Talking Kaput (a podcast by Kaput – Magazin für Insolvenz & Pop)

Magazin für Insolvenz & Pop

Lucrecia Dalt

The possibilities of materiality and existence

Veröffentlicht am 08.12.2022 / 17:34

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Like the whirr of a wake-up call, Lucrecia Dalt’s metallic compositions entice us to rethink the possibilities of materiality and existence. The Colombian musician and sound artist has carved out a place at the contemporary frontiers of avant-garde and electronic music, hardware in hand, to channel age-old questions into a distinct and transgressive musical language.

Perhaps the ability to dig a little deeper is hard-wired into Dalt’s creative process through her background as a geotechnical engineer. Now residing in Berlin, Dalt often seeks inspiration in the worlds of fiction, poetry, geology and desire, excavating nuanced references to untangle and respond to in her music. At times, this exploratory impulse surfaces like an introspective call and response experiment with her source material, forming new perspectives on ideas rooted in Colombian mythology to German New Wave cinema. Dalt’s conceptual blueprints are intimate and intricate, emerging like cyanotypes cast in the sun. Around these frameworks she shapes her sound, using analogue instrumentation, a vast array of synthesizers and the processed glow of her voice.

Dalt joined the RVNG family in 2018 with the release of Anticlines. Interspersed with enigmatic metaphors, the record channels at its core the principle of tectonic plates compressing stratified rock: old material is pushed to the centre and sometimes becomes exposed. Guided by this concern with boundaries and edges, Dalt reframes traditional Latin American rhythms beside visceral tones of electronic composition and fragmented spoken word, tracing new contours in the topography of human consciousness. The poetic lyrics of Anticlines were written collaboratively between Dalt and artist Henry Andersen, and the accompanying artwork was realised by visual artist and ongoing collaborator Regina de Miguel.

With the release of Dalt’s seventh album No era sólida (2020), another world is located in her universe. In an embrace of introspection, Dalt sets out to capture the moment when one becomes pure sound. This transcendent process of creation summons Lia: an apparition of the artist as possessed by mimetic impulses. Language is dissolved into an evocative collection of glossolalia as the record swells with rhythmic tremors and the lunar echoes of a lawless organism tethered to sonic hardware. Navigating through each song as a different state experienced by Lia, the album closes with spoken word reflections on the existence of an unworldly lifeform seeded through sound.

Her sound work has been presented internationally in spaces such as Issue Project Room, Pioneer Works in New York, Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Museum of Modern Artin Medellín, the Mies van der Rohe pavilion in Barcelona, the New South Walles art gallery in Sydney, among others.

(introduction text by Futura: https://futura-artists.com/lucrecia-dalt/ )



Julian Brimmers: Okie dokie. Let's talk about you.

Last time that you and I could sit together, you were putting on all these blues records, and I was wondering why that is.


Lucrecia Dalt: My fascination with blues. Yeah. Um, I don't know. I think it has to do with, um, the very specific environment that blues music generates that I like. That is, um, Yeah, it comes from, yeah, it could be related to things that I, that I also link to listening to boleto music, although it's different because I, I didn't grow, grow up listening to blues music at all.

It was never part of, you know, anything. It actually came to my life rather recently. Um, I would say in the past 10 years or so. But it's, it's, it's similar to what also DAB does and Boleto does, and, you know, those slow rhythm, slow paces, um, with vocals that I just, I just like it, I love it, you know, it's music that I truly enjoy listening to.


I was, I was hoping it would say that, that there's a connection between. , you know, you hunting for the origins of the music that you listen to in your, in your childhood and then in your past. Um, with that, because someone pointed out, um, with regards to me recently that I tend to, whenever I'm excited about something, I try to find like the origin, like when we were listening at 11 years old to Tang, I knew that I had to like, go back to the origins of whatever hiphop was or, yeah.

You know, and always it goes deeper and deeper and deeper. And I was wondering if you are the same in a. When you are really excited about something that you go go, you know, digging for the past in a way, ? Uh, I don't know. I wouldn't say that because I, I can, I can pretty much stay in the surface of things as well.


It depends. Yeah, of course. But I, I'm surprised sometimes at discovering that something that I've been listening to, I, I have no. Recollection of the context or, or anything like that, which goes in contrast to what I do too, cuz um, I guess I give so many layers to people, but not hoping that they're gonna dig or anything like that.

