SXSW Entry #3: Sobrenadar, Desert, SVPER, & Univers

Text by Giovanni Guillén
Pictures by Daniela Galindo 

Thursday night/early Friday had most of the CF-approved acts literally spread out all over Sixth Street, each featured in a distinct showcase. Here were some of the highlights.

8:07pm - Sobrenadar @ Vulcan Gas Company 

As a project conceived at the height of the internet's chillwave obsession, Sobrenadar set itself apart with each release by taking a calmer approach than most of her other contemporaries. Knowing this beforehand, I was skeptical about how the live show would play out. During sound check, singer Paula García sported an alien sweatshirt , clearly aware that her role here would not be to deliver a knockout vocal performance, but instead to be true to her own brand of whispered almost subliminal bedroom pop. It worked. Songs like "Junio" and "Sommeil Paradoxal" evolved into the serene and for 30 minutes their fragile beauty helped me forget the overwhelming Sixth Street crowds I'd be dealing with all night.
























8:55pm - DESERT @ Esther's Follies

Running one block east I then made my way into Esther's Follies where Barcelona duo DESERT was already setting up. Being a cabaret bar, the stage faced a seating area which made for a slight awkward viewing experience. Then Cristina Checa and Eloi Caballé got started- slowly unleashing a mix of eerie percussion and beats that I can only compare to Blue Hawaii and the Pional remix of your dreams. If past songs like "Camins" were about looking for a way to the light, the new tracks not only celebrate its discovery, but also resolve to inhabit it. During their performance it also became clear how temporal pop forms no longer interests them, at least not live. In 20 minutes I only counted three distinct tracks, but it was enough to feel blown away. Let it be said now so that a future "I told you so" will be warranted: if Desert wasn't already on y'alls radar, that needs to change.

9:25pm - SVPER @ Palm Door on Sixth 

Skipping out of DESERT's set a few minutes early, I arrived at Palm Door (across the street...) just as SVPER was launching into new material (this was also the day "Nuevo Cisne de Piedra" dropped so I can only assume that was what was playing). While squeezing through the crowd for a closer spot, I also got the sense of just how many people must've been anticipating their performance, especially from the row of giddy faces head bobbing up front. Sergio and Luciana no doubt picked up on as these vibes when they took us back to 2011 with their still-rousing singles "La melodía del afilador" and "El final de la noche," utilizing every synth-powered decibel to transform the tiny patio into their own arena-sized show.

11:00pm - Univers @ Soho Lounge

Even with the unforeseen line-up change, Univers managed to kick off their North American tour at Soho Lounge in high spirits and high volume. Considering their innumerable shoegaze and noise-pop references, it's a mystery how this band can exude the kind of freshness they do; of course, that was hardly on my mind as the show started because I was more affected by those guitars (which I hope no one vined) that barely let up throughout the entire set. Songs included "Cavall Daurat" and "Paral-lel" while most of the set was taken from their recently released debut album L'Estat Natural. The rest of the audience i'm assuming had a similar response as each song drew in a bigger crowd, attracting everyone from goths (or maybe just punk weebawoos), drunk old people, and even had fellow compatriots SVPER and DESERT watching. Classic night.

SXSW Entry #2: Buscabulla, La Entrevista

by Zach Lewis

In the three years I've been attending SXSW with no badge or even a music wristband I think i've developed a good idea of which events to stay away from. Ordinarily that would most certainly include The Fader Fort, but when we found out CF's artist to watch Buscabulla would be performing on the main stage we knew we had to be there. Thankfully Club Fonograma made the guest list and we were able watch as Raquel Berrios and her band brought a potentially dead ambiente to life with a mesmerizing 30 minute set. 

We caught up with Raquel later that night at a Nacional showcase, just an hour before A.J. Davila performed, for a brief chat.

Giovanni Guillén: A lot of our writers are already calling you the breakout act of 2014- but most of us know very little about you. What's your background in music? How did you get started?

Raquel Berrios: I was first a DJ. I've been a DJ ever since I got to New York in 2008. I started DJign vinyl and I kind of inherited my dad's record collection that included salsa, calypso, folk music. It was pretty varied. I also worked in a music store Tropicalia in Furs and then got even more into psychedelic latin music.

GG: Like Caetano?

RB: Caetano, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, the whole Tropicalia movement and other Brazilian stuff. And I started sort of producing stuff at home on Garage Band, really simple things and singing over it. I've always played guitar but I had never really been musically trained and it wasn't until I met my boyfriend, Luis Alfredo Del Valle, that we actually started to take those samples and the small projects I had and actually started converting them into songs and then after that I took piano, I took sort of a crash course in music theory and started to get a little more serious about the project.

GG: I'm a really big fan of your Tumblr, you have so many visual references that I think make a great introduction to Buscabulla. Then there's also a lot of older music that you post. How much of that did you inherit from your parents and how much is from your own discovery?

RB: It's half and half. The seed was planted by my parents but when I go back and I look at 70's and 80's Argentinian music that's all out of from my own discovery. Like maybe because my dad exposed me to rock that sort of made me interested in seeing what was latin rock like in the 70's and 80's. So the seed was planted by them, but definitely the digging and exploring is another thing that's happened and I guess you do see that on the Tumblr. It's mixed in with a lot of other stuff (laughs).

GG: It's pretty well known at this point that you've been working with Dev Hynes. How much of the new songs were already ready before he stepped in? What is his role really?

RB: When we got in the studio with Dev in mid February, we pretty much had three songs in demo form. We all sat down and discussed them, and he pretty much acted as an advisor both in helping us achieve a more evolved sound and filling in missing parts. He played guitar on a lot of the tracks and added his own to them. He also helped in a lot of decision making, but he definitely let us be Buscabulla. You know, he's written songs for Sky Ferreira and produced and written for Solange, but this time around he let us be who we were, and then just sort of added a touch of who he is.

GG: Yeah, that's interesting because the role of a producer is really vague. There's people like Rick Rubin who kind of lets artists just do what they do.

RB: It's funny because we kept bringing up Rick Rubin when we first started working with Dev Hynes. Everyone thinks a producer is gonna come and put his stamp on an artist's sound, but what he was really interested from the beginning was our unique sound. He acted as a great medium with his vast musical knowledge, adding touches of his own style while letting us be who we are. I guess you'll see it once it comes out. You just have to wait and see.

by Giovanni Guillén

GG: Recalling what I heard today (at the Fader Fort)- the new songs sound kind of hazy and intense. How do you describe them to people?

RB: There's a little bit of everything. The first single that we're gonna release and already made a video for is called "Caer." I love to think of that song as a midway point between "Sono" and our "Tu loco-loco" cover, you know, between samples and actually playing live. The other songs- "Temporal" which is another song from the EP is also really sample driven. I kind of did that one on my own. The demo was done at home in one night, just sat down with it. It's definitely more experimental. Sort of based on coming from the Caribbean. "Temporal" means hurricane. Then there's "Métele" which I don't really know how to describe that one. It's definitely more soul-like and Dev put a really cool touch on that one. We haven't finished mixing it so we'll just have to see.

GG: Besides older music that you're really familiar with how closely do you follow the current scene, like what's happening in Puerto Rico?

