Nelson Serrano

Melancholy Music From the Middle of the World: Pánico

Nelson Serrano

The rainy season looms over Ecuador once again. The sky deepens in shade and cobblestone streets darken with water stains. The often vivid capital, Quito, seems to be thrown into a bout of seasonal depression…

Not much can be made in these times of gloom, but what does manage to appear reflects the environment in a way that hits the soul. “Depressive micro-pop” band, Pánico, is no exception.

I first listened to this band during a universal time of doom and gloom, quarantine. I was staying up very late one night, letting myself be dragged deep into the youtube algorithm, when I had a realization: I was yet to find Latin music that fit my mood. I began to look for indie artists from my homeland, but their style did not elicit much of a reaction. Many of them had adopted a generic U.S bedroom-pop sound that lacked character. That was until I came across an hour-long video titled “Ecuadorian Doomer Music vol.1.”

I was hesitant to listen at first.The Wojak in the thumbnail paired with the unironic use of “Doomer” were immediate red-flags. However, I gave the playlist a chance, and it was honestly one of the best decisions I made during quarantine. Between post-punk, folk and surf rock, it felt as though I had just rediscovered music. As I lay on my bed with eyes closed, I saw myself walking through a worn film of my memory. The melancholy sounds of the playlist put a filter on my thoughts,and at that moment, I felt myself returning to my childhood; going to the historical district with my grandparents, driving up steep inclines that run along clusters of buildings, and of course, staying in on drab, cloudy days. This heightened emotional state made the music so much more intense.

And then I heard “Los Muertos” for the first time.

“Los Muertos” was everything I was looking for. It was the intersection between the “Pasillos” of my grandparents’ generation and the bitter lyricism of Elliot Smith’s whispery vocals. It was love at first listen. From there, I delved into Pánico’s (Spotify) album discography.

Beginning with Axis Mundi (2014), Pánico established their morbid themes but infused them with a variety of other Latin American musical styles like Boleros and Cumbias. The songs are heavily influenced by indigenous Andean culture, featuring instruments not conventionally heard in North American music like tiples, cuatros, and charangos. Additionally, the songs maintain a lo-fi feel that adds to the grit in the words.

earlier work. The production quality is far better on this album, but it still has that dusty cassette feel. It’s a great album to add to your coming-of-age playlist. I feel like the main character every time I listen to it.

Jenösod (2015) is a mainly acoustic album. The nylon guitars provide a warm blanket of sound. Dreamy chords accompany hopelessness in the lyrics but you don’t need to understand the words to experience t. This is a really nice album if you are a fan of Lo-Fi artists like Starry Cat or Loaner(s).

Señales (2017) is one of my favorite albums from Pánico. Remember my opening paragraph? That’s what this album sounds like. The reverberating Wurlitzer provides a somber atmosphere while the driving drums provide some of the grooviest rhythms you will ever hear. The most notable change in the sound is the production quality. This album is not as sonically raw and depressing as the previous two but it keeps up with the band’s image. It also contains the band’s most popular song, a re-recording of “Carta a una desconocida” which was first released in Jenösod.

AMOR FATI (2018) is a return to slow, folky acoustic songs. They are less muddied than those in Jenösod but the mood remains. This is a perfect album for autumn due to its wistfulness and bittersweet vibes.

Animales (2020) has been fighting against Señales for the spot as my favorite Pánico album. The songs are not only good quality recordings but, like in Axis Mundi, the band exhibited their folklore roots. Most of the songs deal with an Animal, which is a nice concept in itself.

Last but certainly not least, pánico (2020). This self-titled album relies heavily on double-tracked vocals and music-school chords. It is the most ‘modern singer-songwriter’ album that the band has made.

With that being said, these are Pánico’s albums ranked. ◆

Album

Señales

Animales

No.

Pánico

AMOR FATI

Axis Mundi

Jenösod

Favorite Song Album Superlative

“Bordas de hielo”

“Zarigüeyas” “No te espero” “Los Muertos” Catchiest Songs // Best Closer Coolest Album

Bass-Player Inclusion Award

Best Opener “Las miradas de los demás” Pumpkin-Spice Award “Homo Homini Lupus” Some-of-these-songs-make-mefeel-like-Pablo-Escabar Award “Me Esta Matando esta Quietud” Crying-under-an-avocado-tree Award