Extremadura native Chema Castaño A.K.A. Balarrasa is unafraid to open up his heart and share his deepest emotions with us. Just take a listen to his latest release ‘La Justicia’, a collection of 5 songs in Spanish where he walks us through a maze glazed with adrenaline where your five senses will react and tweak to his hypnotic voice, steady beats and dissonant guitars. Is it a coincidence that this EP has five songs that evoke the pursue of freedom, and that under numerology the number 5 represents curiosity, freedom and change? Trippy??? A bit, but that’s for you to decide.
First cut ‘Mapas’ is a mix of Air’s ‘Cherry Blossom Girl’ and Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’. A beautiful melody and a pugnacious harmony collide and feed off each other while trying to make it on top of a race. Chema’s layered vocals -have the same attention grabbing effect of a Gregorian chant- stand as a light at the end of a tunnel, impossible to reach yet providing hope and comfort.
As an ancient Greek word for opportune moment, ‘Kairós’ pays tribute to its title. This song commands venturing into the aforementioned maze without any reservations. What appears to be a melodica makes its way early into the song in the same way that rays of light cut through the rain, making it the perfect soundtrack for a rainy morning.
Other tracks ‘Bruna’ and ‘Encuentro Casual’ are equally as enchanting as the previous two, but it is in closing ‘Canción Mágica’ where Chema sums up the core message of his EP with the lyric “Quién podra dictar al mundo que nos perdimos los dos?”. This roughly translates into: “Who could have told the world that we both got lost?”. A line I’m fond of as Chema has managed to convince us –with a smirk- that we lost our sense of direction throughout the 5 songs.
‘La Justicia’ is eager to challenge you and play with your senses. Give it a chance, and have it walk you through its maze. You will find yourself wanting back in it, only to discover that every walk will make you more curious and of course, changed and ever-free.
TRK studios is located in Arganda in the outskirts of Madrid. A cozy studio with a vibe of its own that allows for intimate performances. I know this first hand as I had the pleasure to record one of my songs there, and felt that I was sealed away from the outside world and got a chance to paint an honest picture undisturbed and not judged. This studio sure has the mantra of “Art first!”, easily channelling this energy to all of its visitors, and thus being the ideal location to record Alpha Circle’s ‘Shoe On The Other Foot’.
Let’s start out by the opening guitar riff. Baroque and reminiscent of Turn up the Sun by Oasis with hints of flamenco, instantly catching the listener’s attention. When the vocals and drums enter at 0:25 the band has announced its profound admiration for the Jam, particularly their seminal song ‘Carnation’. I’m not saying that they are outright copying the all-conquering Paul Weller, but they very cleverly manage to execute ‘Shoe On The Other Foot’ with tones of Schadenfreude with the same ability as the latter. Don’t be surprised to shed a tear and smile at the same time. Lyrics such as: “And I’m humbled / And I’ve learned…I’ve repent my greed…And now the tables have turned” evoke tales of a difficult and honest confession. But this honesty which takes the form of an art piece and is what precisely sells the song.
In conversations with the band they have told me that this is a B-side, which I will actively work to change. B-side ‘Let’s all make believe’ was my (and a crowd) favorite song out of the sessions for Oasis’ ‘Standing in the Shoulder of Giants’, a mistake the mighty Noel Gallagher has admitted to regret. This calls for another conversation –perhaps an interview- with the band at TRK studios, to persuade them to turn ‘Shoe On The Other Foot’ into their next release.
Confinement by decree seems to be norm across the globe. We find ourselves in an unlikely situation where now more than ever we resort to the digital space to search for the latest news and to come across new music to help us ease the mounting pressures of today’s uncertain times. It was precisely while conducting this online exercise that I had the pleasure to find ‘Out of My Body’ by Mexico’s Roberto Mauricio Martinez, A.K.A. The Poetry.
This song narrates what appears to be an out of body experience. Roberto delivers his vocal in a Paul Banks style to let us know that: “Somebody is flying / maybe could be my soul…that is somebody / Out of My body”. These mystical lyrics are complemented by 3D synth textures finding their way to gain the listeners’ attention, almost as if they were yelling at the sorcerer to take part in a spell…spooky??? Nahhhhhh….on the contrary, I’d recommend to dim the lights and to dance carelessly as the Kraftwerk bass lines and subtle guitars make ‘Out of My Body’ even more enjoyable.
