How does a legendary band in the highly competitive field of northern music celebrate three decades of uninterrupted success?
Most would be perfectly content with a lavish anniversary tour of Mexico and the United States, and that’s exactly what Intocable is doing. But the six musicians from Zapata, Texas, took it a step further: earlier this year they released “Modus Operandi,” Intocable’s most ambitious and adventurous album to date.
“We never intended to come across as daring or rebellious,” says Ricky Muñoz, the band’s singer and accordionist, when asked about the radical sound of the band’s latest effort. “The idea was to make an album that we felt comfortable with. Let’s enjoy the moment and let ourselves be free. Let’s make the kind of music that will please the inner children that still live in our hearts.”
It’s a hot afternoon in downtown Los Angeles, and Intocable is about to hold a press conference at the Grammy Museum, where the group will donate an accordion to the institution’s permanent collection. We’re in the lobby of a luxury hotel, just steps from the rooftop event, but, in keeping with the humble spirit of most norteño musicians, our interview is entirely improvised. After looking around, we’re loaned a couple of chairs.
We sit in an empty hallway, the six musicians side by side, including René Orlando Martínez, drums; Sergio Serna, percussion; Johnny Lee Rosas, second voice; Alejandro Gulmar, bajo sexto; and Félix Salinas, bass. They form a horizontal row, listening intently to each other as they dissect the bold sound of the new album.
“Of course we play the instruments of a typical northern band,” muses Muñoz. “But our music is not like that at all.”
When Muñoz's grandfather sold a cow so he could buy his grandson a new accordion, he probably never imagined he was investing in a future powerhouse of norteño music. But Mexican music wasn't the only influence Muñoz and his bandmates grew up with.
“Being from a small town strengthened our imagination,” says Muñoz, a wistful glint in his eyes. “We didn’t get to see Van Halen live — they would never make it to Zapata, of course — but we spent a lot of time imagining what it would be like to see them in concert.”
Intocable's musical influences can easily be traced back to the 60s, 70s and 80s.
“No matter what people say, we grew up listening to music from the best decades,” Martinez adds. “We’re from a small town and we relied on MTV and the TV show ‘Night Tracks’ to discover new music. But the influence was huge.”
From its inception, Intocable blended norteño with the polished sheen of the commercial Latin ballad (think Camilo Sesto or Leo Dan), winning millions of fans in the process. But the songs on “Modus Operandi” — and the production by veteran director Don Was, of Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan fame — betray a deep and precise kinship with mainstream pop-rock, from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to Foo Fighters.
This progressive tendency — highly unusual for a genre that tends to prize the comforts of a conservative aesthetic — isn’t entirely new. On the band’s 2019 album “Percepción,” the song “Tu Soledad y la Mía” begins with a droning electric guitar and a rock ‘n’ roll drum fill. When the first chorus morphs into an accordion solo, Muñoz launches into wonderful new directions. His melody twists and turns, a haunting, timeless lament that would feel at home in many different styles and settings.
“I remember exactly how that solo came about,” he says with a smile. “Johnny and I were at the ranch in Texas, working on the melody, and as he played the last note on his guitar, I thought of Nirvana, those passages where they change to a minor key and everything transforms. That kind of influence is always there, even if it’s at an unconscious level.”
A similar solo graces “Obsesión,” the opening track of the new album, a previously unreleased piece by Argentinean Leo Dan, master of the baroque ballad. The band also ventured into musical archaeology on the title track, “Modus Operandi.”
“We were in the studio with Don Was, who doesn’t speak a word of Spanish, and the original version of the tune wasn’t working out well,” Muñoz recalls. “So Johnny pulled out a riff, the first riff he ever played, when he was 13 and got his first guitar. That’s what ended up on ‘Modus Operandi.’ These kinds of details can sound conflicting compared to the current state of this genre. For us, it’s normal.”
There’s nothing ordinary about “Sin Morir (No Puedo),” either. It’s a self-proclaimed “bonus track” at the end of the album, a brief, stately ballad anchored by Muñoz’s voice, lilting acoustic guitar and a lush string section arranged by David Campbell, Beck’s father.
“That’s why we became independent and have our own record label,” Martinez adds. “Now we have nothing to prove. We only have to satisfy ourselves, not the needs of an accountant.”
Intocable's 30th anniversary tour began in July in Hermosillo and will conclude in December with two dates in Monterrey. Los Angeles, Las Vegas and several cities in Texas are also part of the tour.
I ask Muñoz if the band feels revitalized by the current boom in Mexican music led by global stars like Peso Pluma.
“I can’t give you an informed opinion, because I don’t listen to those artists much,” he admits. “Young musicians have access to new tools that allow them to promote their music, but I don’t even know what instruments they play or how their songs are made. It’s like asking me about hip-hop. I know it’s a major force in pop culture, but it hasn’t influenced me.”
Muñoz lights up when asked about the band’s next step. After such a seminal album as “Modus Operandi,” is the prospect of returning to the studio daunting?
“Eventually we’ll have to address the hot topic and start over,” he says. “We have no idea what will happen. Usually we start improvising and then an unexpected moment comes up. When that happens, it’s best to hit the record button, because that moment of inspiration will fade as quickly as it came. Next thing you know, we’re sitting here talking about the experience and you don’t really remember how it all happened.”
“Art takes time,” Muñoz adds. “We’re not painting houses here. We’re painting the ‘Mona Lisa.’”
