Strand is a Spanish musician/producer based in Brussels (Belgium). He has released several records on labels like Foehn Records, City Centre Offices, Project Mooncircle, and Lowriders among others. He has played festivals including Sonar and has produced multimedia shows using max/msp/Jitter for La Noche en Blanco (Madrid) and La Nuit Blanche (Brussels). He has collaborated with writer Barry Gifford (writer of Wild at Heart and Lost Highway by David Lynch), MC Non Genetic from Shadow Huntaz, and musician Takeshi Nishimoto and been remixed by Funckarma and Hudson Mohawke.

The Story During 4 days at the start of 2013, Strand was given a second residency at the Red Bull Studio in Madrid. The first residency in the summer of 2012 resulted in the "Cajas sin ahorros", 7" released by Lovemonk. This time round he had two ideas in mind: paying homage to G-funk and Gangsta Rap (drawing a parallel between the gangstaz and bankstaz of the current Spanish economic crisis) and working with a soul-afrobeat horn section which was conveniently named The Financial Horns. The project would also include his made-up band, The Banksters composed of Javier Diez-Ena from jazz-surf outfit Dead Capo, Mario Zamora from out-rockers Lüger and engineer and producer extraordinaire Oswaldo Terrones who has recorded tracks by Daedelus, Laurel Halo, Sonic Boom and Howe Gelb. Horns, analogue synths and digital live processed guitars are used to display the variety of Strand's music and outrage at the economic crisis. The result is the Bankstaz' Paradize 12".

The release is supported by DJ Shadow, Asian Hawks (Disabilists), Bevin Campbell (PBS FM Australia), Black Athena (Athens International), Broken Haze, Chelis, Chrono (Blap Radio), Danny Drive Thru, Dev79, DJ Calculon, DJ Kwak (FM Brussel), Dylan C (Base FM, New Zealand), Halp, HARPER (Polskie Radio 4), Jay Scarlett Puls Radio Supreme Sounds, ASG, Jon 1st, Kerem Gokmen (Dubmission, WYEP), Maarten Leenknecht (Radiocentrum), Majestic Mood (Superfly FM, Vienna), Morbidly Obese Midget (UK Glitch Hop), Naphta, Nick Concklin (Sub FM), Norman Muller (Byte FM), NoWay DJ (Sub FM), Om Unit, Paul Pre, Pawn, Rockwell, Simbad, Sinistarr, Slick Shoota, Stephen Hernandez (Radio Phoenix), sukh knight, Tim Parker (NTS Radio), Toby French, Tokyo Hands, Valta, Wade Tolleson (WRUW FM) and XLII.