RB: Right now there's a lot of cool stuff happening, I definitely listen to everything that people are doing. Super excited about Fuete Billete. I've sort of known these guys forever, back when they were Cienca Fixión. It's really awesome how they're evolving with this new project as well as seeing Carlitos and AJ (from Davila 666) take different musical paths with their respective projects. And just the San Juan scene in general, we played a show there in November and Luis and I came back feeling really excited by the bands there. There's another group called Fantasmes that's really awesome. I think right now it's really diverse. I can totally see the influence of the internet and how it's helped people find their niche. Years back in Puerto Rico it seemed like everybody was doing the same type of music. But now it's different. It's such a small island, it's great to see a tiny indie scene doing very different projects.

GG: You mentioned how far Fuete Billete and A.J. Davila have come, where do you want to take Buscabulla? Or where do you see it going?

RB: I think a woman I always look at as an artistic example is Juana Molina. There's just something about the scale and artistic level of the project that she's built that I love. She has been very unique and even if she's not huge, people know her. She can travel the world and do intimate shows. There's something inspiring about how she's led her musical career and how it keeps going, regardless of age or looks. I think I aspire to something similar to what she's created. I really want to make cool interesting music in Spanish, you know? I want it to be accessible but also have edge. I want it to be complex.


by Giovanni Guillén

SXSW Entry #1: Dënver @ The North Door

by Giovanni Guillén

My Megabus ran late Wednesday and so I wasn't in Austin until 3pm. Not a big deal unless you account for the fact that I missed Empress of at the Pitchfork day show (Ugh). It was probably this early hiccup that convinced me to take things relatively leve on my first night. Not to mention that Mujeres were also denied entry to the U.S, thus canceling all of their south by dates (Ugh). With those two acts no longer an option, the CF itinerary had only one thing left and it sure as hell wasn't División Minúscula. Though their first showcase performance was actually Tuesday, sources tell us the show was plagued by sound problems and very little time on stage. So the stakes were high for this North Door performance. Pre-show vibes were weird. Never mind being awkwardly placed in a showcase with Porter and Division Minúscula (which I guess accounted for the $15 cover charge), or how the rest of the lineup read like a list of Latin acts not on Club Fonograma's radar, the music also sucked. Random salsa and old Shakira (rockera era... So the Divisón fans wouldn't disapprove).

As 8 o clock rolled around- Dënver was onstage putting final touches on their setup, a nervous sound guy approached them and did that thing where talking through someone else seems like a better idea instead of asking himself ("are they ready?") Weon, please. Remember that scene in Selena when she calms down damn-near all of Monterrey by just smiling? That was Mariana as "Medio loca (hasta el bikini me estorba)" started playing. Not even one song in and I was already near tears. Emotional as it was, Dënver wasn't here just to make us cry- it was to make us dance.

"Medio loca" then segued into "Los adolescentes," soon the whole front row was jumping up and down, most mouthing along as well (Niñas Mal fans?).  Seeing each of them assume their stage presence, further underlined by their outfits- Milton rocking a Fara Faucet shirt, and Mariana in a jeweled top- reminded me why Dënver have the most perfect dynamic of any band right now. She filling in as the pop star, he, the nerdy composer who dissimulates a rockstar mystique behind a guitar. But through each song which also included "Olas gigantes," "Revista de gimnasia," "Lo que quieras," they would trade roles; a dorkiness from Mariana would slip or Milton would bring out his best moves. On the breakdown to "Profundidad de campo," they shared a perfect choreographed moment that displayed them as true equals. The set closed out, of course, with "En medio de una fiesta" immediately after Milton- professed his love for disco as they came down and exited. Don't know about y'all - but I straight up took that as a quiet diss to all of the dude rock that would soon follow. Which by default makes it the most punk moment of the night.

Side note: though I was still at the venue for hours after I did not catch Porter or Division Minúscula, so I'm really just talking mess.

Side side note: my night pretty much ended around midnight, after unsuccessfully trying to enter a Kelis show. I spent the rest of the night walking up congress trying to recreate Lorelle Meets the Obsolte's "These Days" video.

 

Club Fonograma Invades SXSW 2014

Club Fonograma invades SXSW. Hello readers. Yes, it's that time again where we leave our pets and laptops for a week and head to Austin (by way of the blue Megabus) for another South by Southwest. While it was tempting to sit this one out (we all know it's not the same without #PincheAndrew) and continue to hold a jaded outlook of SXSW and the whole festival season, it wouldn't be right to downplay how excited we are for some of the incredible talent visiting the lone star state (which includes Dënver, Svper [Pegasvs- do I still have to do that?], Buscabulla, Desert, and Univers). As always, we'll be doing daily showcase write-ups and interviews with plenty of pictures (courtesy of Daniela Galindo).

And just in case it needed to be said- I'm Giovanni Guillén. Some of y'all might know me from my occasional posts around the blog, or maybe you've confused my face with Tony Gallardo's on a Fonograma compilation. Really, though, the only thing I should be known for around here is repeatedly trying to look cool in front of semi-famous people and being caught with some kind of dripping frozen treat or wiping chamoy off my face (see last year's Jicaleta at Nrmal). Still, I'll do my best to carry the torch this year and represent the club.

p.s. For any festival goers who plan to hit up our scheduled showcases and want to say hi- we really like whiskey sours. And paletas de limón. <3

SXSW Entry #2: Empress of, Delorean & Fakuta

My friends hate me. I don't blame them. SXSW is long over and i'm still bringing up my NRMAL weekend in Monterrey. What can I say? It's been hard letting go of the sweet memories created at the Parque del Ferrocarril, especially when the vibes Austin gave out was a nauseating mix of Doritos cheese and people traffic. I'm only exaggerating, of course. SXSW, like the internet, is what you make of it. And I was out there for most of the festivities (albeit minus one #PincheAndrew) making the most of it and representing Club Fonograma. Here are some of the festival highlights:

photo by Daniela Galindo
EMPRESS OF @ EMPIRE CONTROL ROOM

While last year's South By centered on welcoming long overdue acts, this year it was the rising stars who commanded our attention. First up on the CF itinerary was Lorely Rodríguez aka Empress of. My (H-town) crew and I arrived at the Pretty Much Amazing showcase making a conscience effort to keep cool and dissimulate the fan boy/girl on our faces. As Lorely and her band began to set up, it was clear we weren't alone in those attempts as a small group of smiling spectators filled the front row anxious to catch a glimpse of the Empress. For anyone familiar with her "colorminutes" project, the show itself was a straight up greatest hits set. Even if it took Lorely a few tracks to get into her zone ("Champagne" and latest single "Hat Trick" underwhelmed as a result), her stage presence evolved. Soon her dance moves became totally in sync with the projections that hugged the stage. On the closing track, Lorely chanted: "I-I-I-I've be-e-en waiting for you" but we're all pretty sure it was the other way around.

photo by Giovanni Guillén

DELOREAN @ BROOKLYN VEGAN DAY PARTY

Leaving the cavernous Empire Control Room, we moved outdoors and into the Old Emo's just in time to catch the end of a Savages set. Now, i'm all for a good punk show, but something about having it right before Delorean felt totally wrong. And being outside in the Texas sun definitely didn't help. WE CAME TO DANCE. QUEREMOS BAILAR. Once Delorean took to the stage it felt like seeing old friends we hadn't heard from in years. Upon hearing them actually play, it hit me just how much I missed their special brand of larger than life house-accented pop. Understandably, their setlist was heavy on new material (luckily for us the new songs sounded fresh). Only a handful of tracks from the still great Subiza made the cut ("Stay Close" and "Real Love") but it was enough to cause me to lose it.

