The Art of Metal: MINIPONY Experimental Journey Through Sound and Performance

MINIPONY is an innovative experimental metal project that fuses influences from math, breakcore, and Latin music. Their sound is characterized by polyrhythmic structures, minimalist guitar riffs, and powerful female growls. The band’s lineup includes Amadeus Galiano (guitar), Emilia Moncayo (vocals/sampling/noise), and Carlos Sánchez (drums), who create a musical experience where complex grooves intertwine with aggressive vocal lines, offering a representation of extreme metal in its most brutal form. This project stands out for its blend of thrash, djent, and experimental metal.

In 2013, MINIPONY released a self-produced EP featuring three songs, along with an innovative stop-motion music video for their track “MilkWithSilk,” created in collaboration with renowned Italian photographer Federico Giammattei. This video received positive feedback from international artists, including Alejandro Jodorowsky, Jens Kidman (Meshuggah), Justin Preston (The Locust), and Trey Spruance (Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3).

The band composed and produced their first album featuring eight original tracks, and in early 2017, Carlos Sánchez joined the group, adding a more powerful sound and elevating the quality of their live performances. In October 2017, MINIPONY released their debut album, IMAGO, under the Italian label Subsound Records. This album is available worldwide in black and white vinyl formats, CD Digipack, and digital platforms through Goodfellas, Cargo, Code7, Phd, Clear Spot, and Cobraside. The album launch took place at the Teatro Nacional Variedades in Quito, where the audience responded enthusiastically, achieving a full house.or.

MINIPONY

Since then, the band has participated in prominent festivals in Ecuador, such as QuitoFest 2017, VAQ 2018 (Quito), FestivalFFF 2017/2018 (Ambato), Winchu Festival 2017 (Portoviejo), Fiesta de la Música 2018 (Cuenca), and Rock a la Terraza 2018 (Ambato). Additionally, they undertook a promotional tour in Italy, receiving acclaim from both the public and the European metal press, including Legacy Magazine (DE), Rumore Magazine (ITA), and Fireworks Magazine (UK), as well as mentions in Ecuadorian and Latin American media such as El Comercio, El Telégrafo, VICE Latinoamérica, and Headbangers Latinoamérica.

In early 2018, MINIPONY released the music video for their single “Elephants Walking Over Spider Webs” at a major concert at the Museo del Rock Ecuatoriano 1865, in front of an enthusiastic packed audience, solidifying the band as one of the most popular in Ecuador’s emerging metal and alternative scene.

Meet the Members

Carlos Sanchez

Drums

Emilia Moncayo

Vocals/Sampling/Noise

Amadeus Galiano

Guitar

Later, MINIPONY recorded their new album titled AJNA at Silver Cord Studios (Brooklyn, NY), the same studio used by the Grammy-nominated metal band Gojira in 2017. The band performed at local and international events, standing out for their execution level and visual impact in their shows. Following the release of AJNA in 2020, MINIPONY attracted the attention of music promoters and festivals, performing on significant stages in Latin America, including Hell and Heaven Open Air (Mexico) and Summer Breeze (Brazil). They were also selected as openers for FEAR FACTORY on their Latin American tour in 2022.

Currently, MINIPONY is recognized in Latin America as one of the most innovative and prominent bands in the metal scene. In 2024, they were invited to open for the acclaimed Swedish band MESHUGGAH in their first performance in Bogotá, receiving an amazing response from the audience. In November 2024, MINIPONY was mentioned in ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE as one of the most interesting bands in the local scene in Ecuador.