| Product Summary | | Label: ATO RECORDS/RED | | UPC: 00880882167820 | | Release Date: 9/8/2009 | | Buy.com Sku: 211518301 | | Item#: M4Q9KU | | Buy.com Sales Rank: 273 | Format:  CD |
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| Song Listing |  |
Disc 1
| | Song Title | Sample | | 1. Hanuman ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela |  | | 2. Buster Voodoo ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 3. Triveni ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 4. Logos ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 5. Santo Domingo ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 6. Master Maqui - (featuring Farah/Strunz) ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 7. Savitri ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 8. Hora Zero ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 9. Chac Mool ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 10. Atman - (featuring Alex Skolnick) ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | | | 11. 11:11 ~ Rodrigo Y Gabriela | |
| | 11:11 was recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico. The album has been produced by Rodrigo y Gabriela, with John Leckie co-producing one of the tracks. The album was mixed in Wales and London by Colin Richardson, best known for his work with Slipknot and Trivium.
Comprising 11 new self-written compositions, 11:11 is Rod & Gab’s personal “Gracias” to a first XI of musicians, both past and present, who have inspired them along the way. Alex Skolnick of metal gods Testament guests on the album, as do widely respected acoustic veterans Strunz & Farah.
11:11 is the long awaited follow up to 2006’s Rodrigo y Gabriela, which has so far enjoyed worldwide sales in excess of half a million albums.
"...these 11 originals show the duo expanding its sonic palette." Jeff Leven, Paste Magazine
"If you've ever been enticed by Spanish guitar, here's your rock'n'roll introduction." Tom Pinnock, NME.com
| | Album Notes and Credits |
Notes & Personnel Info |  | Audio Mixer: Colin Richardson. | | Arranger: Rodrigo y Gabriela. | | The very first moments of Rodrigo y Gabriela's sophomore effort, 11:11, hit the listener cold in the face, and not just because of the amazing guitar playing. Sure, it's there, but it's what anyone who heard the duo's astonishing debut would expect. No, it's the sound of the record: immediate, forceful, crystalline; it's in-your-face compelling and impossible to ignore. 11:11 features 11 new compositions, dedicated to 11 musical artists (not all guitarists, either) who have had an influence on the duo. Recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico, the set was self-produced with the exception of two cuts, which were co-produced with John Leckie. Throughout, Rodrigo y Gabriela showcase their metal chops as part and parcel of their Mexican guitar heritage. They've not simply melded the two, but have created an entirely different form of music for the acoustic guitar in the process. It's infectious and accessible, full of pathos, intensity, passion, and color. | | The very first moments of Rodrigo y Gabriela's sophomore effort, 11:11, hit the listener cold in the face, and not just because of the amazing guitar playing. Sure, it's there, but it's what anyone who heard the duo's astonishing debut would expect. No, it's the sound of the record: immediate, forceful, crystalline; it's in-your-face compelling and impossible to ignore. 11:11 features 11 new compositions, dedicated to 11 musical artists (not all guitarists, either) who have had an influence on the duo. Recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico, the set was self-produced with the exception of two cuts, which were co-produced with John Leckie. The set was mixed in Wales and London by Colin Richardson, who has worked with metal bands Trivium and Slipknot. The set opens with the striking, rhythmically complex "Hanuman," dedicated to Carlos Santana. While it doesn't work so much on the level of Santana's soaring solos, what it does do is capture the dramatic, rhythmically complex elements of his trademark style and roots him directly inside the entire lineage of great Latin guitarists. Next up is "Buster Voodoo," dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. The late guitarist's original nickname was Buster, and he wrote "Voodoo Chile," hence the title. This track is far afield from the preceding one in that it lifts elements of the Hendrix tune, and moves into a solid meld of heavy metal dynamics and contemporary Latin style -- there's even the use of a wah-wah pedal on a nylon-string guitar to excellent effect. The fuzzed-out intro to "Santo Domingo" is a rather jarring effect for a tune that is dedicated to Latin jazz pianist and composer Michel Camilo, but it's named for the city of his birth and therefore captures in sound the splendor and color of the city. The Afro-Cuban, Spanish, and Mexican rhythmic complexities shown by Gabriela Quintero are perhaps more astonishing than the stellar, even dazzling single-string work by Rodrigo Sanchez. | | "Atman," dedicated to the late Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and Damageplan, features a searing guest appearance by Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and is truly one of the high points on the recording. It is also a terrific reminder that Rodrigo y Gabriela began their musical careers as electric guitarists in heavy metal bands. Other standout tracks include "Master Maqui," with acoustic solos by Strunz & Farah; "Hora Zero," inspired by -- and dedicated to -- Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla; and "Savitri," dedicated to the John McLaughlin-led acoustic trio Shakti. The set whispers to a close -- in sharp contrast to its beginning -- with the title track, dedicated to Pink Floyd and featuring the piano work of Edgardo Pineda Sanchez. Throughout, Rodrigo y Gabriela showcase their metal chops as part and parcel of their Mexican guitar heritage. They've not simply melded the two, but have created an entirely different form of music for the acoustic guitar in the process. It's also important to note that while their technical facility is indeed dazzling, this is not the reason to sit down and dig into this record; it's the music itself. It's infectious and accessible, full of pathos, intensity, passion, and color. It's dazzling because the compositions are so imaginative and tight -- a light year's growth from their debut. This music is arranged with flair, soul, intelligence, and economy; as busy and full as it sounds, there isn't an extra note anywhere here. 11:11 reveals a true musical and sonic expansion without Rodrigo y Gabriela losing sight of their strength as an acoustic duo. Awesome. [There is a Deluxe Edition of the CD that contains a bonus DVD as well. On it are interviews with Rodrigo y Gabriela, a live rehearsal, a documentary, and a tutorial for "Buster Voodoo."] ~ Thom Jurek |
