Armed with a book full of Jane's Addiction-esque guitar rock, the pair let loose on L.A.'s open-mike circuit. Unfortunately, no more than two years later the alt-rock wave had broken, leaving Garcia and Hernandez with a product no one wanted to hear. What they did have, however, was chemistry. Garcia, a Mexican-American with deep cultural and musical roots in his native Michoacan, Mexico, had an urgent and fresh voice to share with the world. Hernandez, a southern California native, had many musical influences ('70s R&B, U.K. punk, and P-Funk) that longed to see the light of day. The duo decided that it was time to seek out a new sound, and in searching for collaborators, Garcia came across British/Nigerian electronica producer Eric Alatan. The three set to work on crafting a new sound, choosing the name Mezklah, alluding to their unlikely stylistic mix. With strands of funk, reggae, trip-hop, and Afro-Cuban music, Mezklah wove together their first full-length release, Spider Monkey, in 2004. With a strong touring presence throughout Mexico and the States, Mezklah blaze a strong trail in the name of what they call "Latin alternative." ~ Evan C. Gutierrez