The Poetry has landed! What appears at first to be an ode to the 80s takes on a personality -and of course, a soul- of its own, allowing us to break away from what we hope to be temporary and to look forward to that festival where we’ll hear and dance to ‘Out of My Body’ live!
Daniel shares his latest thoughts on music and his plans
Unlike other artists I interview in this zine I happen to be friends with Daniel. Our friendship spans almost 30 years going back to our mother country of Peru. Over the years there have been periods where we have lost touch, yet my admiration for his talent as a musician (and as a person) has remained intact. Whilst I was trying to figure out notes on the bass listening to Nirvana songs, Daniel was a rising star in Lima’s music conservatory, which led him to further his studies at the both very prestigious Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and the Cologne University of Music in Germany, a place he has called home for over 20 years. It is there where he has made a name for himself as the flute player for the world-touring jazz fusion band Jin Jim, releasing two LPs: 2015’s Die Ankunft and 2018’s Weiße Schatten; and playing with stablished acts such as: it Paulo Álvares, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Djalma Corrêa, Claudio Puntin, just to name a few. Recently, I had a chance to reconnect with Daniel and asked him to feature in the zine, an offer he kindly accepted.
MY: I often hear people say that a jazz musician can’t play the same three notes in a row, and I reply: “Jazz to me is synonym with improvisation, you can’t stop a player from letting their creativity out!” With that said, you also need some sort of structure when putting together songs. How does the writing process work with your band Jin Jim (consisting of drums, guitar, bass, and a flute) start? Everyone starts playing until there is a groove? Or it is a case of someone bringing an idea for the others to add to? At a given time, does a member “direct” the improvisation to make things fit a format?
DM: Well, we do not write songs together. One of us brings a composition that is already finished and we work with the tune. The melody, harmony and idea for the groove is most of the time already in the composer’s head. Then we play the tune in the way that the composer imagines it and all the band members contribute with ideas for the arrangement. The most difficult part in the process of arranging a new tune is always the sound I think. For example when the other band members writes a melody then do not know really how it will sound with the flute or which flute (I play c-, alto and bassflute) will be the right for the tune. So I have to decide it when I hear the kind of groove and energy that needs the tune. With the improvisation we try always to keep it as free as possible.
MY:In my question above I mentioned improvisation, which I also believe has to do with a surprise factor. I’ve witnessed interactions where for instance a drummer will add new colors to his style to cater to a bass player he hadn’t played with before. I could see it in his face that he had been caught off guard in a good way. After playing in Jin Jim for some years now -and perhaps having a pretty good idea of everyone’s playing- how do you keep the band’s dynamic fun? I had to use the drummer examples as the beats (polyrhythms) in the Jin Jim catalogue are very complex.
DM: I think that we have to secrets to keep the band’s dynamic fun alive. The first one is the music itself that we play. Every tune we play is a big technical and musical challenge for us. We work all the time with complex odd timings (like 13/8, 11/8, 9/4, etc.), that needs a lot of work in order to be able to play it relaxed and confident. The other secret is that we try to keep the improvisation always as open as possible and we try always to surprise us playing live, looking for new ways and ideas in every concert. It is always very impressive to see how much can influence the first solo of a concert or a tune the rest of the band. When one soloist a lot of new things try then the other band members begin to play much more inspired for the rest of the concert.
MY:You have toured Africa over the years, playing in Cameroon, Madagascar, Congo, Angola, Sudan and South Africa. Música Criollais the local music of where you and I are from, and is heavily influenced by Afro-Peruvian music. While sharing the stage with local acts in your tours of Africa did you sense that you had come to face with the roots of Música Criolla? Tells us about your impression.
DM: It is incredible how strong and deep Afro-Peruvian music has influenced me and my way to play. For example I feel always absolutely comfortable with music in 12/8 or 6/8. That is because the Festejo is played in 12/8 or 6/8. So when I play something in this kind of metric then I have a lot of musical language that I can use without thinking about it. It happens in a very natural and organic way. I cannot say that I have found the roots of our Música Criolla but I certainly found a very strong connection with music from africa and I felt that my connection deeply than the connection of my german colleagues was.
MY:The video you shared with us reads “Solo Project”, and you very impressively ‘reconstruct’ the maestro’s Astor Piazzolla classic Libertango layering beats and textures using a loop machine (WARNING: This zine is not responsible for anyone binging for hours on the masterpiece above). My assessment is that you wage a war against the composition itself by recreating in your own way. Are we going to see more of this in 2020? Although there are metrics that you are aware of, you unleash your imagination (using the term improvisation again would have been tiresome for the readers…) with a very jovial attitude. You’ve been found out!!!! How much fun are you having? Is music about having a good time? Is it always about that for you?