But they can stay in any, at any, any level entry point or whatever. But I don't know, I guess I research in a bizarre way. I. . You know, it's only when, but it's true. It's only when I'm very excited, but maybe I never go, I, I go in bizarre ways around the subject. I guess I never, I'm highly unorganized, I guess, in my, in my ways to gathering information and putting things together.

It's always like a mixture of everything. And I guess this record is also. Um, a very clear, um, display of that, I suppose. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. But also the way that people perceive your music, I guess because there's not really an entry point or like you can, you have to accept it for what it is. Yeah. With all your records, I feel like it's, it's not like something where you can.

You know, dissect all the clear lines from there and there and there, and then maybe this record even more than, than the ones before. Maybe there's a more clear, uh, historical traditional line, I guess, in this one than, than usual. But maybe that's just my immature perception of it. Yeah. I don't know. But I guess what I'm saying is that people don't need, obviously to dig, uh, into them, the story behind it to, I guess I try to make the record enjoyable already.

And the main thing that it's supposed to do to be a . A music, you know, music, you know, so, so yeah, I guess, but in past records maybe? Yeah. The, the idea of making concept albums has stayed and it's, I don't know if it's ever gonna leave me, if I'm ever gonna do something that is really just related to the pure joy of making something music or sound.


Mm-hmm. , I dunno. That's, that sounds like it's more than enough. Yes. You know, it's Exactly, yeah. It's just that I like to complicate myself or something. I don't know. Maybe . Yes, I was, uh, wondering about another, um, Like, speaking of origins and stuff about this one moment that you once told me about once, like a week ago, um, where you, you gave your, uh, first demos or your first recordings that you printed yourself or so, uh, to Cosey Fanni Tutti.


Was it her? Oh, no. I gave her, she was doing a lecture and I gave her a self release. Album and highly nervous and highly, you know, like, uh, yeah. And I just think about that because it was, it was more than 10 years ago. And yeah, the, the, the, and of course now thinking back at things like that, you know, like when you received something.

The tension and the, and the symbolism that is, you know, carried into that action of someone just trying to tell you, this is what I do, but it is totally pointless that I'm doing this anyway. Or something like that. I don't know. Yeah. But then little did I know that in the future we would encounter again, you know?

Um, or that we would even speak, you know? Uh, so, so yeah, that is, that is kind of nice. For sure. Mm. Just, so basically your, your career, so to speak, from, from that moment on. It's over 10 years now, right? Like it's over a decade that you are gradually recording and then and putting out music on different levels.

Yes. Um, I'm not asking if your approach has changed, but within those 10 years that you're putting out music, um, did you ever feel any more secure and any more joyful making music than now? No, I think, no, it's always, it's always been joyful. It's always been joyful, super joyful. I guess if something, I could think about moments of real struggle, like when I, when I was doing Ooo, um, this album that I released with Care of ADIs.

Mm-hmm. . But I think this is just a consequence of, you know, how my life was complicated at the moment and, and it was a moment of transition as well, that I'm thinking all these things that I'm. The possibility of singing, and I don't know why, but I, I thought there was a clear path transforming into this, something other or, and then that was a moment that really wasn't, wasn't joyful.

But the rest, the beginning, More like in a more, I, I would say naive of course, because it's the first time that you approach it and you're excited in a different way. You feel like you're discovering everything, you know, on the spot. Mm-hmm. and, and now it's a different type of joy. And with this one, it was truly, truly, Uh, enjoyable because of the nature of the album and collaborating and doing, doing it with people and integrating that, the vision of so many people, the ideas of so many people.

That was something new and something so, so cool to, to do. Yeah. Mm-hmm. . I'm, I'm also asking because there seems to be with anything creative, like whether you write a book or put out a movie or a record or so, um, there seems to be like an a that everyone is describing where you put out the first record that you, you know, were working on.

In secret just by yourself. Uh, then there's some response to it. Then it starts to have expectations. So a lot of people struggle with the second one or so, uh, and then it gradually just goes like a rollercoaster, I guess. Yeah. Um, but it seems that you've always found for, for any record that you made, um, a new storyline, a new idea, a new way to challenge yourself.

