12 Years of Peruvian Heaviness: Necio Records

By Andrea Coloma

In the dynamic, ever-evolving world of underground music, some labels do more than just put out music—they create an entire cultural scene.

That's the story of Necio Records, a Peruvian independent label that has spent the last twelve years driving heavy sounds and creating a unique identity for Lima's music, encompassing genres such as Prog, Psych, Stoner, Doom, Space, and beyond. In 2022, we featured a short review of Necio Records, highlighting some of our favorite releases. Now, as the label celebrates its 12th anniversary, I wanted to expand our appreciation and tell more of its story.

I find a unique and important link to my country's music alt. scene through Necio Records, since I haven't lived in Peru for many years now. This label's dedication to the underground community is a way for me to feel connected, even from a distance, and to appreciate the influential experimental alt. sounds emerging from Peru. The celebration of Necio Records' anniversary has been a long time coming. The label's 10th anniversary was originally planned, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt. It was a challenging time for many independent labels, as distributing and selling music became a significant obstacle to their success. However, even with those hardships, Necio Records persevered. This review is a way to commend the label for not just surviving, but bouncing back harder than ever before.

What started in 2013 with founder Arturo Quispe and the necessity to release music has grown into an essential role in the Latin American underground. When other labels weren't interested in their sound, he decided to create his own home for it. Arturo, from the beginning, maintained that DIY spirit, which became the foundation of the label. While the team has grown to include visual artist Rodrigo Mori Franco, the main goal was to provide a platform for unconventional artists who challenge the limitations of heavy music through unrefined and innovative approaches. While they've played a significant role in growing the Peruvian scene, their catalog extends beyond borders to include bands from other South American, Central American, and European countries, such as the psych-rock group Vago Sagrado from Chile. White Canyon & The 5th Dimension (Brazil), Rostro del Sol (Mexico), Los Acidos (Argentina), Maragda (Spain). Other notable Peruvian bands in their catalog that I personally enjoyed are Satánicos Marihuanos, Rito Verdugo, El Jefazo, La Ira de Dios, The Underground Parties, and, of course, the legendary doom band Reino Ermitaño. I recommend checking Necio's Bandcamp catalog for a deeper listen. Through events like the "Circuito Undercaos" and "Festival Undercaos," Necio Records has also created a physical space for this music to come alive. They've brought musicians, new listeners, and fans together, turning a group of bands into a tight-knit, supportive scene.

Apart from artists in South and Central America, Necio has also brought in artists from beyond the continent, such as the legendary Japanese band Acid Mothers Temple, showcasing their connection to the global underground music community. They've helped grow a community around a shared love for fuzzy guitars, powerful drums, and distorting sounds. It's a place where artists can trust that their music will be handled with care and respect, a rare quality in a world often focused on fleeting trends. Necio recently released two new titles to their catalog: a reissue of the Argentine psych, doom, prog band Familia de los Lobos' self-titled album, and a special 25th anniversary edition of La Nóvia by Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. Few copies are available! And if you're one of the 100th people to grab La Nòvia, your name will be included in the special insert! Too cool.

Celebrating 12 Years of Rage

To mark this major milestone, Necio Records is throwing a huge anniversary concert called "12 Años de Rabia, Sudor y Sangre" (12 Years of Rage, Sweat, and Blood). The celebration is set for this Saturday, November 8th, at Expresarte in Lima.

The concert lineup showcases the label's diverse range, bringing together a mix of international and local Peruvian bands. Alongside groups from Mexico (Sunset Images), Brazil (Deafkids), and Chile (IIII), the stage will be taken over by Peruvian bands like El Jefazo, San Germán, Rito Verdugo, Satánicos Marihuanos, Mitrones, Vate, Parahelio, Cursed Sprite and Tsunami Fuzz. You can grab your tickets by following this link.

Four Releases That Define the Sound

To really get what Necio Records is all about, you have to listen to the music. Here are four essential releases that show off the label's range.

Cholo Visceral - Live at Woodstaco: This is the raw LIVE energy of the label at its best. Recorded live, this album captures the Peruvian band's powerful, free-flowing psychedelic rock. You can hear the crowd, feel the atmosphere, and get a real sense of what it's like to be at one of the label's shows. It's a key moment for the label. PLUS, this is Arturo's long-time project.

Ancestro - El Gran Altar: Progressive doom sounds from Peru. The music is heavy and complex. Ancestro blends the sound of classic doom metal with a uniquely Peruvian element, creating a sound that feels both timeless and fresh. It's a perfect example of a band pushing its own genre forward while staying true to its roots.

El Jefazo - Simbiosis: El Jefazo offers a glimpse into what the instrumental side of the label sounds like. This Peruvian record is a mix of stoner rock and prog metal, with no vocals getting in the way.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Either The Fragmented Body Or The Reconstituted Soul: This release is an excellent example of the label's reach beyond South America. Necio Records reissued this album by the legendary Japanese experimental group. Space rock, noise, and psychedelic freakouts. It shows that Necio is a home for the most boundary-pushing music from all corners of the world.

After twelve years, Necio Records has made a substantial impact. Arturo has created trust, hard work, and a strong belief in the music. It is a reminder that the most important scenes aren't always the ones you read about in magazines, but the ones built record by record by the people who live and breathe the music.

Make sure you follow Necio on social media:

Bandcamp: Necio Records

Instagram: @NecioRecords

Facebook: Necio Records

Interview with Arturo Quispe

by Andrea Coloma

*This interview was originally conducted in Spanish; it has been translated for this article. 