DM: My Solo Project is my newest musical project. I certainly want to play so many gigs as possible with this new project. So far I have three concert-proposals for this year. But with the Coronavirus I do not know if they maybe will be delayed. Music is always about having fun for me. That is the reason why I make music. I have so much fun just practising at home, trying to get a better player and trying to discover new possibilities with my instrument. And playing live is sometimes like taking drugs because of all the energy and adrenaline that we get from the audience.
MY:Finally, you have a classical background and have developed a career in jazz. Tell us how did you come across a loop machine? Who suggested it to you? You can’t hand it a score you’ve written for it to play, how do you approach it? Do you prepare in advance the segments you loop, or you just play on the spot?
DM: This year I was supposed to move with my family (wife and son) to Leipzig. Leipzig is around 500 Km from Bonn where I live now. That would have been a very big change for me. Jin Jim was the only project that had enough structure to survive with me living so far away. So I had to think on new projects in order to survive as a musician. So I started a duo project with the amazing Diego Pinera. He is a drummer from Uruguay that lives in Berlin and I have been working with him since 2018 when I was invited to record 4 tunes for his album Despertando by ACT-music. And I also started to think about trying something alone with flutes, loops and effects. I just wanted to have some projects that I could play with beside Jin Jim. I already used an effect machine (TC-Helicon Voice Live 2) with Jin Jim. But the loop possibilities were very limited and not enough for the ideas that I had in my head. And I went to Berlin last year in august in order to rehearse and record some music with Diego in Duo. We planned DM:three days in Berlin to practice, rehearse and make a promo-video together. But when I was in Berlin I realised that I forgot some cables that I needed to rehearse with Diego. So I went to a very big music store in order to buy that cable that I needed and I came back with a new loop and effect machine (Boss RC-505) for 500 €. And I used it immediately in the duo project and later on my solo project.
Catch Jin Jim and their live web stream from the Blue in Green Recording Studio this March 28th through this link!!
For my review of Nation of Language’s ‘Tournament’
I managed to throw around words such as alchemy and introspective, and drop the
names of Peter Hook and Yazoo, all in an effort
to have my writing match the very intriguing nature of the band. Everything from
their line-up, SOUND, lyrics, and of course name is aligned with the metrics of
cool. This coolness includes their positive response to doing an interview.
At the time of press the corona virus has taken the
world hostage, but not NoL who have soldiered on and done an interview for Music is Prana to defy the music industry and the
Department of Health. We caught up with NoL’s frontman Ian Devaney via the magic of surveillance the internet.
MY:In musical terms the word trio is associated with guitar, bass, and drums; yet NoL features vocals, synth, and bass. Was this line up premeditated? Did NoL have an earlier incarnation that featured classic elements of rock such as drums or guitar? Or was it a case of searching for the NoL SOUND (capital letters indeed) that resulted “dropping” instruments in the process?
ID: We did have earlier versions of the band with drums, but we arrived at this lineup through a combination of wanting to focus more on the drum machine sound, and the simplicity of keeping the band at 3 people. So much of getting a band off the ground is just getting out and playing shows – the fewer number of people in the band and the less gear, the easier it is to be mobile and adapt. Eliminating live drums allowed us to tour in small vehicles, or even on public transportation in the case of our European trips.
Picture courtesy of instagram.com/nationoflanguage
MY:No act out there sounds like you. It is fair to say that you have a unique sound (I didn’t capitalize it as I didn’t want to irritate the band). How does the writing process start? Do you tend to write in the studio? If so, do use the studio as another instrument to get the right textures and effects?
ID: While I don’t know a lot of bands that share our sound, I think there are enough to say we’re not completely alone. There is a cool movement of bands making synth music with similar influences, and it’s exciting to see how each one pans out slightly differently. Writing is all done at home and generally starts with the beat or a synth arpeggio, and I just improvise off of that. My understanding of recording technology is pretty elementary but I do like experimenting with it in search of a sound.
MY:As a New York band now on tour, what has been the response of audiences in other US cities? Is there a place outside of New York that you always look forward to play?
ID: We’ve had great responses on tour – I think people can see and appreciate how much the live show means to us.
Seattle, Los Angeles, and Chicago stand out as cities
where we’ve always had a great time. There are also plenty of smaller cities
like Louisville that we’ve only played once but really look forward to
returning to.