Side note: Midway through their show, Delorean's guitar player broke a string. Luckily our friend Alex Segura stepped up and fixed it on the stage in time for their next song. My hero. <3

photo by Daniela Galindo

FAKUTA @ JAVELINA BAR (INTOLERANCIA SHOWCASE)

After a much-needed break on the Texas Capitol Building lawn, we closed the evening at the Javelina Bar where Pamela Sepúlveda opened the Intolerancia showcase. Recalling how 1/3 of the Club Fonograma staff attended the Nrmal/Chilean showcase in Monterrey (where many of us were traumatized by its congested space and an overdose of cellphone camera usage) it's worth mentioning how this setup was the complete opposite. Fine by me because it felt like I was actually gonna see Fakuta for the first time. Backed up with just one Laura Palmer, Felicia Morales, Pamela treated us with highlights from Al vuelo. Equally pleasant in the show was observing how the two friends exchanged playful looks as if silently acknowledging the crowd differences and reception of Mexico with Austin. Songs like "Las partes" and "Armar y desarmar," however, were able to pull in some curious bar patrons (who says it isn't about the music anymore?). When I finally got to once again hear the sweet "Juntapena," I found myself without a dance partner. Still, knowing I wasn't gonna get a chance to hear it live anytime soon, I at least made an attempt to slow dance with myself.

SXSW Entry #1: Fakuta, La Entrevista

photo by Daniela Galindo
Puras tragedias. That phrase accurately sums up my first night at SXSW. A lost wallet incident not only set me back hours of daycasing (sorry I just wrote that), but I also had to cancel a scheduled meetup with Pamela Sepúlveda a.k.a. Fakuta. And, since the Chilean Estrella would only be in town for three days (and understandably had other plans besides business), another meeting seemed difficult. My luck changed once I caught up with her at the Intolerancia showcase. After the show, Fakuta and her bandmate Felicia Morales were in a bit of hurry to attend an Austra show, but also saw no reason why we couldn't get in an interview on the way there. Here's what we talked about on our walk:

Giovanni Guillén: Al vuelo has been out since 2011. What can you tell us about your new album?

Fakuta: It's still in the early stages. I have a few songs ready but I’m the kind that likes to have a concept thought out. For me, albums should be albums. They should be a complete work like a soundtrack. My last record started out the same way—loose tracks that eventually became something. It's happening again, getting these individual tracks sorted out. Right now they're missing the consistency for me to call it an album. I am sure, however, the record's production will come out faster. I'd like to do it this year. I also want the producers to really play a part in the process. On Al vuelo I came to the studio with everything basically done. I'd like the new songs to come in bare, so that we can all contribute something. "Juntapena" was formed like that. We had a lot of fun with it, and it came out a lot quicker.

GG: You pretty much know all the big Chilean artists. Which compatriots would you like to get for the next record?

F: Many, I think. Actually, I’ve always been more about finding collaborations from the underground. There's a girl called La Entrópica who has a great electro sound with this deep voice. That'd be cool. I've thought about it. Besides Chileans, I’ve already got a collaboration with Coiffeur from Argentina. We've become good friends. We even played together at Festival Neutral a year ago.

GG: How did Neutral go for you this year?

F: Really cool. It isn't a huge festival. Everything in Chile is a lot smaller. The Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center is such a wonderful space and it got pretty packed. I'm still not that well known in Chile, but at least I got to play for a lot of new faces, as well as old friends. It was just fun. I’ve also started playing with a new band that includes Felicia Morales, Pablo Muñoz, Anita Gallardo, and my boyfriend, DJ deMentira.

GG: A lot of music in your genre typically doesn’t allow the lyrics to be so clear and so easily understood. Why is that the case for your music?

F: I think that started more as a decision from my producers. Pablo Muñoz and Milton Mahan (from Dënver) have such strong pop leanings. Back then, I was more into Nite Jewel and other artists who put effects on the vocals and I also wanted that. When I started out I had, like, zero confidence in what I was doing. Pablo and Milton really helped me out. Milton would always tell me good things about my lyrics. After a while, I started noticing how people who listen to my music got something out of the lyrics. It was either personal to them or they identified with it in that moment. That's huge for me.

GG: Plus people can sing along with you at your shows.

F: Yeah, definitely. I've also learned about myself, too. Like, how I have so much influence from Latin music and even romantic singers like Yuri. Those are things one can't escape from. I remember before making my album I used to be ashamed of all of that. I would write songs and then think, "No, I want to be in a rock band." I guess I needed time to figure out it's what I do best or what comes out more naturally.

GG: I feel like your lyrics touch on very similar themes, like the need to travel. Where does that come from?

F: It isn't necessarily a need to travel. More like a need to elevate myself. I feel like I belong in the air (laughs). I guess those themes are a little esoteric. I'm also really into things like machines and technology. For "Juntapena" I kind of imagine a road trip to the south. I also think of a childhood vacation or something like that.

GG (after having arrived at their venue): As a music fan, who are you most excited to see at SXSW?

F: I'd love to see Prince but we're not gonna be here for it. Or even Nick Cave. But this festival has always intrigued me. It's like Carnival out here. I also love that there's so many groups who are kind of like where I am, starting out without a big following. I'm not here with the expectation that I'll blow up or anything like that. Ultimately there are still a lot of cultural differences.

GG: So do you think the language barrier is still a big issue?

F: It's getting better, I think. But I feel like English speakers who listen to music in Spanish are kind of viewed as weird. I think it's great. As someone who grew up listening to music in English there's definitely another relationship with the music. One appreciates the composition and the structure. That's also important. Maybe later you learn the real meaning of the words, and it's disappointing because of how dumb it was (laughs). Still, I love how there are people who don't speak Spanish but who listen to our music. I feel in some ways it's more genuine and honest. Sometimes I even see it see as an advantage.

SXSW Entry #9: Natalia Lafourcade, LA ENTREVISTA

Photos by Daniela E. Galindo

A lot of us already know that Natalia Lafourcade will soon release the highly anticipated follow-up to Hu Hu Hu. But, up until a few weeks ago, basic details about the record felt like a complete mystery. Luckily, Club Fonograma got a chance to speak with Lafourcade about the new album following her outdoor presentation (a day performance of Torreblanca & Amigas) at Auditorium Shores. Many thanks to Lafourcade for the interview (and for the nice words about the blog) and to her manager for making it all possible.

Giovanni Guillén: How would you describe this new record?

Natalia Lafourcade: This album is going to be very different from the other ones. It’s a covers album. It’s a tribute for this artist and composer, Augustín Lara. Augustín is the inspiration for the record. And also, the artists who are collaborating with me because every artist had something to do with the way the songs sound. I have a collaborator on every song, mostly male singers.

GG: With these collaborations, would you say you're continuing to produce–like what you did with Carla Morrison and Ximena Sariñana?

