growing up in the relatively small town of Victoria,
TX, he picked up the guitar as a young teenager and never looked back.
Remanon's bassist, Jimmy, also hails from a small town in Texas...Brownsville, down on the U.S./Mexico border. He fell in love with the kind of rock that is loud and fast... jamming in
garage punk bands through his high school years. Jimmy eventually moved
to San Antonio and started to experience an actual music scene. He was
hooked.
Remanon's newest member, vocalist Nathan, has music in the blood. He can't
remember a time when he wasn't singing in the car with his
family...singing in his bedroom, singing in the shower, singing in
class...you get the idea. Vocals being his calling, he didn't really get
into heavy rock music until his late teens. Instead he was a
self-proclaimed choir nerd singing classical and old jazz standards.
Once he graduated to the local karaoke circuit, he was picked up by a
local cover band and the passion grew from there.
One important fact in Remanon's short history is that they were all brought
together initially through a local music community called Local 782.
Though in different projects at the time, the guys all met at the meetings
held by this loose networking collective of musicians, artists,
promoters, etc. that developed in San Antonio to benefit the music
scene. It was here that Nathan became a fan of Accord of Dissonance, and even sang some improv at one of their shows at The Mix. Perhaps it was a sign of
things to come, even though it wouldn't happen as Remanon for a few more
years.
In 2013/2014, once the foursome started creating new tracks with vocals, Remanon's new musical identity was born. People listening to Remanon for the first time often pick up on their musical influences...The Mars Volta, Yes, King Crimson, Incubus, Rush, etc.
For their latest release, "Episodes" the group was fortunate enough to enlist Hugo Award winning artist and fellow San Antonian, John Picacio to provide the
cover art. Fittingly, Picacio also provided their favorite description of their sound: "Remanon sounds like the alien lovechild of Rush and Miles Davis, with Santana and Frank Zappa as
godparents. It's a heady brew."
This year, 2015 has been a busy one for Remanon as they released their first official music video, the EP "Episodes", and just came back from their first out of state tour. Later this year, Remanon has plans to get back into the studio to work on a new EP, and are scoping out a West Coast Tour in Spring 2016.
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