history

Pez was formed in December 1993 by Ariel Minimal on Guitar and Voice, together with the Barbieri brothers (Poli on drums and Alez on bass). The project is a hard, experimental Rock trio that started to play on the Buenos Aires circuit in 1994. In October 1994 they recorded their first work called Cabeza released on the label Discos Milagrosos which was received with great reviews by the press.

In September 1995 the band changed its formation with Franco Salvador taking charge of the drums and Iris Auteri of the bass. In February 1996 they record their second Album, Quemado, which received exceptional reviews by the media. In this work the group started to show a change vocation that would define their different albums, incorporating a variety of textures and styles, including tango (they recorded a version of Astor Piazzolla's “Muralla China”) bossa nova, progressive rock and psychedelia. To do this they recurred to different guest musicians that added different timbres and instruments to the trio. Presenting this album the band started to intensify their live presentations along with their media followings.

In September 1996 Ariel Minimal was called by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs to be part of the group as their guitarist. This news brought great repercussions in the rock press generating greater attention on Pez's continuity. This year also meant the incorporation of Fósforo on the bass, and they recorded a version of The Clash's “I’m not Down” for the album Buenos Aires City Rockers - Tributo a The Clash (with Gastón Vandam as second guitar). During this period the band toured all over Argentina along with Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which collaborated to showcase their music in different places outside of Buenos Aires.

During June 1998 the group, now no longer tied with it's former label, decided to face their third production independently, and recorded an album called Pez. The music changed again, this time it was a fast and heavy style of the trio that approached punk rock songs in an elaborate manner. This album was presented in Buenos Aires and they performed in the Buenos Aires Vivo festival for over 60.000 people. This album was, again, well received by the most important media like Rolling Stone, Madhouse and Los Inrockuptibles magazines, and newspapers like Clarín, La Nación and Página/12 among others, receiving in some cases the best qualifications granted by these media.

In the year 2000 the group decided to create it's own record label called Azione Artigianale releasing their fourth album, Fragilinvencible, which was covered by the most prestigious media receiving the best reviews an artist can hope from the press. In this record the trio shows it's music with a strong influence from the historic Argentine Rock and incorporates new instruments and textures. Showing this material live, and consolidating their performances outside of Buenos Aires (La Plata, Mar del Plata, Mendoza, Córdoba, Rosario, Corrientes and Formosa among other cities) they sparked quite a reaction as much in the interior of the country as in Buenos Aires. During that year the band decided to incorporate two more musicians: Pablo Puntoriero (who was playing with Los Fabulosos Cadillacs) in the baritone and tenor sax and flute and Juan Salese in the keyboards.

This quintet recorded it's fifth album, Convivencia Sagrada, in early 2001, in which they incorporated approximations to jazz and influences from music of the Río de la Plata to their already big musical baggage, and they made their first performance in the legendary Cosquín Rock Festival, where they were considered “Revelation Band”. With this record the band continued to incorporate new audiences and receive great reviews by the press.

In the year 2002, El sol detrás del sol was released. This sixth album is calm, it shows an approximation to more traditional songs, without abandoning their typical sound. But shortly after, the band's formation is again reduced to the guitar, bass and drums trio. This period is marked by the increasing live audience in Buenos Aires and the interior of Argentina.

In 2003 Pez achieved a state of balance and consolidated it's formation (which is maintained until today) incorporating Leopoldo Limeres in electric piano, and Ernesto Romeo in synthesizers and keyboards. This new quintet made it's debut in the Quilmes Rock 2003 Festival with a great acceptance from several thousand people. Towards the end of this year the band celebrated a decade of existence by premiering in the Cosmos cinema, a documentary directed by Ezequiel Muñoz called Hay lo que Hay - Pez en imágenes which showed the band's entire history up to the present. They also gave a commemorative show in La Trastienda in which they reviewed their musical history and included performances by all the different incarnations of Pez.

In the beginning of 2004, with its current formation, Pez recorded it's seventh album, Folklore, in which they achieved a very marked musical maturity that is reflected in the reviews made by the specialized press. They also made a video clip for "Maldición"  that was broadcasted by musical channels like MTV, MuchMusic, Rock & Pop TV, etc. This same year the band realized it's first completely acoustic performance (to a full house with over 1000 people in the Centro Cultural San Martín) and consolidated their performances in prestigious venues like Quilmes Rock 2004, La Trastienda, N/D Ateneo, etc.

