The Center of the Carme Culture Contemporary (CCCC) dedicate the next 8 October a new session of the cycle 'Encuentros en el Carmen' at the Espiral room, reference of the musical avant-garde and graphic design during the decades of 1980 y 1990. The meeting, which coincides with the 45 anniversary of the opening of the Valencian room, will begin at 19.00 hours with a talk about music and design led by the Valencian singer and producer Quique López. Edu Gómez will participate in it, known as DJ Veneno during his time in Espiral; Dj Greg Esbar; and the collector and music manager Marcos Casañ. The session will include the reproduction of some of the songs most associated with the room's career., as 'Dunne'. The proposal will remember the history of the missing L'Eliana room, precursor of musical movements in the years 80 y 90, as well as the graphic design of musical posters.
Espiral was a national reference for 'pop-rock' sounds, ‘post-punk’ y ‘dark wave’, imported from Great Britain and Central Europe and, later, of electronic music and the cultural movement that originated around what is known as 'Destroy Route'. The proposal includes an exhibition of original Espiral posters, belonging to the collection of the club itself and to the funds collected by Marcos Casañ, one of the largest collectors of music posters in Europe; as well as lighting, videos and graphic elements that seek to transport attendees to the heyday of one of the most emblematic Valencian venues.
Gateway to the musical avant-garde of the 80
Espiral opened its doors in April 1981 in L’Eliana and remained open until 1995. From the beginning, stood out for its Saturday afternoon and evening sessions, led by DJ Jesús Brisa, and for hosting concerts by national and international bands. In the years 80 It became the gateway to international avant-garde music in Spain.. Groups like Siouxsie and the Banshees passed through his room, The Dance Society, Alan Vega (leader and vocalist of the duo Suicide), A Certain Ratio o The Long Ryders. In addition, Espiral hosted historic concerts by national pop-rock groups such as Golpes Bajos, Cabinet Caligari, Heroes of Silence, The Union or Future Radio, being one of the most groundbreaking and influential venues of the Valencian scene. In the years 90, Their sound mutated towards the electronics that defined the 'Destroy Route' (‘Ruta del Bakalao’) and a decided commitment to 'underground' music.
Posters as icons of modernity
Espiral was one of the most prolific venues in posters. Much of this work was carried out by Armando Silvestre and Elisa Ayala, in charge of giving visual identity to the nightclub. His style drank from graphic design, the Valencian comic and the illustration of the time, using manual techniques such as photomontages or colored photocopies. His posters helped redefine the visual imagination of musical modernity and Valencian nightlife., contributing to enrich the graphic design of the Route, which is currently claimed as an authentic cultural and artistic movement in which Quique Company participated, Paco Bascuñan or Javier Mariscal, among others.