NF: Yeah, I love it. I love producing people. Probably as much as I love singing and being on the stage. And it’s a thing that I just started to do, like, a year ago with Carla and Ximena. I don’t think I would do it with a project I don’t really like because you put a lot of energy–you have to focus. (Like) when we finished Carla Morrison’s first album, I was so emotionally involved that at the end I was exhausted! But in a good way. It’s just because I’m like that. I’m very passionate about things that I like.

GG: Do you know what kind of producer you are?

NF: I don’t know if I consider myself a producer yet. I love producing people but I don’t know how to do it. I just go in and tell them my opinion. I have a good team with my engineers, my studio, and some other friends and musicians that will help make the song. I remember when I was making my first album, I had this difficult time with the producers. It’s very difficult when you, as an artist, want to do something with the sound, and then the producer has another vision and they don’t let you go where you want to go. And I think that, I mean, I don’t know how to produce but my intuition tells me that you have to let the artist go where the artist needs to go. That way you build the perfect environment. To get it there, to get it right, in the end, it’s their album, not mine. When I worked with Ximena and Carla I was just giving my opinion. We could do this or go there but, in the end, the decision was taken by them.

GG: You mentioned Augustín Lara, and I know you performed at the Bicentenario. It seems to me that lately you're getting more in touch with your Mexican roots.

NF: Yeah, definitely

GG: What inspired that?

NF: The Bicentenario. Totally. Before I was more like, “Oh, yes. I want to go out of my country."

GG: Places like Canada?

NF: Well actually, Canada is a part of my heart. Definitely. I need to go back to Canada and be there for a while because I miss it a lot. But, when I was working with Alondra de la Parra on the Bicentenario, on the show, she told me, "You should go and reach some composers and writers–Mexican writers. Not just, like, José Alfredo Jiménez, the ones we all know. You should go and reach for someone that you don’t know and see if you can find a song that you want to sing." And then I went on the Internet, on YouTube, and I started searching names and I ran into Augustín Lara. I heard all the songs from the past that we know, but I also started listening to the songs that I didn’t know and I fell in love. Especially with the way he used to write. I was like, "Wow! This is so amazing!" The music, the harmonies, the lyrics, the poetry. And I was so impressed that we had that talent in our country. I also wondered if the people my age would know his music and his compositions.

GG: So, you're also trying to introduce him to another generation?

NF: Definitely. I wanted to do another thing–working on a covers project–but I didn’t want to do just any covers. I was actually thinking about Violeta Parra. La Chilena. But I also wanted to expose something from Mexico. So, when I ran into Augustín’s stuff I fell in love. Hopefully there will be someone who'll feel connected the same way that I did.

GG: I know that Augustín Lara composed a lot for films, is that something you want to do? Soundtracks and movie scores? For me, Las 4 estaciones del amor sounds like a movie soundtrack.

NF: I hope one day I can definitely do that. I imagine myself living in a small cabin in the fields, taking care of children and making music for movies, you know? (Laughs).

GG: But then where would you perform?!

NF: Well, I love performing too. But it’s in my list of dreams. It’s something that I love. To me, music, the images, and all of that come together. When I’m writing, I’m also imagining a video to the song, I’m thinking about the images. Also, when I build the concept. I guess it all comes together and, eventually, I see myself working on soundtracks.

GG: Your last album, Hu Hu Hu, was full of organic sounds. But then there was this b-side, "Lluvia que cae," which featured electronic music. Is that also something you want to experiment more with?

NF: Yeah, probably yes. Especially now I feel like I want to go there. It’s funny because this new album doesn’t have that at all–it still has this organic thing that was in Hu Hu Hu. It's as if Augustín Lara and I would’ve sat together and written the songs. It's very pretty.

SXSW Entry #8: Javiera Mena, LA ENTREVISTA

Photo by Daniela E. Galindo

Two weeks have passed since I left Austin and said goodbye to SXSW. And even though I contracted the flu on the last weekend of the festival (shit was cray) and the memory of it all feels like a weird fading dream, I can vividly recall that Thursday of the Torreblanca y Amigas showcase because It was that magical. Being in the same room with the most powerful female players in Latin music (Andrea Balency, Ximena Sarinana, Natalia Lafourcade AND Javiera Mena) was amazing in itself, but seeing them perform left me in awe.

Following the showcase, Mena and I chatted about her time in Austin, music videos, and pochos. I don't know how, but I also managed to interview her. I would like to thank Mena and her manager for being the nicest and most approachable people in the world. I should also point out that this interview was conducted in Spanish and then later translated into inglés. Translating is hard work, and I'm starting to think it's not really my thing (just ask my Latin professor). But many thanks also to my fellow CF writers Andrew Casillas and Pierre Lestruhaut, my girlfriend Daniela, and my mom for their help when I was stuck.

Giovanni Guillén: Welcome to Austin. How are you enjoying the festival?

Javiera Mena: There are so many people here! Obviously this is my first time in the U.S. and first time participating in a festival of this scale. But it's certainly exciting and it feels great to be here.

GG: You're here promoting Mena, which came out about two years ago, correct?

JM: Year and a half, more or less. This is sort of the last wave of energy left in Mena (laughs).

GG: So, are you already thinking about the future?

JM: Definitely. What I want most right now is to return to Santiago, close myself off in the Cordillera, and just work on my new record.

GG: Any idea which direction you might take for this album?

JM: Not yet, I think when the ideas in my head are realized I'll know. Of course, if I have the lyrics and if I have the music the songs will decide that direction. I do think this next album could go a more psychedelic route.

GG: Psychedelic? Well on that note, do you see yourself once again working with electronic music exclusively or what other styles are you open to?

JM: Electronic music is something I'm drawn to because of the of punch it delivers, you know? Through drum machines, etc. I love that. But I'm very open to anything—even something stripped down to just guitar and voice, we'll see. Another reason why I'm excited about returning to Santiago.

GG: I know that you have very diverse music taste—everything from Juan Gabriel to My Bloody Valentine—what are some recent discoveries, bands you’re listening to now that might influence this upcoming record?

JM: Hmm, new things I like...obviously everything I listen to influences me in some way. When I discovered Grimes, for example, I became obsessed. I mean, just the fact that someone younger than me could move my world so much, I loved it.

GG: Wasn't she born in like '89?

JM: '88! But I love that things like that happen. And also, my friends that make music, people like Diego Morales who are always showing me things that inspire me. They don't have to be these huge biblical figures like Michael Jackson...

GG: Or the Beatles?

JM: Exactly. They can be these chiquilines that come out of nowhere. Lately Grimes has definitely moved me.

GG: I read an interview where you stated in a few years you feel as though you will have to emigrate from Chile.

JM: That's right.

GG: Could you explain that a bit more?

JM: Even though Chile is a beautiful country and the people are amazing, it's a place that geographically is just too far. I mean, so many hours just to come to a place like this. It's not like a country like Germany, which is far from here but is still close to everything else in Europe. Chile is a place with so much to offer, but in a way it's still difficult to make a career in music work. Especially in the business side. As much I would like to stay, I know that I'll have to emigrate because when I come to Austin, for example, it feels like there's a real industry here. And there is an industry in Chile, but it still has a long way to go.

