The last sound on Earth is love.
Roberto Carlos Langebetter known as Black Ice Creamis a passionate musician. After the release of gems that they reformulated last year and that were recognized in different media as part of the best of alternative music, the musician is back with a new EP titled The Last Sound On Earth. This material is made up of five songs, of which “More” It is the first single published. Regarding this release and his next visit to Mexico City and Guadalajara, we spoke with the composer about the power of echo, love and the decision to close the year with an EP.
Indie Rocks!: In the description of “More” you talked about a crisis of the soul that is repeated infinitely throughout the world, but what crisis are you referring to in particular?
Black Ice Cream: wowI think that for each person it is different. And with each age and each era it also touches something super different. For me it would be… you know… my age and seeing how the world changes. The truth right now is more than anything to try to find, every day, a moment to not be inside that echo, owing it to life, to everything that happens every day. Here in the United States things happen to us, but you always think that what is happening in your own town is the worst. And you can't understand what happens in other parts of the world either. You don't know how to understand that something could be worse than what's happening in your life. Like if your dad died, or a cousin, or something like that. Everything impacts you in every intense moment. That is the echo of everything. And of course… what is happening in the world: Palestine, what is happening here with the government, everywhere, is happening to us in every moment of every person. It's not just one. The echo is everything.
Indie Rocks!: It seems that we live in a paradox where the more connected we are to each other, the more disconnected we are from the world. Now, as you say, we know what happens in different countries, but what can we do with that information?
Black Ice Cream: The truth is that I don't know the answer. Thinking about it becomes more difficult. Thinking that there is a way to solve something… when you feel that moment so strongly there is no solution. Better said: I don't know the solution. I only do what I can do. And outside of that it is observing, reading, understanding what I can understand. But I also feel that everything changes, and the older I get the less I understand. When I was younger I thought I knew everything; I saw the world and thought I understood it, but then you see that everything is a little more complicated. Not so much the world, but the little things in life.
Indie Rocks!: Entering the EP The Last Sound On Earth: Have you thought about what would be the last sound you would like to hear during your time on Earth?
Black Ice Cream: The last sound for me would be love. I know it sounds abstract, but it is what is missing in life and it is what we always want: a type of love, an idea of love. That would be the sound for me. And it would be different for each person: it could be someone who loves you or cares for you, or a song that you love, I don't know… something like that. For me that is love.
Indie Rocks!: Love is an abstract just like music. Where did the decision to compile the new songs into an EP come from?
Black Ice Cream: You have parts of the business too, right? This conversation that always changes. Now I'm working with a different label and that's how the idea of releasing this EP developed. I finished the songs and we asked them if they wanted to release them and it was as simple as that. There is no deeper background. There is also the urgency of being someone who makes music and wants to share. I finished these songs with the intention of sharing them this year. We found this record label, Big Dadawhich I quite like, they loved the music and wanted to release it. It is a collaboration with them: we are partners.
Indie Rocks!: And it also comes in physical format…
Black Ice Cream: Yes. It comes on vinyl. It's going to be pink. The design was done by my friend Robert Beattywith whom I have worked many times and with whom I have also gone on tour. He has done many covers for many people, the most famous would be those of Tame Impala either The Weeknd. We started talking about this idea of the last sound coming out of a speaker or a horn bouncing off a wall, or coming out of a drawing, coming out of the cover. Like so much sound comes out that it expands. It's abstract too, but super cool.
Indie Rocks!: And did he approach music to make this cover or what was that process like?
Black Ice Cream: I wrote to him. One day we were talking and I asked him if he wanted to do it and he said yes. I sent him some ideas because I am very inspired by an artist who did many covers for digital reggae in the 80s, his name is Limonious. Robert and I are super fans. I told him it would be nice to do something like Limonious but not identical. If you see the covers of Limonious They don't really have to do with this, but it served as a starting point for us.
Indie Rocks!: The art of the cover is very important for an album. It is worth recognizing that the EP comes out in physical format because now almost everything migrates to digital. Do you have a favorite physical format to listen to music? CD, cassette or vinyl.
Black Ice Cream: To be honest no. I believe that everything comes into your life in one way or another, right? For me music is not an object. It doesn't have to be something dogmatic. It can be anything. Music is not the physical format: music is the air. If it can exist like this, it's beautiful. And I think it's always part of our lives. Like any art form. It is memory and experience. That stays with you.
Indie Rocks!: To close, you come to Mexico but first you will be in Chile, Buenos Aires and Brazil. What expectations do you have from this tour? How do you prepare it?
Black Ice Cream: The truth is that it is difficult to organize a tour. Going to South America and also Mexico is not so easy. People think so, but no. It is not easy to put together a show anywhere. It's always a lot of work: putting it together, balancing details, thinking about the showthe stage, the songs. And since I never know when I'm going to come back, I want to play as much of all my records as possible. I'm looking at what songs to play in Mexico because I don't make a show own in Mexico City since 2019. I have played at festivals, yes, but not in a show mine. It's super special to return and perform there after almost six years. And I prepare it knowing that I don't know when I will return.
Don't miss out Black Ice Cream this November 11th in the Indie Rocks Forum! and enjoy your EP The Last Sound On Earth.
