Cosmic mischief-maker Guillermo Estrada, aka flute-tooting techno-shaman Rancho Shampoo, formerly fronted the Mexicali hardcore band Los Nuevos Maevans (who merely mimed to pre-recorded ’80s punk).
Donning a long-haired wig, a ceremonial staff, and mysterious vernacular, Rancho Shampoo has created an elaborate persona of living performance art, not unlike Kumaré or Ziggy Stardust before him. But when he’s not summoning psilocybin soundtracks of flute, field recordings, hypnotic drums, faraway saxophone, primal post-punk bass lines, and circular chants, Estrada produces historical video documentaries, having studied the field at the Autonomous University of Baja California.
He dropped his debut album El Vuelo del Golondrino (“The Flight of the Baby Swallow”) in May 2013, on the Mexicali label Indian Gold Records and Tijuana’s Static Discos.