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AVIADOR DRO Y SUS OBREROS ESPECIALIZADOS formed in the Prosperidad Neighbourhood of Madrid in 1979. Influenced equally by Dadaism and Futurist ideas as by the contemporary sounds of bands such as DEVO, THROBBING GRISTLE or CABARET VOLTAIRE, they started creating their own brand of electronic music. Soon after the band won the third prize of a local Battle of The Bands show and were given a record deal as a prize that resulted in La Chica De Plexiglás 7” (Movieplay-1980) and La Vision 7” (Movieplay-1981) both of which were recorded at the same session with a third 7” recorded but not released at the time. Faced with the total lack of interest showed by the label and feeling alienated in a Music World which wasn’t the one they dreamed of, they decided to do what dozens of their peers were doing worldwide; They started their own label, Discos Radioactivos Organizados (DRO) following the steps of Factory or Industrial Records. Faced with the exit of three members who left the band to form a more radical band (ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO), AVIADOR DRO entered Doublewtronix studios to record Nuclear Sí, marking the birth of the Independent Music Industry in Spain. The four tracks on the EP became instant classics with Nuclear Sí being the absolute standout track, while Varsovia en Llamas, Sintonia Del Refugio Atomico and Godzilla were perfect nuggets of Synth-punk who remain amongst the greatest Spanish Pop songs ever.
Originally hand-assembled, hand-coloured, self-released and distributed in the total DIY spirit, the first release of DRO remains a perfect example of what a bunch of teenagers can achieve armed with just their youthful energy and idealism. Nuclear Si, was repressed three times and has been out of print since the early 80’s. This reissue of 500 radioactive green vinyl comes out in the year that AVIADOR DRO celebrates its 40 anniversary with a book released and an anniversary tour.
Our take: Reissue of this 1982 Spanish synth-punk EP. I wasn’t familiar with Aviador Dro before checking out this reissue, but I’m now learning that they were a very important band. Not only is their discography huge, but LVEUM’s description also credits this single with being the start of independent / DIY label culture in Spain. I’m excited to learn more about Aviador Dro and check out their many other records, but in the meantime Nuclear, Sí is great even without the weighty historical context. If you’re a fan of vintage minimal synth like the Normal, Grauzone, Cabaret Voltaire, the Human League, and Solid Space (or modern purveyors like the Detriti Records roster), it’s hard to imagine you wouldn’t love these four songs. While they’re minimal, there are enough layers to the sound to give the tracks a sense of harmonic complexity, and the great vocals remind me of Paralisis Permanente in how they’re both aggressive and catchy. Fans of classic Spanish punk and/or vintage minimal synth will both find a lot to love here.