So I was just wondering where you at, at the moment, and it, it appears to be a joyful moment, like you said, because you're. Collaborating and it, you know, it's called I . Even, even that seems joyful. Yes, totally. Exactly. I guess if something, it was, it's been, this is the first album in which I am truly more transparent or, or I guess I don't bring the personal so much in my albums, but I think this would be the most personal in that regard because I'm, I'm bring.

Humor and I'm bringing aspects of my personality that I would never put into evidence in any record before. And the choosing that name was, uh, is a statement of that, you know, is, is a joke, you know, or a song like Boin is another joke, which was for example, When Revenge listened to the album, where like, can we put out Butin Chi as the first single?

And I'm like, no, this is, this is a joke. I'm not gonna start full on with a joke, you know, . So, uh, but I could see why they see it as a, as a playful song to, you know, to, to begin. But, um, yeah. Can you, can you explain the joke? Like why is it a joke for people that don't speak Spanish? Um, well, I don't know.

It's like the, the rhythm. It's something really that I would, if you bring me back 10 years ago and you tell me you made this song, I would say, there's no way , I'm gonna make a song like this, you know, ever, you know, um, It's just a little bit of a, I suppose, I don't know. Yeah, it's a, it is a little bit of a cliche.

It's like, um, I'm bringing also the character within the story to kind of ridicule herself of, of, of the, you know, like she's just saying, oh, how nice, oh, how beautiful it is to pass in my hand through my hair. But it's of course, you know, like, um, it's playful and it's trying to be funny within. The context of this entity that is discovering and filling her body for the first time as well.

And, um, mm-hmm. , but it's just a, it's just comical. I, I, I, I remember, you know, like the, all the players that I hired come from jazz and heavy experimental jazz and the trumpet play when I. You know, when I show her the, the melody , she has to do it. She's, and I'm here sitting with a highly, you know, someone that basically works with extended technique, just doing ta and I'm like, this, this is the best moment

I just to, and she was, she recorded the line and she was laughing, you know, like at the end, of course seeing herself as well. Just embracing the situation and whatnot. Uh, so yeah, I don't know. I guess. It's funny cuz cuz of the many, um, it's nuanced of course, and it's, I don't even know why is it a joke?

But every time I laugh, every laugh, every time I play the song that I listen to it, I'm like, wow, I can't believe that I did this super nice. Yeah. I feel like when, when you are mentioning the, um, you know, running the hand through your hair, uh, sensation that the entity. Of this record. Yeah. And experiences.

Maybe we should, um, briefly sum up what this entity is. It's called Preta. Preta. Yes. Uhhuh. Preta. It's called Preta. And it fell from the sky. In in what? It fell from the sky. It fell from the sky, basically. Yeah, exactly. Well, it started as a, as a gathering of. Various, uh, film references like The Man Who Fell To Earth and themes that are exploring Tarkovsky or, um, What is the other one?

Or themes that are exploring, um, picnic at Hanging Rock and stuff like that. Like, I wanted to put together a lot of things regarding movies that I, that I like, but also, um, it was part of the discussions that I was having with Miguel right at the pandemic. We knew each other from before, but we started to chat a lot and have these videos that in which we were just talking and talking and talking, and then suddenly, you know, like things I, I got a commission to, to write another piece.

And we started to develop this idea, um, about containment, about is it possible that consciousness is, you know, exists? Um, um, Unlinked to a material. And if that is the case, could we think about a process of containment for it so that they can experience, um, somehow.

Uh, subjectivity as we do on Earth. And what does it mean, you know, and what is the, what is her viewpoint and how is she exploring and how is she maybe believing that she's behaving exactly like a human and the contradictions that she finds on earth? So it's basically, , the album just talks about the whole, the whole landing, the whole process of her being on earth.

The as she goes along, uh, how she starts to feel. Okay, well, this link between humans and time, and if there is any way that she can bring her. From no when, uh, to us so that we can experience no time and how she's gonna do like a ritual so that we can experience that. And so that she feels she has a purpose on earth, I suppose.

And so, yeah, the, the each, each song explores one of the moments. from the viewpoint of us looking at her, the viewpoint of her looking at herself and feeling and looking at water contained for the first time or how it feels to be BPI or, you know, all these things. Mm-hmm. . So, um, The viewpoint from the town once they realized there is this, you know, entity that is leaking rocks and accommodating to the surf in a bizarre way or walking oddly and all that.

