1997. Alfonso Schwarz leaves his band, Fuck My Dreams, tired of the rigidity of standard rock bands and starts a solo adventure. In March, he records a 4-track demo (soon followed by a second demo) on which he indulges his passion for psychedelic and expansive sounds . Both demos reach indie label Greyhead, who offers to record an album. This is how "These Songs Mean Nothing" is born; a collection of songs with spatial and oneiric flavour, touched with a smooth melancholy which has ever since become a home trademark. The album, recorded with the help of a great number of guest musicians, gets excellent reviews on underground press, and it's also sold in France.
As the recording of "These Songs..:" comes to an end, the original one-man-band project fades away and Schwarz turns into a real band with the addition of two ex-Fuck My Dreams members (Juanma Martínez -bass- and Julio Velasco -drums-, who had already participated in the recording of the album) and keyboardist Mª Dolores González. The band's debut is in April, supporting prestigious Spanish post-rock band Manta Ray.
Early in 1999, Julio leaves the band and is replaced by J.A. Ross, leader or Ross. The rest of the year the band takes part in small festivals all over Spain (Lemon Pop, Felipop, Magic Festival...), which starts to grant them an excellent reputation as a live band. At the same time, they start preparing the songs for the second album. However, when everything seems to be ready for the recording, the band breaks up with Greyhead due to artistic differences. Short after this, Sandwich Records is born -label in which A.Schwarz is personally involved. At the beginning of 2000 "Hard Listening" is recorded. This album is even more expansive and emotional than the first one. On it, there is languidness and noise, exuberance and minimalism; an atmospheric album with no trace of instrumental onanism or gratuitous effects, which soon after being released receives the unanimous support of both critic and fans of drug music.
Immediately after the recording is finished, and due to compatibility problems with his major project, J.A. Ross quits the band and is replaced by César Verdú. With this new formation the band goes on a presentation tour, consolidating the band's prestige on stage even more. Schwarz are currently: Alfonso Schwarz (guitar, theremin, keyboards, voice), Juanma Martínez (bass, keyboards), César Verdú (drums, percussion, rythm machine).

http://perso.wanadoo.es/schwarz/

• These Songs Mean Nothing (CD/LP, Greyhead, 1998)
• Hard Listening (CD, Sandwich Records, 2000)
• Schwarz Play Christian Rock (CDEP, Astro, 2002)
• Cheesy (CD, Astro, 2002)

Manta Ray + Schwarz:

• Heptágono (CD, Astro, 2001)
  

"It's exciting to see that the grandiose mixings are not only produced outside the limits of our country. And the thing is that , in 'Hard Listening', there are not only sweet and palid pop melodies but also space-rocker and the wildest psychedelics, all covered by the soft gown of electronic elegance. It developes sharp and oniric atmospheres, being these followed by solar eclipses and inter-stellar flights.../... Definitely, Schwarz's second album is a real revelation. Something that forces us to recover the faith in Spanish avant-garde music- if we ever lost it." (Eli Ubeda - ROCKSOUND)

"Alfonso Schwarz, with his second album, is making his way by playing indomitable post-rock, earthy krautrock, psychedelic space-rock and some drops of dream-pop - drops that evoke Matt Elliot's lyrical vein.../... Schwarz have managed to get the same rhythm as Manta Ray in their 'Pequeñas Puertas...' or as Streolab on their most experimental side." (Jorge Obón - ROCK DE LUX)

"This is a superior album... It includes twelve excellent tracks in which they create exciting atmospheres, with long, completely shuddering, oniric and unreal instrumental passages, full of shades, intensity and repetitions, and pervaded with the essence of the most cosmic and toxic 60's, and all this, over a beautiful pop base." (José Nafría - PROGVISIONS)