GG: It's a little weird to hear that because, as someone who lives in the U.S., it feels like everything in music right now is happening in Chile or Argentina or in Brazil.

JM: There are a things happening- It's just hard to take things as far as I would like. Argentina is amazing, by the way.

GG: Well you've already toured there, and you just played in Mexico at Festival Nrmal and there's a mini-tour, correct?

JM: Yes, the plan is to go back to Mexico and play Vive Latino, that's something we've been wanting to do right.* What else do I have? Well, a few things planned that I can't talk about yet.

GG: No?! Well, I have to ask—are there any plans to tour the U.S. soon?

JM: No, no. Nothing's been set. I'm returning to do some promotion, but in fact I promised the Consul I wouldn't work because I don't have a work visa.

GG: Last question: did you see Club Fonograma's review of Mena?

JM: Of course! It came out as album of the year!

GG: It received a 100, do you feel Mena was a perfect record?

JM: Yes! (Laughs) No, I mean it's hard to say that about oneself. One keeps these things inside to be humble, but I do like Mena. I see Mena and Esquemas Juveniles, my two albums, and lately I've been feeling more attached to Esquemas. (With Mena) I wanted to make a record out of cohesive pop songs, and I think I achieved that. Of course it must happen in your work, deciding what is perfect must be difficult. It's especially difficult for me to call it perfect. I don't see it as a perfect record because to me, a perfect record is Michael Jackson's Thriller or Aphex Twin's Richard D. James. I see my album as a baby next to those gems.

GG: Well if that's a goal for you, there's still time to make a perfect record.

JM: Yes, but then again, it's like what is perfect? The issue is just far too relative.

*Javiera actually said the word "chingón" which in my head I thought was the coolest thing.

SXSW Entry #7: White Ninja, Bigott, 3Ball MTY

SWAGtentalo

I lost my voice Thursday night, which also inhibited my ability to swallow. The next morning, my ears were still ringing and my legs were tired as all hell. But, dammit, this was the penultimate day of SXSW, and there was NO CHANCE anyone was fucking stopping me from going all out. So I scarfed down three slices of Hoboken pizza (yeah, dammit, we’re talking about food again!), and walked my ass clear across downtown to catch me some White Ninja.I think what most surprised me about White Ninja’s set was how true-to-record these guys, sounded, which is impressive, considering how hazy their recordings can be at times. But, just like the recordings, the show would have probably sounded better accompanied by…um, “mood enhancers.” So, not a bad show or anything. I mean, any time you get to hear “PCU” while drinking watered down Glenlivet, that’s one for the win column, really.

After encountering the most dick-headed SXSW volunteer (“the line’s over here, brah”), I entered the Sounds from Spain showcase, which featured the largest assortment of La Liga jerseys this side of Madrid (go Real!). The whole time I was thinking, “if Gio and I are the visual equivalent of the mipster, who the fuck are these guys?! Spipsters? And is that said with or without the lisp?”

Anyway, I was there to see Bigott. He was really good! He was in high spirits throughout, barely pausing in between songs. And, for once, I saw a SXSW crowd engage in ACTUAL dancing (to a song called “Cannibal Dinner,” no less!). There was also some ace guitar playing to “Dead Mum Walking” and some colorful band interplay to “Sparkle Motion,” not to mention that this guy is just as funny and charismatic live as on record. If anything, I’m bummed that this was his only SXSW showcase—I’d definitely see him again if I had the chance.

(I also caught Nite Jewel last night. All I’ll say is, it took her 30 minutes to soundcheck and the synths were STILL way too compressed in the mix. Oh, and also La Vida Boheme, which is apparently Spanish for “tries too hard.”)

Last up for the night was the unstoppable short bus that is 3Ball MTY. The energy inside the venue was palpable. No one was wearing pointy boots (BOO!) though Gio made an excellent point that 3Ball’s staff was “very chuntaro looking,” which is a half-win. As for the show itself? TOTAL. FUCKING. FRENZY. 3Ball’s 45-minute MegaMix was a bevy of crowdsurfing, obstructive camera phones, and, oh yeah, I had to break up a fight. Regardless, the set was more than impressive, and its abrupt end due to a 2 a.m. curfew nearly set off a small skirmish from overhyped fans.

Leaving the show, I realized I still hadn’t gotten a sense whether 3Ball MTY is an actual project, or merely short-term (particularly for Erick Rincon, who dictated virtually everything onstage as if going through the motions). As “Inténtalo” remains #1 on the Billboard charts, the opportunity was theirs to take this festival by the balls. Yet here we were, with only one show aimed at the long ago-converted. Who knows, maybe there was a good reason. But we’ve known for months that “Inténtalo” is a game changer of a song—now should have been the time for 3Ball MTY to become a game changer of a band.

SXSW Entry #6: Andrea Balency, LA ENTREVISTA

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak with the fast-rising Andrea Balency. And all it took was me buying her one beer, along with my awesome charm, of course.

Andrew Casillas: So…how does it feel to be “hot shit” right now?*

Andrea Balency: It’s kind of surprising because when I started writing music I never thought I would be where I’m at only two-three years later. Before that, I played classical music at home with my piano and I wanted to be a classical musician. But then I started writing music, saw how fun it was, and felt the need to continue doing it. My first songs didn’t sound very commercial, and I thought, “Oh, I’ll never been famous or popular.” But suddenly everything started happening, and people started coming out to concerts, and suddenly I had 300 people coming out to see me. And I’m thinking, “Who am I?” I’m just a regular person, so it’s been very surprising, but exciting, because I feel like I can make a living doing this forever.

AC: Speaking of playing with Natalia Lafourcade, Javiera Mena, and Ximena Sariñana (at the awesome Torreblanca + Amigas show earlier that day), each of them had a very different career path. Natalia started out very quirky and has progressed further into idiosyncrasy. Javiera began with a defined sound and has continued developing it to where she is THE BEST at what she does. Ximena started out as a huge pop star, and is leveraging that early success in a very ambitious attempt at English language superstardom. Of these three, which would you find most appealing as a career path?

AB: I feel like my music has to follow its own path and, thus, I don’t think about it so much. I don’t want to force things and take my music somewhere it probably shouldn’t be. Right now what I think is that I have a pretty singular sound which will continue to change. I’ve gotten into a lot of electronic music lately…

AC: Even Skrillex? (jokingly)

AB: Yes! (haha) I just love the whole universe of electronica, and I’m trying to incorporate some of these elements into my sound. I don’t know where I’m going to evolve; I’ll just let it go where it needs to be.


AC: Do you have any idea where you’re going to be in a few years? Do you think you could be like Skrillex tomorrow?

AB: I’d love to think I could. Part of what I love about music is that it’s spontaneous.

AC: Well answer this: do you want to be a pop star?

AB: Hahaha, well…

AC: I’m serious: I don’t mean pop star in the “selling out” sense. Do you want to be a star? An easy comparison would be, say, Julieta Venegas. Someone who can command his or her own career with a mass following?

AB: Credibility is important to me, so as long as I have that, I wouldn’t mind being a “star.” I wouldn’t mind not being a star so long as I’m credible. It’s the most important thing to me.

*I clarified that I meant to say “one of the biggest buzzes at SXSW,” but hot shit still sounds cooler.