So I. Yeah, it's, it's, it's just the, that, that story, that's the, the, uh, it's funny how, you know, when, when listening to these records or any records of that, um, start projecting all the stuff onto onto it, of course. And for example, for no ERA soli, um, The backstory of this, uh, yeah, this, this being, becoming sentient, like this, you know, becoming a voice, um, completely resembled like a birth sequence to me, like something coming to life.

So I was wondering if there, between Leah and Preta, if there is any, uh, continuation, maybe even of something that, you know, becomes sentient and. Then it becomes human. Yeah. I mean, conceptually it is, but I don't, it's funny cuz only through interviews is that I started to realize of the link, like a really, I feel like, okay, NoDa is gone and if something, the only link that I make to previous albums was, um, through a song.

Uh, which is I wrote 10 years ago or something in which I was thinking about the idea of this geological formation, which we have won in, in me, um, this really big rock formation that could break the narrative, and it's still embedded there, but depending on physical conditions, you can still see parts of.

In the landscape. So I started to write metaphorically about this idea. Of, of the battle it into breaking one's narrative without wanting. And then I bring a little bit of those ideas back to here as well. Um, but yeah, I can see, I can see how of course, um, both things could. Feel related, I guess in a sense, Leah was more like this abstract character that I was in inventing, but it was like with me, it was part of me.

It was part of my own body or something like that. It was an excuse to. tell my body not not to be attached to whatever, or the precondition to, to the ways that I do things. So if. As if I could reprogram or re reinstall ideas to my own self so that I could do different things. So Leah was kind of like the excuse of that, uh, but it was pretty much fed by, um, CLA Specter.

Uh, in the, a breadth of life. She's exploring exactly that theme. And also Borderlands la from, uh, Gloria and Salah. She's also using this, this different, this different modes as well, and she's talking about entities and is highly sexual and is highly charged by Mexican mythology and stuff like that. So, I don't know.

I, I, I'm fascinated. by people who also do that, you know? And, um, and I guess, yeah, definitely. At least it's, it's so present that I guess, of course it's gonna end up being somehow related. Um, but I guess I see play that really as a, as a, you know, other entity and more like more. Realistic in the end, because Leah is really like, I don't even know what shape it has.

It's, it's kind of really abstract in the room. It's just like a, something, you know? Yeah, yeah. It just, it just, not to make up another crude metaphor, but you know, the idea of um, uh, whatever entity become extension and becoming, uh, a voice in a sense, and also another entity learning to perform. To be human.

Yeah. You, of course, came, came into your own voice very much, uh, and into like a stage performance this time. Yes. With, uh, the new record. Excellent.

Uh, before talking about singing, I wanted to ask you about your relationship with the languages in your life, which I, I guess, are mostly. Um, Spanish, English, German, right?


Yeah. Catalan as well, a little bit. Oh yeah. Okay. Of course, French a little bit. The Barcelona as well. Mm-hmm. , yes. Um, what's your relationship to your native tongue at this point? Being away from Spanish speaking countries for the most part. Um, Well, it, yeah, for a while now it has transformed a lot and I'm obviously only conscious of that when I go back to Columbia and people realize how, how different I speak now and.

And how I'm even like, I've been away for 14 years now of Colombia and how highly confused I am about the, the, my accent and expressions. Like I constantly doubt if this is something from Spain, from Mexico, from also, cuz you know my. Theor as friends right now are, you know, some from Columbia, but many from Mexico, Chile, different places, and, and, and most of them from Spain as well.

So your accents and your own language starts to. Adapt, transform to, to be able to communicate and to, to consciously adapt things that you like, you know, like, um, orderly or, you know, expressions that, that they do in Mexico, which I love, or so. And I like that, you know, I like that idea that, um, it expands.

Um, For example, the word B is a word that you don't, you don't use so much in Spain. Not many people know, or for example, Camille in Mexico didn't know what it meant. But then, um, Camille Mandoki. Huh? Camille Mandoki, yes. Camille Mandoki. Yeah. Or. Or for example, um, I say the word, uh, Alda in, in, in on the record, which is a word that it's only used in Spain or as far as I know.

So, yeah, I don't know, like this combination of things. Um, I really like as you definitely inevitably. Transform in a place like this, you know, and being away, so, mm-hmm. . And what did that do to your singing? Not to your singing voice, but to singing as an act per se? Because I read somewhere that you really, you stretch out some words to almost, almost make them not incomprehensible, but really play around with the words.

