Els Amics de les Arts

Els Amics de les Arts is one of the best-known bands of what some have called the new wave of Catalan folk-pop. Their songs are short stories made with simple melodies, touches of electronic music, wordplay and much irony.

Els amics de les arts
Playing in Verges in 2011
Playing in Verges in 2011
Background information
OriginBarcelona, Catalonia
GenresFolk pop
Years active2005–present
LabelsPistatxo Records, Discmedi
MembersDani Alegret
Joan Enric Barceló
Ferran Piqué
Websiteelsamicsdelesarts.cat and pistatxo.cat

History

Catalonautes (Pistatxo Records, 2005) was the band's first demo album. It contained their first four songs, recorded at home in one afternoon. This was the first and the last album they planned to make. However, as a result of feedback they decided to make a second demo.

Roulotte Polar (Pistatxo Records, 2006) was completed a year and a half later. They all went on an Erasmus exchange, each to a different place, but they wrote the songs together through Skype and recorded them in their winter holidays, in December 2007.

Castafiore Cabaret (Pistatxo Records, 2008) was the group's first recorded album, with six self-produced songs. They sent 8,000 copies to the magazine Enderrock and started making homemade videos: Déjà-vu and A vegades ("Sometimes"). They started the Castafiore Tour across Catalonia and their music spread by word of mouth. They considered, for the first time, recording a second album in a professional studio.

Bed&Breakfast (Discmedi, 2009) came out in 2009. They started touring, hiring five musicians for their gigs. The album has been awarded many prestigious prizes. It became a Double Gold Album (more than 45,000 copies sold) and spent 74 weeks among the top-selling albums.[1] They rounded up the tour with a double concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.

The new album Espècies per Catalogar (Discmedi, 2012) ("Species to be catalogued") represents a step forward both musically and lyrically.[2] In the week of its release, the album reached number 1 in sales on iTunes[3] and number 4 in the Spanish Promusicae Chart (Spain's official music chart).[1][3] The twelve songs on the album are composed of melodies that blend organic instrumentation with electronic beats.

In March 2013, they were asked to write and produce the official song of the 2013 World Aquatics Championships being held in Barcelona.[4]

In April 2014 they publish his third studio album "Només d'entrar hi ha sempre el dinosaure" (Discmedi, 2014). It definitely establishes them as one of the most important Catalan bands of the decade with unquestioned singles such as "Ja no ens passa" and "Preferiria no fer-ho". They tour around Catalonia, Spain, the UK and Ireland. They get their third Spanish Gold Record (more than 20.000 copies).

In 2015, to celebrate their tenth anniversary they performed three special shows in which they played with a Big Band. During their last concert they received on stage their first Platinum Record for the 45.000 copies of their debut album "Bed and Breakfast" (2009)[5]

Currently, the band is composing new songs.

Members
  • Joan Enric Barceló
    Joan Enric Barceló
  • Ferran Piqué Fargas
    Ferran Piqué Fargas
  • Dani Alegret Ruiz
    Dani Alegret Ruiz

Current members

Former members

Discography

Studio albums
  • Castafiore Cabaret (Pistatxo Records, 2008)
  • Bed & Breakfast (Discmedi, 2009)
  • Espècies per catalogar (Discmedi, 2012)
  • Tenim dret a fer l'animal (CD+DVD live) (Discmedi, 2013)
  • Només d'entrar hi ha sempre el dinosaure (Discmedi, 2014)
  • La taula petita EP (Pistatxo Records / Clippers, 2015)
  • 10 anys (CD+DVD Live) (Pistatxo Records, 2015)
  • Un estrany poder (Sony, 2017)
  • El senyal que esperaves (Música Global / Universal, 2020)

Demos
  • Catalonautes (Pistatxo Records, 2005)
  • Roulotte Polar (Pistatxo Records, 2007)

Special albums
  • Càpsules Hoi-poi [Disc de rareses] (Pistatxo Records, 2009)
  • Les mans plenes (Pistatxo Records, 2009) – Cooperation with the fanzine Malalletra
  • Non-non (Pistatxo Records, 2009) – Cooperation with the fanzine Malalletra'
  • Submarí Pop. Tributo catalán a The Beatles (Grup Enderrock, 2010) – Compilation
  • Bed & Breakfast Special Edition (Discmedi, 2010)

Videos

References
  1. "Els Amics de Les Arts, top 4 en España". jenesaispop.com (in Spanish). 23 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  2. Violeta Gumà; Pau Cortina; Marta Lacima (30 April 2012). "Catalan pop band 'Els Amics de les Arts' are presenting their new album". Catalan News Agency. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. Arts, Els Amics de les (23 February 2012). "Espècies per catalogar al número #4 de les llistes". Els Amics de les Arts (in Catalan). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  4. "BCN2013 - eLS Amics de les Arts present Barcelona 2013 song 'La ciutat entre dos blaus'". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  5. "Disc de Platí per a Els Amics de les Arts | Enderrock.cat". Enderrock (in Catalan). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  6. "Eduard Costa abandona Els Amics de les Arts". www.ara.cat. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
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