Abstract
El Último Grito is an avant-garde indie electronic neoflamenco band based out of Paris. I shall consider the rapid evolution of indie economics due to recent technological innovations which have effectively removed the barriers to entry for aspiring indie musicians and critics alike. I argue that the invention of the internet has induced rampant inflationary pressure on indie cultural capital, homogenized the international indie musical palette, fueled widespread conspicuous cultural consumption, and affected a global subcultural stillbirth. Throughout the study I will analyze El Último Grito´s music, lyrics, and interview responses to illuminate their variety of stances: indie, flamenco, Spaniard, exorcist, expat, cultural critic, performance artist, and avant-garde indie electronic neoflamenco. El Último Grito laments a technological dystopia while performing a style of music which, in its very essence, is iconic of technological advance: indie experimental electronica. Live, El Último Grito invokes the duende spirit, exhorting reconnection with the emotional extremities many of us lost in the digital age: joy and sorrow, love and hate, fear and peace. Lyrically, they remind their Spanish audience to be aware of the penas of yore and to beware the penas to come. Musically, El Último Grito takes an unorthodox approach to preserving the purity of flamenco expression, as well as a completely unmarketable approach toward achieving global indie success. In so doing, they capture the original essence and authenticity of both musical genres.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/naeh.2014.06
Recommended Citation
Arnold, Michael
(2014)
"El Último Grito: Pena, Duende, and Nostalgia in the Information Age,"
Nomenclatura: aproximaciones a los estudios hispánicos: Vol. 3, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13023/naeh.2014.06
Available at:
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/naeh/vol3/iss1/6
