Mascarada's Timeline

1978

Juan Mares (Keyboards) forms his first band, Secta, along with two schoolmates: Angel Barba (Bass, Vocals) and Luis Fontela (Drums). Secta was a very short-lived (aprox. one year), ELP-type band which dissapered early in 1979 afeter only two live gigs. No recording has survived.

1979

Juan begins to play organ and flute in the band Arabesq, along with Fernando Santamaria (Guitars), Jose Rivó (Bass) Jose Luis Ortiz (Keyboards) and a Drummer called Francisco (sorry guy, I cant remember your last name. If you're here and happen to read this, juts e-mail me and I'll give you credit).

September-Fernando Santamaria and Jose Luís Ortiz leave Arabesq. Jose is replaced by Mario Hernandez on guitars, and Juan takes over the full keyboard playing.

1980

Arabesq ceases to exist after recording a short demo with only two traks (and a horrible sound). Juan Mares and Jose Rivó stay together and start a new band called Aurora. The line up is completed with Andrés Moreno (Drums) and Victor Peña (Vocals).

As no suitable guitar player seems to be available, Juan takes over guitars in addition to keyboards and flute.

Around April, after two months in the band, Victor Peña leaves Aurora. Jose Rivó takes over vocals. Around the same time Juan begins to play with another band called Senda (which previously was called Endu's Travel). In Senda Juan plays only flute and guitars. (Except for the bass player, Santi del Sol, I can't remember the names of the other guys, sorry).

1981

After playing in several amateur bands, Daniel Mares (Bass, Guitars, Vocals) begins to play with Encrucijada.

At Summer, Juan leaves Senda. He will still play occasionally with them well until 1983.

1982

Afer many internal problems, Aurora disolves when Jose Rivó moves out from Madrid. Along the rest of 1982 and most of 1983 Juan records his first tape called Horizontes at home using a 4-track Tascam cassette deck. Juan plays keyboards (organ and sinthesizers), spanish and electric guitars, bass, flute and clarinet. The tape never went to public (and never will!!).

Later that year, Daniel leaves Encrucijada.

1984

June-Juan Mares (Keyboards, Flute, Spanish Guitar, Electric Guitar, Percussion) and his brother Daniel Mares (Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion), along with Carlos Martorell (Electric Guitar) and Paulino Gonzalez (Spanish Guitar, Acoustic Guitar) form Llewellyn. The band begins rehearshals and at the same time looks for a lead voice and a drummer.

As no suitable drummer can be found, the band begins to work with a pair of burrowed synchroniced rhythm boxes, producing a very original and personal music. All the music is intrumental.

July- The band begins to work in some new pieces-mainly written by Juan- including a very primitive version of "Noviembre". The group contacts Angel Romero, who will give them support and advice for the following months.

November-First official live concert of Llewellyn. The group displays elaborated arrangements, despite of lacking a live drummer. The rhythm boxes gaves them a very personal sound. In this performance the band plays early versions of what will be some of the most important pieces from the Mascarada'a repertory: "Noviembre" ("November"), "Jade Statues" (an embryonic version of the first part of "Jade"), and "Candilejas" ("Limelights", basically the frist part of what later will be "El Actor").

1985

January-May-Increasing difficulty in finding places to play live begins to undermine the group's morale. The band also fails to find either a drummer or lead voice. Dani begins to double as lead voice, with Juan and Paulino making the backing vocals. Late in June the band will play for the first time some pieces with vocal parts.

May-After four months of inactivity, Paulino Gonzalez decides to leave Llewellyn. His place will not be covered, and the band continues as a trio.

July- Finally a drummer is found. Ernesto Capitan joins the band and begins to play next month. He will play only twice with Llewelly

December-After careful deliberation, the band decides to change its name. A new name is choosen: Galadriel. The music is substantially the same, but putting stronger enphasys on Juan's keyboards.

1986

January-Ernesto Capitan leaves the band. The serch for a new drummer begins.

February-Finally a drumer is found: Javier Baera, joins the band on February 10, but he eventually will never play live with Galadriel.

The band feels unable to find places to play, and the increasingly falling morale finally takes his price. At the end of February 1986, Galadriel officially ceases to exist. Carlos Martorell leaves the music to concentrate in his studies on biology, as do Juan and Daniel (at least for some time). Some months later, Jesus Filardi (at the time playing with a band provisionally called Danthalion) approach Juan through their mutual friend Angel Romero, and ask permission to use the name of Galadriel. Juan agrees, and Jesus takes the name for his new band. This second incarnation of Galadriel will be that of the wider fame.

