I’m not afraid to go back
levitation room talks about Equinox, recording in a house in the mountains between songs and dips in the lake, and returning to Mexico City for the Hipnosis Festival after a story that could have changed everything.
Levitation Room is one of the bands that keep Californian psychedelia alive with one foot in tradition and the other in the present: guitars that float, rhythms that invite you to get lost and a poetic sensitivity that runs through their entire catalog. His most recent EP, Equinoxwas born in Glenn’s home studio, in the mountains, surrounded by nature and with time to finish songs that had been waiting their turn for years. With Mexican roots within the band itself, on November 7 they return to Mexico City as part of the Hipnosis Festival at Quarry Studios, a lineup they had been waiting for for a long time.
Indie Rocks!: How did the recording environment shape the sound of the album?
Levitation Room: It was recorded in Glenn’s studio, which is in his house, so it was a very comfortable environment to settle in and put all our attention on songs that we had never given our best to finish and see reach the finish line. Furthermore, being in the mountains, surrounded by all that natural beauty, is very conducive to composing. We were working on a song, we were taking a break and we were going to throw ourselves in the lake. That helps a lot to feel inspired when you’re writing and experimenting. Imagine camping in the woods with your best friends making music. It feels good. It was very exciting.
IR!: With that image in mind, what I felt when listening to the album makes complete sense. Now, they are going to play at the Hipnosis Festival here in Mexico City. Have you played in Mexico before or is this the first time?
LR: Come on! We played in Mexico City in 2023, I think it was the second time. We also played there in 2018.
IR!: What do you remember about those shows?
LR: It’s funny you ask, because last time we played a set as headliners. It was a great show, we had an incredible time. But a story came out of that. I stayed after the show, the others flew back, and my girlfriend at the time and I stayed on vacation in Mexico City for about four more days. We had a great time. But on the last day, they kidnapped us.
IR!: Really?
LR: Yes. They kidnapped me. Do you know where the Desert of Lions is? I went there with my friend Osmar. He picked us up early in the morning and took us to meet him, because my girlfriend and I wanted to go see what it was all about. Then he was going to drop us off at the airport. When we arrived, six people with guns and knives ambushed us. They took us deep into the forest and tied us up. It was a horrible experience. I was sure I was going to die there. But we left. They left us alive and we managed to get out of the forest. It’s a very crazy story.
GO!: I wasn’t expecting this. Thank you for sharing it, and I’m really sorry you had to go through something like this.
LR: No, it’s okay. It was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was crazy. But I’m happy to be alive. And I’m not afraid to go back.
GO!: I think it takes a lot to decide to come back after something like that.
LR: It was Independence Day, so everyone was in town celebrating. Normally there are a lot of tourists up there, but that day there was almost no one. They were looking for the right victims, and it was our turn.
IR!: Thank you for sharing it, it really means a lot.
LR: We are glad that it is whole, that it turned out well. And we are very excited to return. Hipnosis is one of the coolest festivals in Mexico, I think. I have already gone. I have family there, I’m from Mexico. It’s going to be a very nice trip to return to play with my family in Los Angeles. These guys are incredible musicians and I feel very honored to play with them. We’ve been waiting a long time to play this festival, waiting for them to knock on the door.
GO!: Hipnosis always has incredible lineups, and I think they’ve built a community where people trust the curation: I don’t know who’s going to play, but I’m going to have an amazing time and I’m going to discover new bands. In closing, for someone who is discovering their music: what songs would you recommend to enter your world and why? Everyone can share one.
LR: That’s a difficult one. I would choose a recent track: “Light Me Up”. It maintains the ethos of Levitation, of psychedelia, but entering a new world, touching ideas, doing poetic things in the lyrics. I think it’s a good one to start trying.
I would say, from the same EP, Equinox“Not Your Fool.” Because lyrically it encapsulates what this is all about for us.
If I had to pick two: There’s so much love and adoration for Levitation Room’s classic songs that, when we play live, a big favorite that I’m always excited to play is “Visions of My Mind,” from the band’s first EP. At that time I still didn’t join; I didn’t get in until 2020 or 2021. That song was a big favorite, so when we play it live the energy is incredible. It’s very fun, it reminds me of good times. And a newer one that I would also recommend is the title track of the new EP, “Equinox.” I think it is a beautiful example of our ambition, of how much we can grow. It’s a triumph of us stretching as a collective consciousness, trying to make some rock and roll vibe, but something you can let yourself drift into and that retains the ethos of psychedelia.
I couldn’t agree more with everyone. For me, who is the newest in this ensemble, there is a moment in the set that hits me very hard. We did some touring at the beginning of the summer, and one song that always hit me hard is “Pintura.” It is instrumental. The recording sounds a certain way, but the live version, as we do it now, sounds a little different. And that serves as a reminder to me: this band has a huge library of recorded music, but the live show is informed by the people, the energy, everything that’s going on. It’s always changing. And that’s exciting, especially with an instrumental like “Pintura,” which has its spark depending on where in the world we are. I can’t wait to experience that with you.
IR!: I’m also very excited to see what they have in store for us live. Thank you very much for your time and for sharing all this.
LR: Thanks to you.