And do you think you could have done that in another language as well? only in your mother tongue. Yeah. I wonder, I wonder about that. And recently a friend suggested that I, that I should do it in other languages. Well, he suggested that I should do the album in English, which I thought it was kind of funny.

request , uh, especially now, but, um, . But then, yeah, I was trying to think about that. It's funny because just now I was, I was, I was experimenting. I wouldn't have thought. Like I always, I guess because of listening more to flamenco, uh, in the past years and. And really trying to analyze as well, like how Spanish is modulated.

Like I always believe that Spanish wasn't so elastic until I started to, to, you know, think otherwise, you know, like, no, actually it's quite elastic. It's just that I was maybe. Thinking very strictly about the way where you put the forces and being so strict to that. But, um, but in Empo, I, I really try to expand the words so much, you know, as if it's funny because I read somewhere on Twitter.

Someone thinking that I might not speak Spanish and that it was standing terrible to them, . And I was like, wow, this is great that this person really thinks I don't speak Spanish, uh, because of the way he's hearing, um, the, the words in, in Empo, which is also great in the context of the story of beta and stuff.

So, yeah, which wasn't so much, I mean, it was my intention, but it wasn't so I, I. Realize that PE people, Spanish speakers could feel it in such an intense way as to even think that something is odd in there. Yeah. I I also love the assumption by English speakers that if, if this only would be in English, then they would be able to understand everything.

Yeah. And of course you have still these like super futuristic concepts and like big geological words in there and people wouldn't understand shit in English. So . Yeah, that's true. That's true. Yeah, exactly. And, and that's the other thing that I thought, I guess. One part is to be able to understand the other part is it is to be able to sing.

And I was like, no, no one wants to sing. You know, no one wants to sing. Oh, I recognize myself in that rock , who wants to sing that ? You know, sing alone. So I was like, no, there is, it's not important that, you know, it's not, I guess it's. Music to sing to, but I now, I'm very curious to go to Colombia and play it and see it.

If actually people are singing passionately, I recognize myself in that rock. That would be funny. Yeah. And you can do like Colin response and all these like funny mercury type things. Exactly. Yeah. Oh my God. Yeah. Let. And in terms of performing these songs, um, you are for, not for the first time, I guess, but you are standing up now.

Usually you were set behind a big table and lots of, um, envelopes and machines and everything and, uh, loops. Um, and now you are, uh, fronting a band of two . How does that feel? It feels great actually because finally I have a reason to. You know, to use my body. I've, I've, I've been a performer for many years and I did dance and contemporary and ballet, and I've been dancing all my life.

It's just sad. I ne I never, I never thought I wouldn't integrate almost all the things that I like into one place ever. And, um, this is the case for this album. And also having the. Of someone like Alex, because Alex is also highly, you know, he, he, he's just, he just acts and, and behaves like someone that was born, uh, in, in Latin America, but he happened to be born in Spain, I guess, cuz he's one of the best dancers of salsa that I know and I, that just comes absolutely natural to him.

And the way that he embraced, um, the nature of the album and research and how much it is so quickly, so fast, adaptable. So having that support of someone that I feel. I feel enjoys and is connected to and is highly energetic and, you know, on stage that is, is is so nice. It's such a pleasure to, to perform that.

Not that I didn't enjoy before because I really loved the idea of just, you know, Being one entity, creating all this and working out the room and working with, you know, acoustics in this way. And I think that is still a little bit present, but in a different way, but then also more activated in the body presence, enjoying singing, dancing, as well.

Amazing. Um, I'm not sure if, if you wanna talk about it, obviously we can cut it out as well. But, um, you told me about this, uh, what is it like a singer's department at the Berlin Hospital? Like the sh ah, yes. That specializes in singers. Yes. We can talk about it. No problem. Yeah. Yes. How did you, how did you learn about that section of the charity?

Well, I've been, when you work with singers a. I've been quite obsessed about, um, learning about the voice and learning from different viewpoints, I suppose. So I started to take singing lessons with a flamenco singer as well as, um, as a opera trainer, not because I want to do flamenco nor opera, just because, uh, I wanted to, I wanted to see how, how they, how they think about the voice and how.

What would be the procedure, the emphasis that they do. And in that process, I found, um, I don't know, what is it that I was trying, yeah. I was trying to find someone that worked more like around the idea of stage pride and the, and the physical conditions that, that I was experiencing that we're not helping me, I thought to.