1987

June-After much consideration, Juan and Daniel decide to start a new project, and begin to search for musicians to join in. Lots of contacts are made, there is even a solid project of making a band with Pedro Riofrio (ex-Aletsesodia), but nothing finally concretes.

The searching will last for the remaining of 1987 without any success.

November-Ernesto Capitan, the first Llewellyn's drummer dies in a car crash. Juan, Daniel and Carlos Martorell talk about making a live concert in memoriam for him. They work for a time, but finally they are unable to find a place to play or even a siutable drummer to play along with the band, and the project is abandoned. Juan and Daniel, talk with Carlos, about the later joining their new project, but finally no agreement is reached.

1988

January-Juan and Daniel contact Pedro Cordoba (Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar) in January 3rd. Pedro had played with a number of hard-rock and pop bands and even worked as session musician for a time. The newly born band take the name of Mascarada, and begins to rehearsh material written by Juan ("El Actor" y "Noviembre") and Pedro ("Irlanda").

February-Miguel Angel Blanco (Electric Guitar) joins the band, but he will leave two weeks later for personal issues. He was only 17 years old.

A week after Miguel's leaving, Carlos Mostoles (Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar) joins Mascarada. Carlos played previously with Blues Eristov, a rhythm-and-blues band, and was very influenced by David Gilmour from Pink Floyd.

April-Being unable (once more) to find a suitable drummer, Pedro calls his friend Jose Luis Montero to play drums in what will be the first demo from Mascarada. The tape included three tracks: "El Actor", "Noviembre" and "Irlanda". It was recorded using a home cassete deck and had a terrible sound, so the band decide not to distribute it.

The place of permanenet drummer is offered to Jose Montero, but he refuses because he was paying the military service, and can not take a compromise.

May-Finally, a permanent drummer is found. Jesus Tapias joins Mascarada.

June-After a couple of weeks, Jesus Tapias is replaced on drums by Carmelo Sancho, ex-Blues Eristov and personal friend from Carlos. The new line-up is as follows:

Pedro Cordoba: Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar.
Daniel Mares: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion.
Juan Mares: Keyboards, Flute, Electric Guitar, Spanish Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals.
Carlos Mostoles: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar.
Carmelo Sancho: Drums and Percussion.

From June to September 1988, the band will prepare his live debut and new material.

October-Finally Mascarada makes his live debut in three live concerts at Lanave (days 19, 20 and 21) with an outstanding success and a three days sold out. The Band's set-up includes a good light show (designed and operated by Telmo Hervias), lots of scene effects and a puppet show carried on by Daniel. In the show the band performs earlies versions of "Noviembre", "Tristan" and "Jade".

The band will play live with some continuity up to the end of the year, always with a very good reviews and public response.

1989

February-After passing through some personal problems, Carmelo is forced to leave the band. Jose Luis Montero is called again to fill the place as permanent drummer in Mascarada; this time he agrees.

April-Pedro's incapacity to harmonize his personal and professional live forces him to leave the band. This is a hard hit, as Pedro was a band's founder and one of his most active members, and probably the single most competent musician who has ever played with Mascarada. No suitable replacement is found, and finally the band calls Iñaki Hercilla, another friend from Carlos and ex-Blues Eristov to play bass as guest musician in the upcomming live concerts. Basically, this new semi-permanent line-up could be described as the Mares brothers plus Blues Eristov. Eventually Iñaki will play with Mascarada until January 1990.

Between May 1989 and January 1990, Mascarada plays live with certain regularity, always with Iñaki Hercilla as guest bass player.

May-Jose Luis Motero leaves Mascarada as he was feeling increasing uncomfortable after Pedro's leaving. After a short trial, a new drummer is found, Francisco Javier "Fran" Garcia, who had previously played with the progressive band Andromeda.

October-A 18 years old bass player Javier Buyo joins the band but has to leave just a week and half later due to irreconciliable musical differences.

Mascarada begins to work in what will be its second demo tape, scheduled for 1991.

1990

January-Finally a new permanent bass player is found, Vicente Guillen also came from Andromeda. The new line-up-the first stable since 1988-is as follows:

Francisco Javier Garcia: Drums, Percussion.
Vicente Guillen: Bass.
Daniel Mares: Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion.
Juan Mares: Keyboards, Flute, Percussion, Backing Vocals.
Carlos Mostoles: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar.

March-Mascarada begins to record "Restos del Amanecer", which features some of the most well-known pieces from the band: "El Actor", "Noviembre", "En el Pantano" and "Tristan". The tape is distributed by the band via mail with a cover designed by Leonor Ibañez, and receives very good reviews.