After a new presentation in Cosquín Rock 2005 last February and concerts in La Trastienda and ND/Ateneo with views to editing its eighth album , this time a double one -Para las almas sensibles- the first live at the end of 2005, Pez has its first presentation abroad in Montevideo, Uruguay.
This year, besides playing well in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas, strengthens their visits to various cities within the country.

In the beginning of 2006 the formation changed again, Ernesto Romeo leaves the band and Pepo Limeres also takes care of synthesizers. While Pez plays their new songs based in this new quartet in the localities where it usually does, go to new cities: San Luis in Cuyo (Mendoza again also after several years) and in the north, Salta and Tucumán.

By midyear enters the studio to record Hoy, his ninth album, that publish few months later. Here thirteen themes reflected in a new twist in his musical direction: the search for simplicity, tranquility, calm, some economy in sound, away from the distortion and deepen the song format. The album is officially presented in Buenos Aires at the ND/Ateneo Theatre.

The 2007 -more precisely in February- finds them presenting live in front of over 20,000 people in Escenario Planetario in a free cycle organized by the Buenos Aires government, with Massacre and Cienfuegos. Then continue to be presented in the usual places where they usually do (Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Gran Buenos Aires and La Plata) and, while wearing the presentations of their new album into the country, preparing new compositions for the disc recorded in August for first time at ION Studios and finally issued in November, called Los orfenbres. This is a new change in musical direction: 12 compositions angry and urgent-sounding crude. The album is presented live on stage in December at ND/Ateneo Theatre, whose capacity is overwhelmed.

The band started performing in the 2008 indie rock cycle in Parque Lezama, closing night of February to more than 6,000 people. During the year continued performing in Buenos Aires, its surroundings, other inner-conuntry cities and Montevideo City in Uruguay.

In October, Pez releases his first DVD: Sesión de espiritismo. Directed by Pablo Iglesias and Zaida de Pedro, the material focus on Los orfebres album and reviews it completely with material taken from rehearsals, the album recording at ION Studios and their live performances (sometimes, these three instances on the same track). It also includes three live tracks from previous albums and in as extras has three unreleased tracks from the same recording session and the video clip Último acto directed by Farsa Producciones.

In December, Pez gives a special performance in La Trastienda as a celebration of his 15 year career. With the crowded theater -and tickets sold out before the show- the band little ears checked items live, invites his old band member Pablo Puntoriero and has the honor to versioning Almendra and Aquelarre songs with Emilio Del Guercio.

Some time before, in October 2008, the band returns to ION Studios recording a first half of the songs for its next album: El porvenir. The record is finished recording in February 2009 and go out in April.
It's live presented in La Trastienda the same month. This year, Pez makes several resentment of his new material in Buenos Aires, La Plata, Rosario, Córdoba City , Mendoza City and for the first time in Santiago del Estero City.
Nearing the end of the year he recorded a special for Much Music Channel named Much Sessions (recorded at Circo Beat Studios).

The year 2010 begins with Pez recording their new album in January at Del Abasto Stidios (Mansion Monsterland) of General Rodríguez with Álvaro Villagra in controls. There are thirteen tracks on an album that has no name ... or can simply be called Pez. The disc is presented in La Trastienda as usual.

During March sees the light the 9 albums box published by Litto Nebbia: Una Celebración del Rock Argentino, where Pez covers Almendra with Parvas and Manal with Una casa con diez pinos (these issues recorded in the Hoy recording session at TNT Studios in 2006). Also cover Nada te detiene from Huinca (an unreleased track) and Ariel Minimal as soloist (with the participation of Pepo and Fósforo) makes Ríete from Los Gatos.

By October of that year they release ¡Viva Pez!, live album based mainly on a given show atLa Trastienda in September 2009 and some issues of Niceto Club show in July 2010. They also travel to play for the first time in Chile (La Batuta, Santiago mythical stage) and Brazil (Calango Festival in Cuiaba City, Mato Grosso).

Close the year with its larger show so far: bringing together more than 1,200 people in El Teatro Flores in a special show of more than 35 tracks, with visuals especially created by his friends for Farsa Producciones.

The 2011 starts with a new edition of FestiPez in the city of Buenos Aires, this time with Macaco Bong (from Brazil) and the local Humo del Cairo. Continue performing live in the city, the suburbs and the interior of Argentina and prepare material for a new disc, recorded in June at Estudios ION.