To deliver my voice in its full potential. So I thought maybe I should seek someone that had, is a little bit more grounded on medical, uh, on, yeah, on, on the, on the physiological part of the voice. And then I found this professor that, uh, is based at the and I wrote an. Really not hoping for, you know, any kind of response and thinking that the moment they knew that I wasn't, uh, Classical singer that would kick kick me out of there or something,

So, I don't know. One thing led to the other. I was, I was suddenly asking my, you know, family doctor for a phons, um, and, uh, He, and there I was in the clinic and then every minute of it, like having the most like, like high imposter syndrome because I was like, no, I'm not supposed to be here. But I don't know, they, they were really into it.

And, uh, I come there, you know, she's to a doctor's office that has a piano and, and she. Highly interested in my story and I show her the video of, uh, empo and she was, wow, this is great, and trying to understand my problem, so, To try to understand what was happening to me. They, they, they did all these tests, which I suppose they do to singers, you know, and they check my vocal chords so I could see them on the, on the screen.

That was, that was very cool, . And they, they, they transfer me to this, um, to this, um, trainer as well, to have some sessions with, uh, this trainer. Um, that, and it's been super helpful as well. So I guess after all these processes and after all these classes and months, I'm just realizing, you know, many things that, first of all, this is a really a practice.

You know, like you really have to, and I've been committing to these, like I've never. Thought I could do that. You know, like, think that I am training a ways of that in two years maybe I can, I can, I can do something a little bit more ambitious with my voice. So I'm in that process right now and I'm really excited and for now it's just trying to help me, uh, do it better on stage.

Yeah. Mm. That's, that's super interesting cuz I never thought about it that way obviously cuz I never had to perform anything. But the idea of stage fight usually pertains to me in the sense that you get up somewhere, you talk to someone, you have to. You know, keep it, keep it cool when you're reading something or so to people, but not to in a, in a way where it actually, um, uh, influences the way that you can perform.

Because obviously it's a very physical thing to perform and sing. And did you have, uh, trouble with that in the beginning or, um, did it affect your travel? And, and that was maybe one of the reasons why I stopped singing because the idea of, um, Just confronting myself with the panic of performing and, and not being able to do it.

Basically, not being able to do it in the way that I was feeling. It was satisfactory, like I was, my voice was breaking, my digestion was playing against it, and all these things. , but now understanding, you know, like understanding a little bit more about all the physical aspects of the voice and the resonators and all the things that I was really doing wrong, uh, like using certain muscles here and, and emphasizing so much on them, on them, and not emphasizing on.

On all the things that is happening around my face that of course, only a professional trainer can help you to see, you know, because it's about that. It's like, do this, feel this? Do you feel that? Okay. Emphasize on that. Emphasize on that. Think about this. When you think, think about that. Don't do this, don't do that.

You know, like all these things, and it's. Something that it might be able to, you might be able to achieve. And I, I feel there's, you know, such talented singers that have never taken lessons and is quite crazy what they can do of course, but just naturally developed their technique and that is fantastic.

But I'm very, very. Very happy and thankful that I've been taking this path because it was definite. It's been definitely, uh, um, um, you know, um, how do you say it? Uh, a breach, uh, no, how do you say it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, like a breakthrough. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So, I mean, it's such an intimate, like such an intimate and, and, and personal instrument as well.

Totally. All of a sudden you have to function like you as a person have to function to perform well. That's, that's, uh, yeah. Yeah. It's my mind blowing that It even does work, . Yeah, totally. And I'm so, so fragile, Gil. So, um, , so many things have to be right in order to, like even what you eat before, the, the type of space, the environment, your, you know, all the things.

It's your psychology that day, you know? Um, everything. So I guess it's just helping, helping, helping it to, so that all the conditions. Regarded, regardless of them being perfect, you still, you know, can, can, can deliver somehow. Yeah. Because you have been, you know, training your larynx to do all these crazy things, I guess.

Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Yeah, really cool. I can't wait to see the show. I'm going to see it this weekend. Not gonna say amazing where, I mean, you know, but very, very much looking forward to it. Um, if you don't mind, I wanna talk about one thing really quick. You mentioned Alex, um, and other musicians that helped you bring this, this idea to life of basically pairing, and correct me if I'm wrong, but pairing, um, Uh, yeah.