CF Point/Counterpoint: Javiera Mena live (SXSW Entry #5)

With respect to my colleague, Enrique Coyotzi, and his excellent Festival Nrmal coverage, how the hell is Javiera Mena’s live show “underwhelming”?!

To be fair, comparing a large outdoor festival in Mexico to an intimate bar in downtown Austin isn’t exactly like comparing apples to apples. And the NRMAL crowd’s apparent lack of background info on Mena’s music would certainly explain any disconnect affecting the performance on a whole. But last night? Let’s just say it’s going to take a couple of days to wash all the sweat out of my clothes.

Hanging out anonymous amongst the crowd prior to show time, it was unclear whether Mena was nervous or apprehensive prior to her first official U.S. show. As her soundcheck unfolded, Mena would look out into the small mass of festivalgoers as if she were about to BASE jump into the Amazon. The hypnotic synth line from “Perlas” marched as the lights and sound came into form and then…Mena Time.

After feeling out the crowd for the first few numbers (though “Primera Estrella” is admittedly an odd opener), it was “Hasta la Verdad” that made people take notice. Lest the newcomers think of her as some icy disco queen, she instantly upped the electro with “El Amanecer” and “Luz de Piedra de Luna.” By this point, the crowd was entirely at her command, clapping and jumping when told. Even the pedestrians from the connecting showcases began to filter in, seeing how there appeared to be a small party on hand.

By this point, there were well over 100 people in this tiny hall, and Mena went for the kill, shedding her jacket and keyboard and serenading the audience through “Sufrir.” I mean, really, if you thought Bérénice Bejo was great at playing pantomime in The Artist, she doesn’t have SHIT compared to Javiera Mena, at least for this one night. She then closed out the set with a fiery rendition of “Al Siguiente Nivel,” high-fiving everyone in sight like a much hotter (and, let’s face it, probably funnier), Jay Leno. It was a resilient, confident, and downright amazing debut.

I know there may be some in our readership who take everything Club Fonograma writes about Javiera Mena with a huge grain of salt. Sure, parts of what we do can come off like a personal PR service, but I’m not bullshitting when I say this was one of the greatest live performances I’ve seen in all my years at SXSW. That doesn’t mean everything she does is amazing, and maybe the NRMAL crowd didn’t get the same sort of energy as the one at Maggie Mae’s, but there’s something about genius that’s impossible to contain once it gains momentum, and yesterday, genius and momentum came dressed in a black and white polka dotted skirt. Of course, the moral of the story is: ALWAYS LISTEN TO #PINCHEANDREW.

SXSW Entry #4: Kali Mutsa, Alex Anwandter, Astro, Natalia Lafourcade

Thursday night’s array of SXSW showcases felt like being transplanted into a real-life Fonogramaticos. And that’s not even including shows from Il Abanico, Juan Cirerol, Bam Bam, and Neon Indian, which we were unable to catch due to conflicts. But what we did see…oh man.

Kicking off the night at the bottle service maven Buca Lounge was Kali Mutsa. After fervently applying her makeup in the ladies restroom (according to Gio’s girlfriend), she and her band came out like bohemian gypsies who were really trying to get picked for Let’s Make a Deal. The show was a bit subdued at first, which is weird considering the band was clad with just a mic, accordion, clarinet, and fiddle (and barefoot, nonetheless!). But Mutsa made the best of the small crowd, crouching every verse with dead-eyed stares and flippant histrionics. In between songs, she pleaded with the crowd to dance while taking swigs of beer as if it were contraband. Despite all this, and the fact she spoke 4-5 languages during the entire set, the crowd was pleasantly surprised. I’m now convinced that Kali Mutsa is alien genius like Abed from Community.

After a brief Jimmy Johns break (free smells!), we made our way to Alex Anwandter’s set at the “Latino hotspot” Maggie Mae’s. Anwandter was in peak form, with his mid-'90s Morrissey close-cut and satin jacket. But he also knew what his people wanted to hear. Pick your favorite song from Rebeldes. He played it. Anwandter milked the favorable crowd for everything it was worth, as he even went into the crowd to dance with the audience at various points. For the Anwandter-worshipping fans in attendance, it was a gig from heaven, and for everyone else, a rocking set.

After these two barn-burning shows, it was inevitable that Astro would disappoint for the mere fact that it was…a rock concert. Dudes with guitars on stage playing their hits. Not that people weren’t feeling “Manglares” and “Ciervos,” but it just didn’t hit over the head like Mutsa and Anwandter did. There was a bit of catharsis with “Maestro Distorsion” as the closing number, but overall it was merely solid. I did appreciate how everyone in Astro has the exact same haircut, though.

Closing the night back at Buca Lounge was Natalia Lafourcade. Ditching the (literal) bells and whistles, Lafourcade played an acoustic set armed with a piano, guitar, and vocal loops. Her charisma was in full force, connecting with her legion of devotees by playfully asking for free drinks and taking song requests even as the show crept into the 2 am hour. The setlist itself was a mix of her favorite Hu Hu Hu tracks (“Azul” will NEVER get old) and random oldies, such as “En El 2000” and “O Pato” (!), and the crowd hung on her every word. It appears that Lafourcade seems fairly comfortable in her role as a sort of torchbearer for Mexican indie, and one can hope that her upcoming covers album will reflect this. In a sense, this kind of set was the perfect palette cleanser for an epic (and very loud) night of music.

SXSW Entry #3: Andrea Balency, Torreblanca, Los Rakas

After the epic failure that was searching for free day shows, I was convinced it was an omen of horrible things to come on my first South By experience. Luckily, the first showcase located at Buffalo Billiard's alleviated all doubts and provided some great music. While in line, I did my share of creepin' on people's conversations just to get a feel for who people were most excited to see. Early birds, of course, were all talking (and for good reason) about Andrea Balency.

Per usual of South By showcases, the show started like 10 minutes late. When Andrea finally took to the stage, it was clear from the arsenal of vocal loops, effects, and keyboards that we would not be receiving a huge orchestral performance, but instead an intimate and experimental solo show. The first two songs were a little awkward, in that things began with a looped whisper instead of bang. Nevertheless she was still able to hold her own extremely well. By the time she played, "Delia," an epic french-language track, she had won us all over. Over the course of the 40-minute set she became a confident performer, commanding a huge selection of sounds to the point where it was easy to forget she was the only up there.

Torreblanca began his set promptly right after and delighted the crowd (and some very cool musician friends) by playing songs from his latest album, Bella Época. Accompanied by a full band (clarinet player, what’s up!), it was great to hear the big sounds from his record translated into a live setting. Even tracks I had pegged as fillers like “Dejé de ser yo” sounded incredible. In all honestly, I almost preferred it the studio versions where things sound a bit too clean and polished for my taste.

Following the show, my girlfriend and I stopped for some gyros and contemplated what to see next. When it was clear that waiting in line and spending more money for the ACL Live show was not an option, we abandoned our first pick (Next time, Terius) and went to see Los Rakas. We definitely made the right choice. As #PincheAndrew pointed out after, this concert really deserves its own post. Suffice it to say that Los Rakas were AMAZING. So much great energy from both performers and audience. These guys had us all dancing as they spit rhymes and navigated through beats from Dr. Dre to Kreayshawn. What was even more surprising was how many people were mouthing along to the lyrics (good to know i'm not the only one who's memorized a few verses from their version of "Gucci Gucci"). The Fonograma classic "Soy Raka" closed things off, and it was the absolute best way to finish the first night at SXSW. Almost like Austin's way of welcoming Club Fonograma.

