Albert la Ley

In 1987, ex-Aparato Raro member Rodrigo Aboitiz, ex-Paraíso Perdido member Andrés Bobe, and ex-Nadie member Shia Arbulu formed a techno-pop ensemble called La Ley. After issuing an EP, Aboitiz and Arbulu left the band to get involved in different projects, and Bobe teamed up with ex-Pancho Puelma drummer Mauricio Clavería, ex-Paraíso Perdido member Luciano Rojas, and newcomer Beto Cuevas (born Luis Alberto Cuevas Olmedo). After releasing the hit single “Desiertos,” the Chilean pop/rock ensemble emerged with its first full-length record, Doble Opuesto, featuring a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Angie.” La Ley soon achieved local rock sensation status. Sadly, founder Andrés Bobe passed away after a car accident in April 1994. Nevertheless, the group pressed on with ex-Anachena guitarist Pedro Frugone, releasing Invisible in 1995 and Vértigo three years later. The Grammy-winning MTV Unplugged, the follow-up to the Latin alternative pop/rock album Uno, became their first top-selling album throughout Latin America. Based on this success, both WEA and Universal released compilations in 2002, followed by a new studio album, Libertad, in 2003. The group called it a day in 2005 after playing a string of farewell dates, culminating in a massive show in Buenos Aires. In 2008, the group re-formed and cut Las de Ley de La Ley for WEA Latina, followed by another South American tour. The trio took another extended break shortly thereafter as each of its members pursued solo projects. In early 2014, La Ley re-formed again and released Retour, which featured songs from throughout their catalog — including three tracks from their MTV Unplugged performance — and one new song entitled “Olividar.” It was followed by a tour of Mexico and Central and South America. The tour spurred inspiration between Cuevas and Clavería. They entered a recording studio in Los Angeles in mid 2015 and set down a new tracks–their first new studio material since 2003. The pre-release single “Ya no estás,” released in January the following year revealed the band still had their magic. The album entitled Adaptación, featured a dozen new songs. and issued digitally on April 8, 2016, with the physical product appearing two weeks later. The new recording was followed by a 20-plus city Chilean tour and a summer trek through Mexico. ~ Drago Bonacich