Video: Violeta Castillo - ''Las Cremas''

Violeta Castillo believes in the predilection of pop songcraft as something universal. But, even if approachable, she still shows interest in experimenting with new structures. Though her songs don’t necessarily follow the verse-bridge-chorus pattern, she shows plenty of command placing and displacing beats between love ballads and acoustic melodies. Her latest single, “Las Cremas,” is a hybrid of sorts, but still undoubtedly pop. Like many of her peers, Castillo’s composition has put aside the acoustic guitar and tuned to the keyboards. “Dame unos minutos para actuar y hacer efecto como las cremas,” sighs the singer, responding to the medium with affection and sincerity. Directed by photographer Catalina Bartolome, the clip for “Las Cremas” shows a group of women who discard all sense of vanity and move around the frame as if there were no tomorrow. “Las Cremas” is the first single off Castillo’s new EP, Hasta Abajo.

Video: Violeta Castillo - "Mi Cárcel"

Colored by beautiful pastel tones and with gratifying, attentive direction, Violeta Castillo’s video for Otro highlight "Mi Cárcel" (from her double release, Uno & Otro), fulfilled by director Macarena Fatne, finally gets the proper visual treatment it deserves. With those nervous, schizophrenic, extreme close-ups of her friends, no wonder Castillo, whose character might encounter herself trapped in a routine lifestyle, wants to escape, running as fast as she can when these scary visions inhabit her brain. The Argentinian songstress looks gorgeous throughout the entire clip and even delivers some modestly sensuous dance moves in the final shots.

Video: Violeta Castillo - "Afilados"

“Time will show us how Castillo’s artistry evolution will bloom,” I wrote in my review of Violeta Castillo’s wonderful EPs Uno & Otro. And time has demonstrated how this young songstress is walking a path to an even more prosperous road, thanks to her mesmerizing songwriting approach, which, based on Horizonte’s EP promo cut, “Afilados,” is acquiring a more proper, direct structure, one that reflects emotionally-grabbing immediacy and flirts with supremacy. Recorded for Chile’s Radio Horizonte in December of 2011, Horizonte finds Castillo one step ahead in her career sound-wise, accompanied by a full-band of exceptionally talented musicians. It includes choruses by Luciana Tagliapietra, recorded during the mixing of the EP, and consists of three essentials from Uno & Otro, in addition to two fantastic new songs that give us an idea of what’s coming next. There's the dazzling “La magia” and Castillo’s best single to date, “Afilados.” The bedroom rock, unabashed bittersweetness of this song is its main virtue. The omnipresence of those arousing electric guitar riffs, precise gleaming percussion, and Castillo’s comfortable vocals make you forget at times this is (although considerably post-produced) a live recording. Under Roberto Doveris’(responsible for Castillo’s “Alfiler” clip along director Nicolás Guzmán) accomplished realization, the video of “Afilados” attractively documents this radio presentation's standout.

Violeta Castillo - Uno/Otro

Uno/Otro, Violeta Castillo

YoConVoz, Argentina

Rating: 80 ★★★★

by Enrique Coyotzi



Last year was a tremendous one for Mexican female singers. Artists like Carla Morrison, Ceci Bastida, and Julieta Venegas, shone inside and out of our indiesphere, each with a fantastic album under their arms. In 2011, Argentina is the cradle for exciting young women songwriters who are embracing the DIY ideology at its best, obtaining astounding results with sparkling straight-forward, yet idiosyncratically complex pop songs. Together with labelmate Luciana Tagliapietra, the wonderfully gifted Violeta Castillo is one of the most interesting exponents of this new wave. Having dissolved her band, Castillo Violeta, the 22-year-old artist went solo and, in a period of less than a month, recorded a glorious, miniature wonderland. Like for Tagliapietra's Diagrama de Ben, Tucumán served as the perfect setting for a truly personal record. A refined debut album which she peculiarly decided to split into two EPs, Uno and Otro.



At first listen, the 10 songs that shape Uno and Otro (five in each one) may not be particularly grabbing. This happens due to the length of the pieces (the majority of them last less than three minutes). It may be difficult for the listener to find something instantly memorable to grab onto in such a short time (although “Mi Cárcel” is an evident exception), especially considering that, while these are pop tunes, the structure they are built under is somewhat atypical. But Violeta's sharp craftsmanship is truly hunting. Presenting top-notch production by Tucumán’s psych-poppers, Monoambiente (Castillo’s favorite band), this is a provoking release that draws spectacular sophistication in the instruments it utilizes. There’s a placid flow throughout both EPs, ornamented by sharp electronic bleeps, texturized glossy synthesizers, and noteworthy rhythm bases that accentuate Violeta Castillo’s delicious guitar playing skills, as well as her sensitive fiber-moving singing.



One of the most commented aspects about this record has been the rather unusual way Castillo selected to distribute it. It’s true that she could have put these tracks in a single album instead of disconcertingly separating them into two parts. This division could be envisioned as the A and B sides of a cassette or vinyl, a brother and sister work, a necessary pause that the songstress found essential in order to show us two opposed sides of her poetic vision that, in the end, presents us clearly the innate talent the songwriter possesses for crafting timeless, yet fleeting pop marvels. Great examples of these sublime wonders are each of the EPs openers, Uno’s “La Batalla del Movimiento,” which, while over in a breath, displays a strong, capturing melody and Otro’s “Mi Cárcel” (featuring Tagliapietra's choruses), an addictive tune that has the potential to become a crossover radio hit. Other standouts include the mellowly reflexive “Bolsillo Secreto” and the more traditionally assembled slow number “Felpa."



With a mesmerizing assortment of high quality imaginative songs, Violeta Castillo’s Uno and Otro is among the year’s most beautiful works executed by female solo artists. Think of the EP duo and Tagliapietra's Diagrama de Ben as sister albums (without the drama). And it isn’t a coincidence both recordings come from Argentina (its indie pop renaissance is for real). Both sides of the EP also serve as a thrilling introduction to an individual whose artistic talents are crystal clear, just like her natural sensibilities for creating beautiful pieces that feel effortless ("y me quedo yo con las palabras"). Time will show us how Castillo’s artistry evolution will bloom; in the meantime, her jaw-dropping debut demonstrates she’s got a promising road to walk.

♫♫♫ "Mi Carcel" | Stream EPs | Facebook

Video: Violeta Castillo - "La Batalla del Movimiento"

Violeta Castillo is the owner of a wonderfully secluded (and often explosive) voice. She is also one of several new Argentinean chanteuses to appear on our latest compilation. Two months ago, she released a promising set of pop milestones in her debut release, which she split into two EPs titled “Uno” and “Otro.” Castillo’s songwriting abilities hit you right in the heart, often terrifying the buoyant soul in you. We’ll soon publish a more proper review of her album in which we’ll try to dissect her peculiar ways and maybe try to guess the splitting of her record. Meanwhile, our wonderful Colombian BFF blog El Amarill0 points us to her first video, “La Batalla del Movimiento.” This song gives me goosebumps; it’s like a serenaded hue of Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love,” or something along those lines. The idea of the world pushing two subjects into a singular “rare and confused” human state (being in love) is wonderfully poetic. Add flowers, ceremonial footage, and rococo still frames into the video, and that’s enough to call it a winner.