UA's only 7-inch single, 'Cantante De Opera / Maldoror', appeared in 1982 on Hispavox, capturing a brief but memorable moment in the early Spanish new wave and synth-pop scene. The project revolved around Raimundo M. Luengo, who handled vocals, keyboards and songwriting, while the recording itself featured a studio line-up including operatic singer Luna Estebaranz, keyboard player Juan Antonio García, bassist Celestino Charro and drummer Miguel Ángel Guillermo. Although UA existed as a band during its earliest live appearances, Raimundo increasingly became its driving force, eventually continuing alone under the name BIT-32 after relocating to Valladolid in the mid-1980s.
The A-side, "Cantante De Opera", had already begun circulating as a demo before its official release and quickly attracted attention thanks to its unusual combination of cold synthesizers, mechanical rhythms and soaring operatic vocals. Earlier live versions had featured Teresa Verdera, who had studied classical singing, while the single introduced Luna Estebaranz as the soprano voice, giving the recording its distinctive theatrical atmosphere. At a time when many Spanish synth-pop groups were looking towards British electronic music, UA mixed those influences with an unexpected dose of dramatic classical singing, creating a sound that stood apart from most of their contemporaries. The song received a fair amount of radio airplay and became something of an underground favourite despite dividing opinion among critics and fellow musicians, with some praising its originality while others found its ambitious style excessive.
The B-side, "Maldoror", revealed another side of Raimundo's writing, leaning further into dark electronics and experimental textures. Its title references "Les Chants de Maldoror", the nineteenth-century surreal and transgressive literary work by Comte de Lautréamont, fitting perfectly with the fascination many early 1980s underground artists had for avant-garde literature, performance and unconventional imagery. Together, both tracks offered a snapshot of a project that refused to fit comfortably into the commercial synth-pop mould developing in Spain at the time.
The single arrived through Hispavox, one of Spain's most important record companies, whose catalogue during the early 1980s ranged from established pop stars to emerging acts connected with the explosion of new wave and La Movida. Alongside artists such as Alaska y Los Pegamoides, Radio Futura and other adventurous signings, the label occasionally took chances on more experimental projects like UA, even if they fell outside mainstream expectations.
Despite the originality of 'Cantante De Opera / Maldoror', sales were modest and Hispavox soon dropped its support for the project. UA disappeared shortly afterwards, although Raimundo M. Luengo returned several years later under the original name to record the 1987 mini-LP 'España Es Un Planeta', this time with a renewed line-up that included Agustín Villafáñez, María Luisa Muñoz "May" and former Aviador Dro keyboard player Mario Gil. The 1982 single nevertheless remains the recording most closely associated with UA, standing as an unusual blend of synth-pop, theatrical performance and early industrial-tinged experimentation within the Spanish underground.
Label:
Hispavox – 45-2231
Format:
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country:
Spain
Released:
1982
Style:
New Wave, Synth-pop, Minimal. Movida Madrileña
Tracklist:
A Cantante De Opera 3:33
B Maldoror 3:12
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