"kontzientzia ala infernua"
Year: 1996
Label: Oihuka
Format: CD
Tracks: 11
Time: 40 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Thrash
"ardi larruz"
Year: 1998
Label: Oihuka
Format: CD
Tracks: 11
Time: 40 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Thrash
Latzen is a group that was formed in 1993 and its members are Gorka Lazkano (drums), Joxemari Azpitarte (bass), Aitor Uriarte (vocals and guitar) and Iker Martinez de Zuazo (guitar). They started out when they were only sixteen years old but soon after finding a place in their village they entered the rehearsal room of the legendary Hor Konpon, where Latzen's house would be. In December of the same year they played their first “concert” (four songs), made up of covers, at the Ongi bar in Oñati. By Easter 1995 they already had enough songs and they contacted the producer Carlos Creador to record six songs. With him they recorded their first and only demo, “Heriotzari deika”, at “Rockstudios” in Bilbao. They managed to sell the 2000 copies manufactured. Soon they got more concerts, awards, they started to be heard on the radio, and they even got a proposal from Oihuka to record their first album. In the summer of 1996 they went to the Elkar studios with Jean Phocas as technician and Carlos Creator as producer, and there “Kontzientzia ala Infernua” was born. The album was a great success and the group hit hard on the Basque rock scene. The album was a string of hard metal songs, always with a touch of rock, and also the one that would later become very well-known, the ballad “Laztana”.
In March 1998 at the Elkar studios, again with Jean Phocas as technician and under the baton of Kaki Arkarazo. There the group met Haritz Harreguy, who would later become the group’s live technician. The group hardened its sound, lost speed and increased strength and impact. The second album was called “Ardi larruz” and again had a great impact.
Concerts are coming again and for the first time Latzen creates excitement in Madrid, Zaragoza, Guadalajara and other places, taking their first steps in the state. The group will continue to give concerts until August 1999 when they stop and decide to break up.
In total, Latzen leaves behind 160 concerts. A short but intense journey. The last concert is in Arantza, on August 13, 1999.
Eight years have passed, each one has made his own way and in this period, there have been different musical projects: Aitor, together with Haritz Harreguy, was in “Sen” between 1999 and 2004 and is currently the singer of “Une”. Iker and Joxemari, after participating in other projects, are now in “Potemkin”, playing guitar and bass respectively. Iker also plays in “Amonal”.
Now the same people who created Latzen fourteen years ago, with the intention of closing the circle with respect to themselves and their fans in the best way, will take a short break from their lives and their respective groups to recover the strength of Latzen and give some specific concerts. Everything will be recorded in DVD and live CD format. Afterwards they will return to the projects “Une” and “Potemkin” to continue their next works.