Gepe

Chilean alternative singer/songwriter Gepe, whose versatile style incorporates aspects of both indie pop and indie electronica, emerged to critical acclaim during the mid-2000s in association with the well-regarded independent label Quemasucabeza. Born Daniel Riveros in 1981 in San Miguel, a commune of Santiago, Chile, he cites influences ranging from legendary Chilean singer/songwriter Victor Jara and sunshine pop icon Brian Wilson to alternative rock touchstones such as Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine as well as contemporary indie pop acts such as Animal Collective and Devendra Banhart. Before adopting the Gepe moniker, Riveros collaborated with bassist Javier Cruz in the short-lived duo Taller Dejao, resulting in the independently released full-length album El Brillo Que Tiene Es Lo Humano Que Le Queda (2004). While he continued to collaborate with others in the Chilean indie pop/rock scene such as Javiera Mena, Riveros embarked on a solo career as Gepe, making his recording debut as such in 2004 with 5x5, an EP released in association with the independent label Jacobino Discos. He subsequently switched to another Chilean independent label, Quemasucabeza, on which he made his full-length album debut in 2005 with Gepinto and was concurrently featured on the label sampler Panorama Neutral. Successive Gepe releases on Quemasucabeza include the follow-up album Hungría (2007) and the EP Las Piedras (2008). ~ Jason Birchmeier