Of the four tracks on the tape, Iñaki Hercilla plays in three of them, and Vicente Guillen only in one ("November") mainly due to the lack of time he had to prepare his parts.

During the recording of "Restos del Amanecer" some personal differences emerged between the member of the band, which eventually will provoke the band disbanding some time later.

From April 1990 to January 1991 Mascarada will play live quite often, and this is probably the most active period of the band. In its high, the band's live show featured a light show, a puppet show, two synchronized dias projectors, and even the performance of a group of actors.

1991

January-Carlos is forced to leave the band due mainly to personal differences with other member of the group. For some time the band was unable to fill the place.

March-Finally a new Guitar player is found. Juan Jose Arribas (ex-Transylvania) joins the bans, but he will never get to play live with Mascarada.

Later this month, Mascarada received and offer to record what could have been its first LP, but differences among members of the band were almost irreconcileable. Basically Fran and Vicente wanted to do a more "commercial oriented" music, meanwhile Juan and Dani were decided to keep faithful to their musical ideas.

May-Juan Jose Arribas leaves.

After a very painful period, the band breaks-down. Fran and Vicente leave and Juan and Daniel get alone.

After a careful consideration, Juan and Daniel decided to keep together using the name of Mascarada.

July-Juan and Daniel fund both OOH! (Our Own Home!) Studios (for recording) and Hyeron Graphic Studios (for graphic design). They begin to work in a new project for the next year.

1992

May-Mascarada begins to work in "The Tower (and other strange places)" with the aid of Telmo Hervias as assitant engineer. The work, recorded with very scarce equipement, featured mainly material form the 1989-1991 period of the band, along with a few newly written tracks.

December- Official release of "The Tower (and other strange places)". Despited sound deficiencies, "The Tower" received very good reviews and was well received by the critic.

1993

The band begind to work in his new work. Later this year, OOH! Studios are improved with a new computer and recording system.

1994

June-Mascarada begins the recording of "The World Jones Made".

September-"The World Jones Made" is completed, but in the last stages of the mixing, a catastrophic crash of the DAT deck ruins the masters, and the group os forced to re-mix the whole work and re-record some of the tracks.

November-The new version of "The World Jones Made" is completed, but after a frew copies are distributed, a new crash of the DAT deck ruins again the work. A new (third) remix of the work must be done.

1995

January-The third remix from "The World Jones Made" is completed, but the masters became ruined after two hours of rain pouring over them. Facing a fourth remix, and considering that the work on their next project "Urban Names" was very advanced, the group decides to park the "The World Jones Made" project for better times.

The band spends the remain of the year and the first half of 1996 writing, arranging and pre-producing "Urban Names".

1996

July-Juan and Daniel begin with the recording sessions for "Urban Names". The new work is a mix of re-arranged and/or re-written old material ("The Harvest", "November"), new material ("The Quick...", "Urban Names", "Wherever, Hope", "Tres Hermanos") and even one track which was left out from "The World Jones Made" ("Rupture"). The recording and mixing sessions will last forthe remaining of the year.

1997

January-"Urban Names" is released on tape, and distributed by mail directly from the band. From the very first time the reviews are outstanding, and the work atracts a lot of interest both in Spain and in other countries.

March-The official Mascarada's Homepage is opened at Geocities.

June-Mascarada begins to work in what's intended to be their next project, "Jade".

November-The Italian progresive label Mellow Records and Mascarada reach to an agreement to release and distribute "Urban Names" on CD through the Mellow catalogue.

The band spends the remain of the year, and the first quarter of 1998 producing the artwork of the CD through Hyeron Graphic Studio.

1998

February-"Urban Names" is remastered in OOH! Studios and NC Studios.

March-The Mascarada Homepage is moved from Geocities to a new location at the Dutch Progressive Rock Page (DPRP).

December-After some delays, "Urban Names" is released on CD at December 1st 1998 through Mellow Records.

1989

March-"Jade" is already finished and the band is about to begin recording sessions.

April-The Mascarada homepage moves to its own domain at www.mascarada.com.
After carefully considering, the band decides to give some time to the "Jade" project, and begin to work in a new project called "A Blind Flock", which will include new re-arranged (and some times re-written) versions of some tracks from "The Tower" and "The World Jones Made". (It's important to stress out the "Jade" has not been abandoned, but after the long time it took to complete the work on it we wanted to give some time to the project, and undertake something lighter and simpler first: For new information on "Jade" and "A Blind Flock", click here.

May-The Spanish version of the Mascarada official homepage is back again, after being off-lline since the homepage went to the DPRP.