Elements of your, your past, of your childhood, of music tradition, of where you're from with your as, as usual, sci-fi, futuristic, uh, take on things. Um, how did that feel to try and combine that? Because I'm, I'm a huge fan of like, you know, comics from mes or, um, short pages like these Belgian guys who do a lot of.

You know, timelines that are combining these elements of very futuristic things and somewhat nostalgic, um, nostalgic or like traditional elements as well. How did that feel for you to really bring all of that, that together? Yeah. I, I don't know. I love, I love it. I love to, to mix. All these things together are not, especially to make, to mix like high and low and kind of laugh at the, at the, at the two, you know, because of course I also mix, um, myths from Mada and all these, you know, uh, ideas about.

Alien and, and, and, um, like the triangle of silence, for example, which is this case of strange disappearances and yeah, all this stuff, like I wanted to bring into the same place and I, I thought it was funny. Um, But also embedded into this type of music. I mean, of course we've, we've seen it before and I guess Meridian Brothers or Ju Maga are good examples of that, you know.

Um, so it's different though, because I feel like their way of working with sci-fi. It's a little bit more into a classic, more classic idea of sci-fi, I suppose. In this case. I really want, I didn't want to make it, um, so explicit, I suppose. Like if you know that it's a, you know that it's a sci-fi album almost even, because I'm telling you it is or something like that.

Otherwise, it would be like, I don't know, when you read the lyrics, it would be a strange way to talk about the world, I suppose. Or a different way. Um, so yeah. I don't know. Yeah. But, but I like it sonically as well. Sonically as well. Right. You, you are processing all of these sounds and you know, there's, there's a, there's a double base and there's trumpets, whatever coming in there, but you still process them the same way that you always use instruments, um, and then sound in your world.

So you're reconfiguring that as well, in a sense. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, for sure. I, I, I, I was certain I didn't want to work. From the generous themselves, like as they are, I, as they are supposed to be, or what they're supposed to be doing. Cuz I really knew that I wanted to work with that, like the diluted memory of those things and how could they come to me and be present in the way that I, that I do things.

So that's why I thought okay, some, some classic instrumentation. Do that would have that effect. And this is why I thought, okay, I will have all these instruments. Um, also because I don't know, I always wanted to, I've been a big fan of Esquibel and my grandfather was, and it's is the music that we also been listening to and this idea of.

expansion, ex, you know, expanding the sound. Uh, in this way it's, it's always that I have something find so unique, almost in a, you know, a. Obsessive Jacky way, you know, like, of making something big and big and big and bigger or I don't know. And I thought this could be a good place to do that, you know, and especially using someone like Marta Sal mixing to, to try to expand it a little bit more, so.

Mm-hmm. . Yeah. I mean, again, something, I'm not sure if you wanna discuss this, but, um, now that you mentioned it, did your family play a different role in this record? In previous records, uh, your family, your family history, or like literally the people in the family? Because I would assume that maybe it's easy.

I know they are like, you know, music minded, but, um, It's easier for them to maybe comment on this Oh, yes. Or wrap the head around this. Yeah. Yeah, totally. And I was really surprised how it's not that I, they were no part of the process. And actually when I showed them the first demos, they were already quite shaped and formed.

And they were highly surprised. Of course. Especially my dad. I, I haven't, I haven't seen a reaction. Of him. So like with genuine curiosity, like I guess in the past when I showed him something, he didn't know even what to say, what to ask or what, what he was supposed to, you know, with no. So of course he was like highly, highly puzzled, I suppose.

Um, but with this one, yeah, it's highly relatable. And with my uncle as well, with uh, which is someone. Always admire because it's also a record collector obsessive about gear. And, um, and so I was showing, you know, the tracks to him and he was also, you know, very excited of course. And, um, they are very excited about this album,

So that I'm finally, you know, my mother has been ever since I did. Oh, she's, every now and then I was receiving a call from her and in a very, very beautiful way. She was always, um, are. Ever gonna sing again. And I'm like, I don't know, mom. It's not, it's not happening right now. You know? And then now like it's finally happening and in Spanish that she can understand the lyrics regardless of the, of the content of it.

You know, it's, um, yeah, it's, I think it's, It's very nice for them. Awesome. , I'm, I'm really, I'm really curious to hear how your, uh, trip to Columbia goes down like performing there. Yeah. That must be really exciting. Yeah, totally. I'm very curious to see that. I've, I've never been, never been to South America.