Engineer: Jeff Rose |
Musical Guests | | Farah | | Strunz | | Alex Skolnick |
| | Compilation Appearances |
| | Technical Info | | Release Date : 09/08/2009 | | Original Release Date : 2009 | | Catalog ID : O0080 | | Label : ATO Records (USA) | | Number of Discs : 2 | | Runtime : 45m : 39s | | Studio/Live : Studio | | SPAR Code : n/a | | UPC : 00880882167820 |
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| | Professional Reviews | | Spin (p.86)
- "11:11's most affecting moments -- the title track and `Logos' -- come when the duo's time signatures slither into a stalagmite-strewn prog-metal cave."Q (Magazine)
(p.116)
- 4 stars out of 5 -- "Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have honed their dazzling virtuosity....[These are] fluid yet percussive tunes also impossibly nimble." Paste (magazine)
(p.54)
- "Rodrigo Y Gabriela offer today's best exposition of the pyrotechnic, fusion-oriented edge of Spanish-style guitar-playing." Billboard 9 of 10
There was a slight novelty aspect to the way the Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela dazzled listeners on their self-titled second album in 2006. The pair's guitar chops were undeniable, but flashy versions of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Metallica's "Orion" obscured the broader array of fleet-fingered virtues the duo brought to the table. Not so on 11:11, which is more sophisticated, flowing and diverse. The 11-track set loosely pays tribute to other string players, obviously in some cases (the nod to Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" in "Buster Voodoo") and more subtly in others, such as the Paco De Lucia echoes of "Master Maqui," with guests Strunz & Farah. Testament's Alex Skolnick brings electric fire on "Atman," an Arabic-flavored homage to the late guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott, and light hints of piano add to the textures of the John Leckie-produced title track. 11:11 is another winning showcase of exotic instrumental brilliance. - Gary Graff
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| | Bio | | | Rodrigo y Gabriela Rodrigo and Gabriela met as teenagers, at the Casa de Cultura (Culture House), in Mexico City, where Rodrigo's brother was Director. Rodrigo was playing drums in his band Castlow - a code word he never revealed to Gabriela, and changed to Tierra Acida (Acid Earth) when she joined them on guitar. The couple drifted together through music; teenaged metal fanatics who both failed entrance to the Conservatory and moved into rock. Before joining Tierra Acida, Gabriela ran three girls' bands, Las Brujas (The Witches), Subterraneo and Las Formigas (The Ants) at once: Terra Acida had a disciplined work ethic: 'It was mental!' she recalls, 'we rehearsed five hours a day, every day, with very short breaks, and not much talking!' Tierra Acida played in Mexico City's roughest clubs and lived off day-jobs (Gabriela taught Metallica riffs to local kids; Rodrigo at a TV station, doing music for programmes). They recorded an album but wouldn't sign the record contract, planning instead to concentrate on learning more guitar styles. In fact, they just hung out with friends and survived by playing bossa novas in the hotel bars. 'Then we decided to travel to Europe.' Their first port of call was Dublin, Ireland. 'It was the most unknown place to us,' explains Gabriela, the talkative one. 'Also, a Mexican girl offered us her house there.' They landed in Dublin at night, spoke no English, and had $1,000 between them. They found a note on the door saying actually, sorry, but they couldn't stay there after all, so the taxi driver drove them round hostels and hotels all night. Eventually they rented a place - and soon the money disappeared: 'So - we had to busk.' That was 1999: 'We were very exotic specimens!' They built a reputation and landed gigs in people's homes, at wedding parties and gallery openings, playing covers and their own compositions, 'We still wanted to be metal composers, but everything came out as Latin!' Dublin was booming then, with new music venues and galleries and a thriving rock scene, and the two Mexicans jammed with local folk musicians in the bars. In winter, they moved to Denmark and started again - this time busking at minus three degrees! The brief Copenhagen experience inspired two numbers on the album, 'Diablo Rojo', a scary roller-coaster ride in the city, and 'Viking Man', their nickname for a homeless man they befriended, who pushed them into busking on the freezing streets. Next, they hit Barcelona, but this time, the club owners assumed they played Mariachi, and wouldn't let them play in their own unique style, so Rod & Gab ended up jamming on Barca's main drag Las Ramblas getting heavy duty hassle from the Catalan cops. Just in time, a call came from Ireland to come back and play the newly opened Sugar Club. Damian Rice, then a busking friend, invited them to support his shows, and in 2003, they released Re-Foc, and a year later, Live Manchester and Dublin, which both launched them onto the World Music circuit -- and beyond.
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