Fragments of your own identity.
Through a sound journey that moves between pop sensitivity, atmospheric depth and the sophistication of groove, the self-titled debut album arrives Lisa Mariapseudonym chosen by Lisa Cerati. In interview for Indie Rocks!the multifaceted Chilean artist tells us about this intimate, emotional and ethereal universe.
This material has alternative pop bases, although it draws on various nuances. It has experimental overtones and a subtle rock presence that does not seek prominence. Also, it incorporates some environmental elements.”
The foundations of this album are consolidated through a personal stamp that interweaves extremely clear influences. This project is not limited to seeking technical perfection, but its fundamental purpose is to develop a more visceral search.
“It's a mix of many influences, a blender of everything I like. SadI love it, for example. She has that elegance and that delicate tone when it comes to singing that resonates a lot with me. I'm also quite heavy, I like it Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor It hooked me a lot. Kate Bush I love it too. I really like funk, R&B and, conceptually, it was somewhat united with my voice and the image.”
Far from being only a collection of themes, this work is constituted as a complete world. It represents an artistic proposal that mixes visual aesthetics, plastic arts and his experience as a DJ.
“I still consider myself much more visual than anything else. Even music sometimes I always think of as soundtrack did you see? Or as a means or an end, but as an important piece to finish creating a visual world. Even when composing I imagine a setting, some colors, a climatic state and from there I try to compose. So I feel like I put it all together this time. I always liked being a DJ, I studied film and Graphic Design and, in this first big personal project, I was able to put a little of everything in there. So, I feel it as a more complete work and not only musical, but bringing together everything that attracts me.”
The trajectory of Lisa Maria In the visual field it includes significant contributions such as the aesthetic design and editing of the video clip to “Holy Faith”topic belonging to Zero Kill (his brother's old musical project, Benito Cerati). This visual piece pays tribute to various cultural elements, from conspiracy theories and silent films to German expressionism, taking as a direct reference the style of Dr. Caligari's officedirected by Robert Vienna in 1920.
“From a very young age we always do things and if we are not doing something musical, we are talking about it. Our day to day life is always 'Did you hear this song'. Surely in the next we will be seeing how we function. On this album, Beni He was collaborating in the sense of listening. Giving feedback”.
“Every time they ask about me, I go back to my cloud.”
Although the album was born from introspection, its development was enhanced through an essential collaboration with Vinco and Francisco Victoria. The participation of both artists was vital for Lisa Maria managed to expand his musical limits and present his work abroad.
“It was something very magical. Fran Yes I followed him because I love everything he does. And last year he came to Buenos Aires and I had released a song called '(Only Air)'. And he wrote to me, I was on the verge of canceling because of shyness. Thank goodness I was encouraged and we founded a studio and every day I gave him a demo, an idea. and it came out 'Insane' and 'To My Cloud'it was really a question of alchemy and magic. I was very impressed by how well we understood each other, see? It was one touch and something came out that is already me.”
Seeking to transform an intimate vision into a shared project, Lisa Maria focused on the cinematographic dimension of his album with the collaboration of the director Joseph Fogwilla determining figure for the development of visual identity and the making of their music videos.
I knew José because he had done some things that I liked as colleagues. And one day I decided to write to him because I told him, 'Hey, I love the visual, but it's time to open the panorama a little' And we got together, the first thing that came out was the idea of the video clip for 'Demente' because the others are visualizers. We got together to talk about each of their influences, see? I am very fond of cinema and I have always been a fan of video clips. Between the two of us we were building a surreal character with an intense color palette that you don't know if it is a mythological creature or something a little further away from human.
And, at the same time, I worked on camera because I had never done it before. I was always behind the camera. The truth is that I have very, very fond memories of the production, everything turned out very well.”
Edited via Zero Hour Recordsa platform dedicated to promoting emerging talent from the Argentine alternative scene, Lisa Mariafeatured the production and sound design of Estanislao Lopez. “With Are I always felt very comfortable, we have been friends for many years and we have many musical tastes in common. I had some demos kept under lock and key. And one day when I saw him I said 'What do you think about this? Is it really bad or what?' And he told me, 'Che, you can go, see? You can take a more pro' path. And then I started hanging out with him a lot of times at his house. It was a process of years, but not of a lot of work, but because of my doubts, my insecurities. “It was something very nice and very intimate that I carry in my heart.”
“Don't blame me. I was born like this”
The inclination of Lisa towards art she manifested herself from an early age, nourished by an environment of constant creative stimulation fostered by her parents, Cecilia Amenábar and Gustavo Cerati. This profound artistic sensitivity has manifested itself in both the sound and visual fields, pillars that supported the main ideas of his first album material.
On birthdays, especially my brother's, there was always a show. Both my father and my mother made the children sit and watch my brother's show and I accompanied him in the choir. Sometimes my dad was with friends or my family and I would sit them down so they could watch my choreo. Always pushing ourselves and applauding that. Now when I'm older I see it and say, 'Wow, that's cool.' The musical was always there. On both sides, because my mother has a huge discography, she is always looking for the new, she is very musical, very creative. “It was always both of us.”
Finally, Lisa Maria sent a message to the readers of Indie Rocks! “Now I'm in Argentina, but I hope to go to Mexico soon, it's genuinely one of my favorite places in the world and the people are always very warm. Really, one of my goals, if everything goes well, is to be able to go there to present the album. Thank you Indie Rocks! for the good vibes. “I am very grateful.”
