BALTHVS, the Bogota, Colombia based psychedelic funk trio was formed in the countryside while the group waited out the 2020 pandemic. The band was escaping the city during uncertain times and according to Balthazar Aguirre, “we wanted the music to meld with the peaceful environment surrounding us at that moment.” Alongside Aguirre (guitar, vocals), the band consists of Johanna Mercuriana (bass, vocals) and Santiago Lizcano (drums, vocals).
Their genre-defying sound blends cumbia, surf rock, funk, and Turkish musical influences. The music is comprised of lyrics in English, Spanish and plenty of instrumentals that meld mysticism and psychedelics. “Colombia is very psychedelic, there’s plenty of availability and a lot of traditional medicine involving entheogens and plant medicine around.” The result is a captivating sonic tapestry that transcends conventional boundaries, captivating listeners with its multifaceted influences.
Known for their dynamic and electrifying live performances, BALTHVS has become synonymous with energetic shows and captivating improvisations. Since their inception, the band has embarked on a prolific creative journey, releasing an impressive catalog featuring over 34 singles and 3 full-length albums. Their music has resonated globally, amassing over 6.8 million streams worldwide, establishing BALTHVS as a formidable presence in the music industry.
While BALTHVS has conquered their home turf, gracing the stage at Colombia’s largest music festival, Rock al Parque, they have also taken their infectious sound to international audiences. With three performances at SXSW in Austin, TX, a successful U.S. tour, and a triumphant inaugural European tour in 2024, the band is poised for even greater heights with a new full-length LP set to release on Mixto Records in the fall. Eager to continue their sonic exploration, BALTHVS is set to enchant audiences worldwide with their innovative and boundary-pushing approach to music.
BALTHVS is:
Balthazar Aguirre (Guitar, Vocals)
Johanna Mercuriana (Bass, Vocals)
Santiago Lizcano (Drums, Vocals)
Pronunciation:
English: bôl + thŭs
Spanish: Bal + tus
Psychedelic, Adj:
From Ancient Greek ψυχή (psukhḗ, “mind, soul”) + δῆλος (dêlos, “manifest, visible”) + -ic.
Coined by English psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in 1956 in a letter to Aldous Huxley.
"BALTHVS: An Evolving Concept"
The Psychedelic Experience is clearly present but it has mutated into another form: Psychedelic is external, it doesn't come from within, watching a kaleidoscopic 4d film inside your mind, such experiences leave lessons and temporary states of transcendence. Far too many don't go beyond this temporary chemical high, some become forever lost in the trip.
"All Music is Psychedelic"
It generates trance and induces a plethora of emotions: Harmony, Melody and Rhythm create mood, they are definite v i b e changers. Rarely does it divide men from one another , more than anything it unites.
"Imagination Realizes What it Invents"
We are only left with the power of imagination and will to transmute that which lies inside, burdensome thoughts, into alchemical reality. To transmute the psychedelic experience into the Cosmic, in the realm of the Manifest. Our pretensions are only to alleviate the daily toll the mind, the body and spirit take amidst our modern, uncertain world, if only a little bit. Music is medicine, Music is an Escape.
'Chill Out Bro'
If there's just a tiny less bit of anger or anxiety because of this work, the task is done, the purpose is fullfilled, there is no other intention beyond this, it is a means to an end.
If I meditate my family meditates
If I meditate my village meditates
If i meditate the world meditates
If I meditate God meditates