I've never been to Myca. I'm the only German that has never gone to Myca. Okay. , before, before we are running out of time, can you let me know, like just your experience. I know Aena, Cleman, someone who you've been working with a lot, a visual artist. Um, she's there. You've made these beautiful vignette videos for, for the record in Myca, what's, what's your take on it?

Like, how did you experience it? I'm sure you've been there many times. Well, only for this album actually, I, that was my first time, so I, I was really lucky to, to go to my york to place you. Through the, the, the viewpoint of ia, basically who has been living there for quite a while, who also loves, you know, geological points of interest, I guess.

And so we were basically just going to the landscapes and places, secret places that she knew because it was always like, okay, you could see super touristic and you turn around, you take this little road, you go up and then suddenly, Alone, you know, in this amazing, uh, stunning place. So that, that was highly.

The bizarre like that where we shot at Timor is a lovely place. It's, and I'm like, why is everybody just, you know, 10 meters away from here and they just don't bother to come here to, to this insane. looking location, but we were lucky for that, so, yeah. Yeah. It's a beautiful place for sure. Yeah. It's, uh, yeah, it's, yeah, it's amazing.

And I thought it was, it was a nice, you know, setting as well for him, our prita, that that's, that's the first experience she has of the. Yeah, she could have gone to other places that were very baffling in Myka to her as a first experience, but that's, that's amazing. Like just finding the different layers of mythology anywhere is just.

You know, it's everywhere. Yeah. Just as soon as you look for it. Exactly. Yeah. You'll find these, these crazy mythologies. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally. So that was, that was fun too. It, that part is always fun, right? Like to, to find all the, all the stories and how could I, Link them to the RDT of the, of the album as well.

Yeah. Um, just as we've, we've spoken about some of the like, visual and, and film influences on this record, we did not talk about soundtracks at all. We can do that another time maybe. I'm sure that's like, uh, a, a huge thing on your mind right now. But, um, just as a last question, who would be a living.

direct, uh, film person that you think would make a great match for you to, to pair up with ? Oh, well, we were speaking it to each know the answer, right? Who, who, you know, who doesn't. And in the, you know, surreal. and whatnot. Desires to work with David Lynch, I suppose, but I don't know. I mean, I, there is many directors that I, that I adore and it's difficult to ch I, you know, living, I don't know.

Yeah. Let's say living to make it more like, you know, there's a chance that someone will pick this up and then, uh, then I have to look for their biographies and make sure that they're living. Cause , this is something that, for example, I don't know of all the directors that I love. Yeah. Yeah. I, I had trouble with that recently.

I definitely thought some people that have been not around for 20 plus years or still around. Yeah, I, I'm actually doubting Robert Alman, Peter Greenaway, Nicholas Roy, or, you know, is. Directors that definitely have had a big impact in, in what I do. Yeah. Especially thinking about how they break the narratives and, and what they do is so, It's so amazing, right?

And how they play with music, especially Peter Greenaway, you know, how highly charged everything it is in the, in their films or, uh, Alan. Yeah. And ar artificial at that. Like, just because it's so highly charged, it's also very artificial in a way. I love, always love that about yeah. People who really treat their genre as a genre or like a medium, as a medium, not as like facsimile.

I guess. I, I'll just, I'll just wait for your, your own, um, directorial debut. , which I feel must be on the horizon at some point. And then I just really, I just hope I'll, I'll get a job on that then. Oh my God. Oh yeah. Well, I guess this is the first time that I sit down to write a script and, and it was really exactly, it was fun, wee.

But I don't know, I always, I always have so much admiration for directors and I don't think. That crazy to be a director. I need to, well, I need to work on my crazy. Maybe that, that way I can . I can, I can. I can do that. That is so insane, right? Like to such a gigantic effort. Anyway. Yeah. And then you're like, just in charge of everything.

All of a sudden you're like, it's, you know, so many people to, to, uh, tell what to do, but yeah, I'll just wait for you to work on you crazy. Until then, hire me. Don't forget me when you do that. Yes. And, uh, I'll, I'll see you very soon then. Right. I'll see you very soon. Awesome. Nice one. All right. Thank you.

Thank you for taking the time. Thank you, Julian. Likewise. It's been a pleasure. 



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