Land Whales: How to Make a Breakfast

"Land Whales' sound is uncannily familiar. Their second album, How to Make a Breakfast, spins like a slide carousel of déjà vu moments: Daydream Nation's squalling guitars, Nirvana's sweetened hooks, Unwound's penchant for dancing out on the shaky edge of discord. Here and there you might pick out the dirge-like drones of a group like Floor, or the pummeling drums of Swing Kids."

"Picture it: an authoritarian state further hamstrung by U.S. sanctions, plagued by blackouts and without access to reliable internet. A population cut off from the international financial system. A culture in which music circulates via 'el paquete semanal'-a clandestine network of digital media distributed on hard drive, delivered door to door-or, in recent years, Telegram groups that have sprung up around the country."

"Now try to wrap your head around being in a band like Land Whales-the kind of effort it must have taken to access influences that most of us take for granted, much less the gear to make their music with."

Land Whales, formed by Martín Schellekens and Martín Espinosa in Cuba, creates music that echoes Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and post-hardcore influences despite their isolated environment. Their second album, How to Make a Breakfast, features squalling guitars and sweetened hooks reminiscent of classic grunge and shoegaze records. The band's achievement becomes remarkable when considering Cuba's authoritarian government, U.S. sanctions, frequent blackouts, and limited internet access. Cuban musicians access international music through el paquete semanal, a clandestine hard-drive distribution network, and Telegram groups. Obtaining instruments and recording equipment in this context required extraordinary effort, making Land Whales' sonic accomplishment a testament to their determination and resourcefulness.

Read at Pitchfork