SXSW Entry #2: Bam Bam, LA ENTREVISTA

On Wednesday, Club Fonograma had the pleasure of interviewing Monterrey's own Bam Bam in the alley between a crappy dive bar and a really crappy dive bar. SO DIVERSE! Anyway, the band had some great stories to tell, but here are the choices quotes we'll serve up for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Andrew Casillas: You guys have gone from a small, unknown band to one of the most credible in Mexico. Do you feel the weight of expectations from being seen as “progressive” and “cutting edge?”

Bam Bam: I guess we’re still like a small band, with the [basic] guitars and pedals. We don’t have fancy shit. We’re the same guys, basically. The only expectation is for ourselves to keep playing better. We’re our own enemies, so we have to defeat ourselves with every album and with every gig.

AC: A lot of your sound is very frantic and meticulous. You’re talking about being your own enemies, what are the main objectives you attempt to express with your music?

BB: The end of the world (haha). People ask, “Why do you make music?” Sometimes I don’t feel connected to people in general, but when I’m playing, I feel connected to this band, and it’s something [amazing].

AC: Do you guys think you’ve scratched the surface of what you can do? Do you have any idea what you’re going do from this point?

BB: We have no idea. But that’s awesome. We don’t want to think about what you’re going to like or dislike. You just make shit up [as you go]. We don’t really have a plan. We’re just going to make records. Not make some strategic marketing or merchandising plan.

AC: You guys are highly respected by critics. When you made these past two albums did you think, “People are going to LOVE this shit?”

BB: We didn’t think that a lot of people would like it. I thought that it was going to flop. [Futura Vía] is a strange album. Something so personal that there was a chance that people weren’t going to like it.

AC: You’re a very hard band to describe, sound-wise. If you have to put a quick label on your sound, what would you say?

BB: That’s hard to answer.

AC: Are you a psychedelic rock band? Prog rock? Are you pop?

BB: I don’t know what pop is. We’re a rock band. We have guitar, bass, keyboards. Everyone has their own plank, and that’s Bam Bam.

SXSW Entry #1: Bam Bam Day Show

Ah! Austin. Even after being around you so many years, your awful, awful traffic never ceases to amaze. Then again, you have an awesome downtown. Yet it’s still weird that the University of Texas AND the Texas State Capitol have existed blocks away from one another for over a hundred years and you STILL thought it was cool to have only two freeways servicing the entire population. And now the areas AROUND downtown have become congested to the point that residents die because ambulances cannot attend to emergencies in the low-income residences east of the freeway.

But, aside from bad coordination among city planners, Austin’s downtown is still a sight to behold. Bars, pizza restaurants on wheels, drunk people—everything a great downtown needs! And this afternoon downtown Austin was accompanied by the marvelous, batshit crazy, loud sounds of Monterrey’s Bam Bam. While I missed the first two or three songs of their set, it became clear upon arrival that the band was firing on all cylinders, commanding the tiny stage as if it were their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

In this dark shell of a bar, “Ragatrón” cooed and then sizzled like dream-thrash paranoid shakedowns. “Hipnódromo” brought the Lone Star-inebriated house down, bringing people in from the venue’s outdoor stage to see who was creating this bombastic noise. In the end, there were calls from hipsters and common gringos alike yelling “Otra!” and “Who are you?!!!” My response to one couple: “If you only knew.”

NOTE: I ultimately told that couple that they were watching Bam Bam. I’m not that much of a dick.

Club Fonograma Invades SXSW 2012!

So here we are again. I, Andrew Casillas, will be your guide for this year's SXSW music festival from Austin, Texas, that bastion of crap Tex-Mex and cilantro lime salsa (but the pork belly is always reliable). This year I'll be joined by fellow CFer Giovanni Guillén, whose job is to make me feel old at all times. Especially when someone brings up the Clinton Administration.

As always, we'll post interviews, showcase reviews, and random crap throughout the week. This year's lineup is absolutely STACKED, with performances by Bam Bam, Natalia Lafourcade, Andrea Balency, Ximena Sariñana, Alex Anwandter, and Javiera Mena. And that's without taking into account the possibility that one of us may troll the Juanes show at the W Hotel!

NOTE: The person in the picture is Leslie Cochran, the prominent homeless cross-dresser who died last week. Vaya con Dios, dude.

SECOND NOTE: I saw Machete on TV this past weekend, which was filmed in Austin. That movie was so ridiculous yet...kinda awesome. So expect many random nods regarding that movie.

SXSW Entry #10: Gepe - La Entrevista!

Perhaps the most exciting Club Fonograma-approved presence at SXSW was Gepe, who played two phenomenal shows while he was in Austin. After his performance at the Billboard showcase, we claimed a bench on Congress Ave. and sat down for a nice chat. I’ve edited all of Gepe’s cachais out, but just imagine each of his responses ending with “cachai?” and you’ll get the gist. Cachai?



Blanca Méndez: For someone who is such a big fan of yours, I don’t really know much about you outside of your music. So let me start with a basic question: What experiences led you to start creating music and why do you keep doing it?



Gepe: I’ve made music since I was so little that I can’t remember the motive. It became serious about five years ago, and it wasn’t until very recently that I considered myself a musician.



BM: What changed that finally made you say that you’re a musician?



G: When it became my way of earning a living is when the change happened. Now I live because of and from the music.



BM: Before that, were you working outside of music?



G: No, only music. I am also a designer because I studied graphic design in college. But when I was in college, I started making a lot of music, and after I graduated, I kept making lots of music and I started going on tour and working solely on music. SometimesI still do design, though. And I also make music for movies.



BM: Very cool. What movies have you contributed music to?



G: I recorded a Leonard Cohen cover of “Hallelujah” for Sugar.

BM: How do these projects come about?



G: People call me, usually the directors. Like for Sugar, Lynn Fainchtein called me to record the Leonard Cohen cover. She knew about me through Julieta Venegas, who had passed my music along to her.

BM: How do you decide what projects to go forward with? Do you read a script?



G: Mostly I talk with the directors to get a sense of what the film is about. Sometimes I do read the script, and then make a song.



BM: Do you enjoy making music with such a specific goal andset guidelines?

G: I really like to make music not using my name and background. I love not being me. I enjoy when people give me direction and tell me what they need. I liketo put myself at the service of others and to not be Gepe. It’s a break from being me. And I love playing with other people in other bands. I play the drums with Pedropiedra, and I only follow his rules.

BM: Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. I know that you’ve worked with Pedro and Javiera Mena and a lot of other musicians in Chile. How does this way of making music differ from your solo work?

G: In Chile, we have a very close community of musicians, like Pedropiedra, Javiera Mena, Denver, Astro…they make very good music, very mature. And all of these people work with each other. I play the drums with Pedro and with Javiera, Javiera plays keyboards with me, Pedro plays guitar with me, and I play with Alex from Odisea. We are making an album together. The people who are making indie music in Chile are all very close. We’re all friends. We hang out a lot together. My girlfriend used to date another musician that’s part of our little community, so it’s like that. That close.