MY:Your first full length ‘Presence’ is out in April this year, yet you have gained an impressive presence in the scene by releasing singles long before having put out an album. With that said, would you say that singles now carry more weight in the industry (a word I hate). Does the title ‘Presence’ relate to the beginning of this question? If not, where does it come from?
ID: The full title is actually «Introduction / Presence» – it largely stems from the idea that this is our first LP but we’ve actually been around for a little while. I think singles are really important in this current music landscape, but in some ways that is just a return to the way things used to be in the earliest days of the industry as we know it. I don’t have any particular problem with the way things are shifting – I like the idea of having both full albums and random singles so it’s an exciting time.
MY:Finally, will you be touring Europe any time soon? Please tell me you’ll be playing Madrid!!
ID: No definite plans just yet but hopefully some time later this summer or fall we will make it over.
There was I time when I was a 24 hour rocker. I had long hair, listened religiously to New Jersey’s WSOU 89.5, and discarded any type of music that did not have a power chord in it. That all changed one summer when I became friends with DJ Luis Enrique Bocanegra A.K.A. Kid Chalupa. He is responsible for letting me know that other music genres can also ‘rock’. “The spirit of rock n’ roll also lives in house music”, he told me once at a party he was DJing at. It was true, for a self-confessed rocker like myself it was a discovery to see that house music did drive people into a frenzy, in a good way : )
Over the years, he introduced me to the likes of Masters at Work, Kid Cudi, Jill Scot, Chic, and of course Breakbot. 2010’s ‘Baby I’m Yours’ has been a staple of dancefloors over the past decade and I am certain that their latest release will too. ‘Be Mine Tonight’ instantly brings to mind the cadence of Earth Wind & Fire mixed with Chaka Kahn vocals, and a Giorgio Moroder wall of sound carefully constructed to include slap bass, Nord synth textures, and string stabs. “Can you feel my heartbeat?” asks singer Capucine Delaby A.K.A. Delafleur, at 116 bpm the answer is yes!
At 1:56 the strings take on a larger dimension, adding glamour and bringing an almost spiritual energy with them. I feel that ‘Be Mine Tonight’ could easily fit the scene in Saturday Night Fever where Tony Manero kisses Stephanie Mangano on the dancefloor. There is no dialogue but that scene is clearly about two souls destined to meet. When they lock eyes under the mirror ball, the vibe matches Delafleur’s lyrics perfectly: “Would you be mine? / You make my world go round”.
Years after my conversion into a house music fan I can say that
this song rocks!
‘Be Mine Tonight’ was released on March 13th on Ed Banger Records and Because Music.
Julia Bardo’s latest single ‘Please Don’t Tell Me’ reminds me of a Wes Anderson film, where the sum of distinct scenes give the storyline its full meaning. DISCLAIMER: This is a blog about music…nevertheless, this song challenged me in such a way that I’ve had to tap onto another art form (film) to give it an honest reading.
Julia “directed” the alt-indie ‘Please Don’t Tell Me’ using John Lennon’s vocal echo effect for the visual design (see definition), and Sheryl Crowe’s croon –circa ‘the Globe Sessions’– for the cinematography (see definition). The lyrics/scenes certainly evoke dissimilar situations. Opener “Watching shows on TV at night”, sure clashes with pre chorus “Cause I can watch you cry”. It is chorus line “Please don’t tell me who I am / Please don’t tell me who you are” where Julia -channelling Wes- hints what her film turned song is about…at least for me.
I interpret ‘Please Don’t Tell Me’ to be about one of those sudden soul searching (tear-gas induced) moments where we see ourselves in the mirror, and realize that we are here only for a while and we should make the most it. The closing “I just wanna have some fun / Running wild and never stop” confirms my hypothesis. I love Julia’s approach to song writing and directing, and I am sure you will too.
Film making 101 class, dismiss!!
‘Please
Don’t Tell Me’ is part
of her debut EP ‘Phase’ released on 6 March on Wichita
Recordings.
Catch Julia during on the remaining dates of her UK tour
with The
Orielles this month:
Mar 13 – Liverpool, UK @ Studio 2 Mar 14 – York, UK @ Fulford Arms Mar 19 – London, UK @ Pin Ups Mar 21 – Sheffield, UK @ Delicious Clam Mar 28 – Halifax, UK @ Orange Box
I recently stumbled upon “Tournament” by Brooklyn’s Nation of Language (NoL), a 4 minute description of a man’s journey through the streets of New York in search for his own identity…poetic?, it’s about to get better.
