Fobia is a Mexican rock en español band from Mexico City. History The band was formed in 1987 by Leonardo de Lozanne and Francisco "Paco" Huidobro, brother of Micky Huidobro of Molotov. The original lineup consisted of Lozanne, Huidobro, bassist Javier 'Chá!' Ramirez, keyboardist Iñaki Vazquez, and Gabriel Kuri on drums. Kuri was later replaced by Jorge ‘Chiquis’ Amaro who was followed by multi-instrumentalist Jay de la Cueva, (lead singer of the Mexican glam metal band Moderatto). Fobia was one of the original bands to emerge from the rock en español / Rock en tu idioma (Rock in your language) boom of the late 1980s, alongside Caifanes, Maná, Neón, Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio and Los Amantes de Lola; all of which followed in the footsteps of Soda Stereo – who by the late 1980s had amassed a huge following in the Americas. In December 1987, RCA Ariola de México held a "Rock en tu idioma" battle of the bands contest in Mexico City. Fobia was eliminated early on and Los Amantes de Lola went on to win the contest. In spite of their early elimination, executives from Ariola decided to schedule an appointment with Fobia. According to legend, the band missed their meeting with Ariola because they weren't able to enter the building due to problems with security. Following the incident, the band's luck improved. Saúl Hernández of Caifanes produced their first demos and Ariola eventually signed them. Fobia's early sound, like many of the genre, was heavily influence by 80's new wave with a few notable exceptions: David Bowie and KISS. Fobia's music has always embraced the fantastic and eccentric and contains large doses of irony and humor. Fobia steered clear of the political and cultural themes that were embraced by their contemporaries. According to Lozanne, "I think it was more of a strategy of the record companies. We never felt like we were part of a movement. We didn't dress like the other bands. We didn't sing about the things they were singing about". The name Fobia was chosen because it described the insecurities, fears, and personal obsessions of the band members. These were transformed into melodies and music, and materialized into their first songs; "El microbito", "La iguana" and "El crucifijo", which they played in small bars and at house parties. Fobia's self-titled debut album Fobia cemented their reputation as an innovative and