BM: Recently a lot of musicians in Chile are making a big mark on Latin American music. What do you think is happening in Chile right now that is so special?



G: I think it might be a generational thing. Around the year 2000 this group of musicians that I’ve been talking about started making music. What’s happening now, despite all of us sharing spaces, sharing friends, sharing girlfriends, is that we are all working on very personal projects. We all make very distinct music, each project has its own life, its own world, but at the same time there are similar qualities and all of the music is connected in some way.



BM: You mentioned that you’re working with Alex Anwandter on an album. How is that going?



G: We both have very personal projects and working together is having to cede certain things. In doing that we got to know each other more. I had never worked with someone else on lyrics and neither had Alex, and working together that closely, we’ve become even better friends. I think when you work with a certain level of trust is when work comes out better, and that kind of trust you get from friends. I’ve always worked with my friends. And this album is one that neither of us could have made on our own. It’s at the exact midpoint between the two of us, and it’s been such a wonderful process.

BM: And you can definitely tell when there’s a close bond between musicians who collaborate.

G: It’s like Animal Collective, the thing that I most love about them is the synergy between them. You can tell that they’re good friends, and there’s something special that emanates from that. Also, one of my favorite Chilean bands in the 90s, Tobias Alcayota, who were like my Beatles, had this same kind of energy. And that’s always stayed with me and influenced the way that I make music.



BM: How has your own style of making music changed over the years?



G: One of the things I like best about music and musicians is how what they do, the way in which they make the music, the way in which they dress, the attitude that they take on, changes over time. I love that the work gets enriched with time and doesn’t crystallize at any particular moment. The music that I make has evolved because what I do isnever closed. It continues to transform. What I want to do is always ahead. Like Animal Collective, what I like about them is that everything they do is a work in progress.

BM: What are you working on now, and what are you thinking about for the future?



G: Right now the album with Alex is the first priority. I’m also working on videos for Audiovision, and I have some gigs in Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico. I don’t know, just making songs and keep playing. To keep playing is the most important thing.



BM: What videos are you working on?



G: The video for “Alfabeto” and “12 Minerales.”



BM: Awesome! “12 Minerales” is my favorite. And the videofor “Por La Ventana” is pretty great. It looks like it was a lot of fun to make.

G: It really was!



BM: And the song is fantastic. I love the yos in it and how it inserts some humor. How did you decide to inject a little hip hop into the song?

G: I was set on including the yos somewhere, so if it hadn’t been that song it would have been another. But I think it works best in “Por La Ventana.” That song and video came about very spontaneously. I love having a good time when I work. I don’t like directing, I like letting things happen on their own.



BM: That video is very much a group experience, and I feel that your music is often about shared experiences or that a song is in itself meant to be a shared experience. When you write a song do you have in mind the kind of experience it’s going to create for people?

G: Definitely. I like for the themes of the music to be as general as possible. I’ve tried to simplify my music as much as I can for it be as general and as simple and as raw as possible, the most direct in my language. Like “12 Minerales” was exactly what I wanted to say in the most direct way that I could. The general a lot of times feels like it’s nothing and so many things at once.



BM: I think that has to a lot do with your voice, which to me is on the surface so simple and straightforward, but at the same time carries in it a lot of wisdom. A lot of your earlier music was driven by your vocals, but your last album used a lot more instrumentation. How did you decide to go that route and how important is it still to you for vocals to drive a song?



G: I’m very influenced by traditional Chilean music and that music is played with one instrument and one voice. Usually it’s the melody of the voice that makes the song and the instrument is a much less important accompaniment. John Jacob Niles did something very similar in the States, and that influenced me a lot. But with time I started listening to people like Miles Davis and with albums like Miles Ahead and Sketches of Spain became more interested in more involved instrumentals and more complex arrangements. And I think I’m going to keep going in this style of making music.

BM: Do you prefer making music in this way now?



G: What’s most important to me is for a song to work with only vocals and one instrument. Then I begin to build on that. If I feel like a song has a lot missing when I play it with just one instrument, then I don’t go forward with it.

BM: Do you remember what the first song you ever wrote was?



G: Yes, it was “Namas.”



BM: How did it come about?



G: I wrote it for a girlfriend, exactly what the song says. It’s not really a love song, it’s just talking to another human. More than writing about a relationship, it’s just something that I needed to say. In fact, it’s something that I never said to her in person.



BM: A lot of people I know really love “No te mueras tanto,” and I guess what I want to know about that song is what’s so funny?



G: What I mean by “no te mueras tanto” is don’t forget about yourself and take care of yourself. In this case I also mean “no te desesperes.” And if you do, it’s kind of funny, “muy idiota.”



BM: Why did you write that chorus in English?



G: That’s just how it happened. Since I listen to so much music in English, sometimes that’s just what comes to mind when I write. That line was the first one that I wrote, and I built everything off of that. I didn’t change anything about it. It just came out how it came out.



BM: Do you do that often? Just write songs without changing things?



G: No, that ‘s something I used to do. Now I change everything.



BM: Are you more critical of yourself?



G: Definitely. It’s like I have a lot less respect for myself and I change things over and over. The lyrics for me are always the hardest and I end up agonizing over them. Like right now I have about five songs that I’ve been trying to write lyrics for for a long time. And, like I said, I try to write as generally as possible. Not really saying anything to anybody, but at the same time speaking to everybody. It’s not important for me to say anything about myself, but I still impart something personal because it’s what I know. Sometimes I write songs with other songs in mind. Like Brian Wilson’s “Surf’s Up” helped me write “Esgrima” and “Estilo Internacional.” That song for me is paradigmatic.



BM: What do you like so much about that song?



G: The magic of the lyrics is so simple. The “columnated ruins domino” line is so beautiful to me. To me that song is perfect.



BM: I agree. The beauty of that song lies in its simplicity. Is that kind of beautiful simplicity what you try to achieve with your songs?



G: I love writing about simple things, things that won’t escape through your fingers. I do that because that’s what pop is about. The songs that I like, like Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,” talk about simple things. I like doing that, writing about simple things, but giving them importance.



BM: You also mentioned earlier that you’re inspired by traditional Chilean music, which you can definitely hear listening to your songs. But also for me, your songs often sound the way I would imagine Chile to look like. Is creating a landscape with your music ever something that you do consciously?



G: I think more than creating a landscape my songs embody the Chilean people. I’ve spent all of my life in the same city, most of it in the same neighborhood and I write about what I know. And what I know is all very normal. Most Chileans are like me. We’re introverted, but we still talk a lot. We can talk a lot without saying anything. We have a certain timidity that can also be humorous. I think Chileans in that sense are similar to Mexicans. In the simplicity and the joy and the not having one ounce of European in them, and I think you can hear that in my songs. I adore my country and my people and it’s important to me to convey that in my music.



BM: Which one of your songs would you say exemplifies what you’ve just talked about?



G: I think “Alfabeto” in the way of not saying anything. The music that I like never tells a story. It’s always little bits of ideas and scenes and images, but never a story from beginning to end. And I think Chileans are like this, we never tell an entire story.