The Grit And Glamour Of Chuparuba’s “Electric Soul”

Miami-based alternative rock band, Chuparuba, electrifies listeners with their latest release, Electric Soul.

A gritty, intense track crafted by partners and friends Emmanual “Maestro Manny” Sanchez and Darko Richards, Chuparuba combines the innovation of the 90s with the dark glamour of the 80s, set against an aggressive, indie-minded backdrop of rock guitars and synthesizers.

“Manny is really the driving engine here,” says Darko. “He does the vocals, bass, and some guitars and keys as well. I play guitars and keys. We also had a lifelong friend and colleague, AJ, lay down drums for the entire album.”

Inspired by the original Twin Peaks’ Laura Palmer, the troubled, alluring center of every party and everyone’s world, “Electric Soul” entices listeners into the dreamscape of a wild, young soul on the brink.

The twisted romance of the scene — a dark, crowded club choked with the smell of cigarettes and hairspray — leans on the legacies, glamour, and scandal of rock legends of the 80s and 90s. “I think most of us have this in us in different degrees, and is something most of us in rock music can identify with,” Darko goes on to say.

The vividly cinematic nature of the track came just as effortlessly to the duo as they interpreted the rock mythos, while adding their own modern twist.

“We do a lot of electronic and cinematic music production that’s very synth- and computer-based,” says Darko. “We missed jamming as a rock band and wanted to get back to our roots with this project: 90s alternative and hard rock. It’s basically our rock music outlet, and a more traditional approach to writing music. Instrumentally, we wanted elements of indie rock mixed with 80s retro elements for this one.”

Drawing influence from rock poet Nick Cave and the intense groove of bands like Queens of the Stone Age, there’s something distinctly old school about this band, hidden in the subtle Ric Ocasek-style elements of production, and Darko and Manny’s dedication to the music of their youth. “We certainly plan on writing and recording more music,” Darko says, much to the delight of their fans.

“We’ll probably get back in the studio together by the end of the year to start a second Chuparuba album. We’re hoping to get a live band together when there’s an opportunity for touring. It’s something that could certainly happen in the near future.”