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Music Sin Fronteras: BALTHVS

Get to know BALTHVS

I never liked the description of BALTHVS as a psychedelic rock band.  I grew up with psychedelic rock bands with names like The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.  Those were bands that you listened to on acid, or at least thought you were on acid when you listened to them. I think BALTHVS goes beyond that label.

But BALTHVS calls itself a Colombian psychedelic funk trio, so I will go along with it.  Whatever they call themselves, they are damn good. They are dreamy at times, at other times they are head-banging guitar riff masters and mistresses.  When you listed to them, you keep saying “how do they do that?”

They emerged like a moth from a cocoon in 2019 and quickly attracted over 755,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Their music is celebrated for its eclectic fusion of genres, seamlessly blending Middle Eastern music, disco, house, funk, psychedelia, indie rock, surf, and cumbia into a distinctive and cohesive instrumental sound. They are known for their energetic live performances, improvisational flair, and prolific output, having released dozens of singles and several full-length albums. Their international presence is pretty remarkable too, with performances at major festivals such as SXSW, Austin City Limits, Outside Lands, and Colombia’s Rock al Parque, as well as appearances on prominent radio platforms like KEXP and the BBC.  Truly a Music Sin Fronteras band.

The band consists of three core members: Balthazar Aguirre (guitar, vocals), Johanna Mercuriana (bass, vocals), and Santiago Lizcano (drums, vocals).   Currently bassist Vanessa Cejudo, aka “Vane”,  has been performing with the band standing in for founding member Johana Mercuriana, who is on maternity leave. Vanessa has taken part in live performances and recordings alongside guitarist Balthazar Aguirre and drummer Santiago Lizcano for several months and is an exquisite bass player.

The band has developed a sound that is both groovy and atmospheric, drawing inspiration from global music traditions like the rhythms and melodies from Africa, Turkey, and all-over Latin America.  But they have maintained a strong psychedelic funk identity, recently kicking off their Year of the Snake tour with a salute to Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead with their rendition of the Dead’s “Shakedown Street.”   

Given the number of songs and albums they have produced, it is hard to say where to start if you have never heard them and you want to know them better, but their 2025 EP, Flesh and Soul is as good a place as any to dive in.  Four songs that will all carry you away with guitar instrumentals that seem to elevate you as you listen, especially through headphones.  The Middle Eastern accents of “The Year of the Snakes”, will captivate you, while “Mood Swing (Principles of Rhythm)” moves you along gently, and “Killig” feels like a soft wind blowing through guitar strings, especially the bass.

Psychedelic or not, BALTHVS is a great band with music you never tire of. Check them out on all major platforms, especially the new EP, and their 2025 album Harvest.

Patrick O’Heffernan

Patrick O’Heffernan, PhD., is a music journalist and radio broadcaster based in Los Angeles, California, with a global following. His two weekly radio programs, MusicFridayLive! and MusicaFusionLA are heard nationwide and in the UK. He focuses on two music specialties: emerging bands in all genres, and the growing LA-based ALM genre (American Latino Music) that combines rock and rap, blues and jazz and pop with music from Latin America like cumbia, banda, jarocho and mariachi. He also likes to watch his friend drag race.

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