Initially founded in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico by Estrella del Sol Sanchez and Amor Amezcua, the Mexican shoegazer act Mint Field quickly received international attention with the release of their debut EP Primeras Salidas, eventually playing sets across the North American festival circuit, including Coachella and SXSW, as well as venues across both the States and their native Mexico. Building upon a growing profile, Mint Field’s full-length debut, 2018’s Pasar De Las Luces found the act establishing a clearer sense of what they wanted to do sonically — primarily, as a result of finally having access to the tools to do so. The end result was an album’s worth of material that drew from dream pop, krautrock, stoner rock and shoegaze, imbued with sorrow and nostalgia.
The past couple of years since the release of Pasar De Las Luces has been rather eventful for the Mexican shoegazer act: they’ve toured extensively across the North America and the European Union, playing over 100 shows. Continuing that momentum, the band recorded Pasar De Las Luces’ follow-up, last year’s Mientras Esperas EP, which they supported with further touring across the States, Canada and Mexico — with two sold out shows in Mexico City.
During that same period, the band relocated to Mexico City and upon relocating to the Mexican capital, the band went through a massive lineup change: Amor Amezcua left the band, and the band then expanded into a trio with the addition of Sebastian Neyra and the band’s newest member, Ulrika Spacek’s Callum Brown. Capping off a series of monumental changes for the acclaimed Mexican act, they signed to Los Angeles-based post punk label Felte Records.
Released earlier this year, the band’s Syd Kemp-produced sophomore album Sentimiento Mundial was recorded at London‘s Wilton Way Studio, sees the band’s sound shifting towards a decidedly minimal, rhythmically focused approach. So far, I’ve written about two of the album’s previously released singles: the meditative “Natural,” the motorik groove-driven “Contingencia,” and the lushly textured Pink Floyd-like “Delicadeza.”
“Aterrizar,” Sentimiento Mundial‘s fourth and latest continues a run of slow-burning, painterly material, centered around shimmering yet angular guitars, propulsive drumming, del Sol Sanchez’s plaintive and ethereal vocals and a soaring hook. Interestingly, the track manages to recall Slowdive and The Verve-like shoegaze — but seemingly imbued with an aching nostalgia for a seemingly innocent past that we can’t get back.
“We created this song at the end of 2018 when we came back from tour and we had all that energy absorbed from a year of being on the road,” the members of Mexico City-based JOVM mainstays explain in press notes. “This song is full of hope. It’s about not giving up on your feelings and dreams. It also emphasizes not rushing things and that everything will happen at the right time.”
Directed by Daniela Solis and Elena Solis, the recently released video for “Aterrizar” is a slow-burning and contemplative visual centered around stock footage and hand-drawn artwork, which give the entire proceeding a hazy, dream-like air.