Los Prisioneros: The 40th anniversary of the landmark album Pateando Piedras

The Chilean band Los Prisioneros released their second studio album, ‘Pateando Piedras’, on September 15, 1986. Produced during a period of military dictatorship and state of siege in Chile, the album marked a significant sonic evolution for the trio, incorporating synthesizers, programmed drums, and electronic elements influenced by European bands like Depeche Mode.

The album features several iconic tracks, including ‘Muevan las industrias’, ‘Por qué los ricos’, and ‘El baile de los que sobran’. The latter became a major social anthem, addressing the marginalization of youth following formal education. Technical details of the production include the use of Casio synthesizers, a Simmons electronic drum kit, and a LinnDrum. Notably, the dog bark heard in ‘El baile de los que sobran’ was a sample from an Emulator II sampler rather than a real animal.

Recorded with engineer Caco Lyon, the album’s cover photography was taken on Line 2 of the Santiago Metro. The band’s initial presentation of the work took place at Café del Cerro in September 1986.