Latejapride* (previously La Teja Pride, nowadays latejapride* or ltp*, asterisk and all) is an alternative hip hop band/collective from Montevideo, Uruguay, strongly associated with the looser paths of the genre, which has led them to enrich their sounds with elements as dissimilar as drum and bass drums, down tempo climaxes, funk bass lines, soul guitars, a bit of rock, flirting with hardcore hip hop, sticky and redundant rhythms rooted in dub, and a long "etc". The band has had a large number of musicians, with brothers Edgardo (Davich) and Leonard (Leonidas) Mattioli as only constant members.
History
The band's history, if you count their releases as milestones, could be divided in four big moments: the absolute underground (with several EPs and other independent recordings, 1997–2002), and starting with their first label album, eras named after their releases: Filosofías de Insomnio (Philosophies of Insomnia, 2002–2004), Tiempos Modernos (Modern Times, 2005–2006), Effecto Dominó (Domino Effect, 2007–2008), and Nómades (2009-current).
Absolute Underground (1997-2002) ltp* takes its first steps in the final months of 1997, during a time in which the hip hop genre was being highly advertised, particularly by MTV. It is then when they start to play on stage, without much knowledge or a polished sound, but with enthusiasm. Their sound in particular lacked polish because it was strongly conditioned by the technological tools the band members had access to during the time. At first they used a Commodore Amiga 1200, an 8-bit sampler, and a Boss Dr. 5 rhythm box. Their sound was basic, with strong drums, blues and jazz samples, and simple bass lines, almost to the point of saturation (more because they liked it that way, than due to the technical limitations).
Their first demo is from 1998–99, produced by Maneco, then member of Uruguayan band Elefante (later Rendher). It was filled with funk references, with samples from musicians like James Brown and other examples of the genre. This first demo allowed them to knock on the door of any radio that would let them in; primarily community radios (a relationship which still lasts to these days) and the show Mundo Cañon, in the popular X FM radio.
Originally the band is made up of five members, but the core of the band ends up being the aforementioned Mattioli brothers (Davich and Leonidas) as MCs, and DJ Irish; in what is the most typical hip hop expression in terms of music (perhaps the only one they'd reflect): two MCs and one DJ.
Around this time the band plays primarily in stages of their hometown of Montevideo, flirting with the local hardcore punk scene; playing in festivals full of bands of those genres. Their means of transportation was usually public buses, with mixers and turntables under their arms, and vinyls and minidiscs in backpacks.
During the years 2000/2001 they take part of a collective called Oeste Pro Funk (Pro Funk West), a gathering of hip hop bands and solo acts, attempting to combine their momentums. OPF releases an album with tracks by all of their members: bands La Teja Pride and Contra Las Cuerdas, plus MCs DRRVI (Nicolás Barragán, today known only by his last name, current member of ltp*) and Canona (former member of Critical Zone).
Philosophies of Insomnia (2002-2004) 2002 was a year full of deep transformations for latejapride*, starting by their lineup. DJ Irish left the band, with Marcelo “Gezzio” Geninazzio joining as DJ, Ismael Carnales on samplers, and Leonidas and Davich staying as MCs, while the latter took the mantle of "beatmaker". The band's sound starts to sound more like a re-interpretation of down tempo and its variations (trip hop, jazz, chill out, etc.), something that becomes more obvious in their live presentations, which the band started to fill with long and slow-paced instrumental interludes, interspaced between faster-paced tracks where the MCs were the center of attention. In this context the band comes up with the concept of an EP that would be recorded and later distributed under the name "Sueños de Invierno" (Winter Dreams).