NoL isn’t afraid to draw from the 80s. Singer Ian Devaney elegant baritone blends well with a Yazoo 808 beat, a Peter Hook baseline, and Depeche Mode textures. Musical alchemy meant to swiftly cast a spell on the listeners, inviting them to sing along to the words -“I can build a world around me underneath the light”-, and dance while having introspective thoughts about what place they occupy in the universe.
‘Tournament‘ is part of the string of singles to be released by NoL from their album ‘Presence’ out in April this year. Next time you go out, you’ll find yourself dancing to this track!
And the story goes…I first met AmyJo in October 2019 through a common friend –the great Lee Chamberlain from Alpha Circle– who invited me to check out her show at a venue in Latina, Madrid. “It’s an acoustic performance”, he said. I happen to be a fan of the guitar + vocals format, as it allows the listener to get the ‘naked’ version of the songs and makes for an intimate performance. Therefore, I walked into the venue with that concept in mind. Indeed, the performance was intimate but far removed from a performer just strumming a guitar over vocals. AmyJo came on stage with a ‘Karen O’ circa 2004 outfit and handed and array of toy instruments to those in attendance, to then crack a few jokes and start her set with the energy of a hurricane. It hit me right in the face…and I loved it!!! She encouraged the audience to clap and sing along, making us feel like were on stage with her while being at the greatest party ever.
The track that gives the name to the EP ‘Smile & Dance’ starts out with Bloc Party (banquet) drums and a Debbie Harry like vocal doing ‘Maria’, accompanied by an enticing bassline and minimalistic guitar work. Elements that work perfectly together, strutting on route to CBGB’s with the swagger of a very well-rehearsed gang of rockers settled on nothing but getting signed by Seymour Stein. Less than a minute into the song we hear Amy Jo confidently sing (I also got the mental image of her commanding the troupe with a tambourine): “Smile like you have never smiled before / and dance like it’s your first time on the dancefloor”. From that moment on the band lets it all out, making the song an instant crowd favourite while becoming spiritual label mates of the Talking Heads and the Pretenders. I would like to highlight the bridge where the band gets to showcase their skills, constructing an atmospheric landscape, with syncopated beats and synth textures, mixed with spoken word…genius! “Smile and dance / cuz you’re here anyway,” that’s AmyJo singing in the coda as Seymour nods to his head of A&R, who in turn instructs the intern to blast the volume for all of midtown Manhattan to listen to this 24 kt gold. plated gem. I’m hooked and I want others to taste the potion!!!
Courtesy of facebook.com/amyjodoh
‘Now it’s gone’ channels Madness at their purest. Ska guitars complemented by a horn section and an equally sexy vocal delivery courtesy of AmyJo, both seducing the airwaves and building up the track to let the guitar wail away with a thunderous solo. AmyJo sings: “Don’t wanna think that someone took It away from me”…trust me, nobody could have gotten a hold of that guitar solo as it was ripping out of the speaker. Rock fans out there, beware.
Other tracks include the Johnny Marr guitar sounding ‘Arise’, and the more Elastica-belligerent ‘Rats’ and ‘New Year’s Revolution’. All three ready-made for this summer’s festivals, denoting this band’s talent and their ability to craft a set of songs that supersede the bounds of 432Hz, making me feel –just as I when I saw AmyJo’s acoustic set- like I was at the greatest party ever. This is a long awaited cocktail of nu wave and dance rock that will make streaming platforms collapse : )
Those of us lucky to be based in Madrid will have a chance to catch the band launch their brand new EP next Friday the 13th at ‘la Cocina’ (Get tickets here). Will you join us??? You have to!!!
Hi everyone, my name is Mauricio and I put out songs under the alias Binary Drift. I released and album called Pocket Tunes about a year ago.
So far to the journey trying to get the word out contacting press and bloggers has been interesting, and has lead me to the decision to launch ‘Music is Prana’ in an effort to showcase artists and individuals connected to the realm of music.
You may wonder where I got the name for the site…..It derives from the song by the great Richard Aschcroft ‘Music is Power’ and the Sanskrit word ‘Prana’ meaning life force. Furthermore, ‘Prana’ stands for the original creative power.
This
space is open to all art forms. If you’d like to feature or collaborate, drop
me a line @ [email protected]
As
Richard would say: Music is power / Let it flow through your mind!