AC: Congratulations on the 12th anniversary! I love seeing how the label keeps growing, but I have to admit it makes me sad to be so far away, haha, and, well, not being able to attend such an important event in my country. Upon seeing the 12th-anniversary flyer with so many renowned and new bands, both local and international, what emotion is predominant in you, knowing that you have managed to bring together this artistic 'multitude'? Do you feel this massive celebration is a repayment or a crucial fuel that guarantees the longevity and future relevance of Necio Records?

AQ: Hello, Andrea. I would like to start by thanking you for the space provided on your website and the interview. Regarding the question, it is a mixture of many things. Mentally and emotionally I have been quite exhausted by everything I went through, and well, I am still going through it but to a much lesser extent. Until now I can't see anything very clear exactly but when I sometimes slow down the activities a little and look in perspective, this 2025 has been quite satisfactory and pleasant because I have been able to see how the public has reacted with respect to the return of the label and the new one that has arrived for any other reason and has interacted. That has given me energy to continue with this since it is the life path I chose haha ​​(epiphany I had in 2023 when I was in shit).

AC: Necio Records has created a vital "physical space" with events like the Circuito and the Festival Undercaos. What is more important for the label's legacy: the preservation of sounds in the physical catalog, or the creation of the living and ephemeral community found at these concerts?

AQ: I think that both worlds coexist, but of course, live spaces are really important to be able to enjoy in the best way the projects and/or bands that one likes, because of course, Necio Records is based a lot on my musical taste and under that thought FESTIVAL UNDERCAOS was created, to have a space where this type of music coexists but not only locally, but also with projects from Latin America that we can bring and combine incredibly, because given those circumstances, the public can appreciate it much better and get hooked little by little.

On the other hand, the issue of physical material is very important because without it, the events could not be held since the risk is quite high when it comes to betting on a very niche style of music in a city like Lima. And well, it is always very important to leave physical evidence of the music that has been created in this hemisphere and that we have always worked to ensure that it reaches as far as possible.

AC: After the pandemic halted the tenth-anniversary plans, how do you believe that "forced pause" redefined, toughened, or, paradoxically, liberated Necio Records' vision for the following two years?

AQ: I think it all happened in stages. First the pandemic, then the vinyl boom and the collapse of factories because the major labels took them over, affecting the entire independent industry, then waiting for records for a year and a half because of the above, then the oil crisis of 2022 and the rise in prices for supplies that came out of it, then the debt that became unpayable because of all the above. There are many more factors, some of them personal, that continued to plague my mind until a friend told me very bluntly: “Stop suffering and take charge.” It was a very harsh statement, but it made me realize that I was feeling sorry for myself, and when I saw that, I hated the situation and started looking for solutions. One thing led to another, and in 2024, the solutions emerged. From there, I developed my plan to get back on track with the label. 2023 marked 10 years, but with everything I was going through, it was honestly the worst year, and I didn't even think about or realize that it was the first decade. Well, then I started to get organized, look at the networks, the context, analyze, learn new tools, let go of biases, listen more, etc., etc. That's how I got to where I am now, 12 years later, after explaining the problem, announcing the new roster, the first vinyl releases after the crisis, the new collaborations, and the live shows. You could say that yes, it made me tougher but calmer in situations, not to despair and to look for realistic solutions to any kind of problem, not only on the label, but in life itself. It has possibly been my most canonical moment in life.

AC: You manage artists ranging from Peru to Japan (such as Acid Mothers Temple), which demonstrates a connection to the global underground community. What is the 'sonic passport' or the universal quality that allows such diverse bands to authentically coexist under the same Peruvian label?

AQ: I always start by listening carefully and making sure I genuinely like the project. If I'm drawn to it, I think about the possibility of signing them to the label. Then I mentally mix the sound I heard with the roster, and there comes a point where I don't even know how to define it because it's more sensory than mental. When it matches, that's it, it's done. On the other hand, since I started this record label, my idea was always to release local bands. Of course, at that time, I didn't know how to reach other places, but when it started to grow, the goal didn't change completely, but it did get an update, which was to bring together the best bands of this style in Latin America. With that in mind, I started building networks so that the bands themselves could get to know each other and visit each other in their respective countries. Acid Mothers Temple is an exception because I'm already a huge fan of their music, haha, but I feel it's important for bands from this part of the world to be under the same roof.

AC: With the raw, live energy of Cholo Visceral and, now, with your solo project, Mitrones, how are the different stages of your own musical evolution reflected in Necio Records' future curation and direction? Is there a 'third way' or a sound yet to be explored that these two projects are signaling for the label's upcoming years?

AQ: Cholo Visceral started because I was very enthusiastic about making music influenced by The Mars Volta, Mahavishnu Orchestra, King Crimson, and Climax from Bolivia. For many years, those influences also adapted so that bands of that nature could be signed, but of course, now in 2025, it's not that tastes have changed, but like everything else, they have expanded, and listening to new music has opened up a range of options, which I am currently exploring with MITRONES. There is still a lot of work to be done, but in the coming years I hope to achieve the expansion that I have been wanting to do for so long. Not only for the label, but also for the idea of continuing to build bridges so that music from here can go there without all the hassle that usually happens. Anyway, it's just a dream and work that I have to do in order to have a foundation and start making it happen. For now, 2026 will be a year of vinyl releases with my series "Heavy Neo-Psychedelia in Latin America (2001-2020), some live surprises that will soon be announced, and continuing to follow up on the work with all the bands on this record label. Thank you very much for the interview!