Underground Lounge emerged from Southern California and we’re making heavy waves in the music culture. Unknown, elusive and yet original; each project we compose has a signature sound that creates a realm of music detached from others and outside forces. The melodies and grooves are heavy and smooth. The members of the group are Shinaloa Agbede, Jose M Suarez, Diego Suarez, and Lionel Beltran.
Listen to the album while reading the text.
The Beginnings
Underground Lounge began as jam sessions between my brother and I on bass and drums. We would meet every week to hang out and compose melodies and grooves. Before we knew it we had about 12 songs that were complete in structure for rhythm section.
I invited my homie Shin into the picture since I had jammed with him a couple times only guitar and drums and really enjoyed his style. The three of us immediately had great chemistry on every song and it was an unspoken yet understood idea that us three had a natural connection within the music as well as outside of the music.
About a year later Diego brings a new friend, Lionel, to jam with us and off the bat it sounds awesome. Now here we are the four of us with demo recordings, an EP and an Album to our name.
Demos & EPs
The demo recordings are our first original set of 10 songs that we recorded with no mixing on it. During this time I did not possess the vast knowledge of mixing and mastering that I do now so they are completely unedited.
We actually re-recorded these demos and will release them on an album I’m planning to call Underground Lounge VOL I. This project will be our first tape that is up to an hour long experience from beginning to end.
Following these demo recordings was our first EP where I had a better amount of recording knowledge as well as mixing and mastering skills, it was The Haze EP. During this project we incorporated the keyboard more than usual in our sound and went a bit more of a psychedelic and punk route.
Then after this we had Drunk in the Lounge which Lionel was out of town for so it was just the original 3 of the band composing for this one. This tape had a more bluesy punk vibe I think.
The Underworld Records
I studied sound engineering as my brother Diego and I slowly built up our studio piece by piece so that we would not have to be dependent on anyone to record and mix & master our songs.
My first major music move was when I bought a Korg SP280 at 19 years old. Before then I had just been making beats with my homie Tanis and my brother Diego. Before we knew it we had a mini PA system with a sweet mixer/interface, drum kit, guitar amps, mics and mic stands all in my garage.
Dive bars and house shows in SD & LA are our main gigs. These lowkey venues where we play our music to others who are unfamiliar with our sound are great for gaining performance experience and sincere feedback. We are part of an independent movement we call The Underworld Records. Currently Underground Lounge and Abstract Planet are the only bands that are part of The Underworld Records.
