Connect, transform and play live.
On the eve of a new tour that will bring them back to Mexico, You point it out to me delves into the process behind Terms and Conditionsan album that was born between flights, studios and stages, and that found its identity by translating the organic into digital. From international collaborations such as Portugal. The Man to a black and white aesthetic that reflects its constant dualities, the project marks a point of both sound and scenic reinvention. Now, with a more intimate and direct format, the challenge is clear: bring that universe to the stage and meet again with an audience that has grown up with them. Here the talk with Juan Saieg, Luca Beguerie and Coco Orozco.
Indie Rocks!: Congratulations on the new album, which we've been listening to for a couple of days now. I would like to start by talking about what it was like to work on the idea, the sound and everything necessary to reach the final result of Terms and Conditions.
Juan Saieg: Band: Well, first of all, thanks to Indie Rocks! for space too. The truth is that, as you say, we are on the eve of this launch, which is just about to turn one month old. So it has been a very long road and now the excitement is running high, as they say. It was a long process that began in the middle of tour from the last album, Tripolar. We had the opportunity to experience being recording in the middle of the tour, So we started prioritizing making songs without a defined horizon or concept. We also had the idea of continuing the tour and having the possibility of releasing the album as soon as possible.
On this path, which took about six months of composition, then we took on production. We had the opportunity to work with Jesus Warrior in Mexico, we were recording with him in Ramonawith Jay Cave. Also, in our first tour through Europe, we were able to stay a few days in a studio and record there with Artowho is a very great composer and producer, who has worked with C. TanganaFor example. And we also replicate it in Argentina.
About halfway through the process, looking to define the concept and something that would unite the entire album, we found Terms and Conditionsbasically inspired by today's use of data and how all of life has been digitized. On that path we approached production in that way: everything that we had was super organic we turned to something digital or more electronic, and that's how we unified the album. Also in the process we realized that it was an ideal time for the three of us to play, and now we are rehearsing that, finishing closing the show for this entire upcoming tour.
GO!: Going back to all the people involved in the production, did it leave them with something that they can use for future work in the studio or did they kind of reformulate what they had already done when working on a song in the studio, in a different way?
Luca Beguerie: Of all the experiences we had shared on the album, I think something positive always came out and something that remains with us as learning. They are resources or tools that we learn from the people with whom we get together to make music, and we try to bring that to our place, to our identity, to make it our own.
I think that a little bit in the process of the album that happened: as I said Juanwith many people having been involved in the composition and having done it in so many different places, with different energies and contexts, the challenge later was to unify all that. That's when Juan says that everything moved to something more digital. I think there Luis La Madridwho was one of the producers of the album and worked with us, had a lot of influence on that. He also felt very comfortable working with those resources, and we saw that it was something fresh and new for us. So, regardless of whether or not it later ended up on the final album, compared to the first composition, I think everyone took away very good things. The challenge was to make all of that coexist on a single album.
GO!: About the collaboration we have on this new album, which is with Portugal. The Man. How did the collaboration come to fruition? What if you had the opportunity to work on it together or was it all remotely?
Coco Orozco: We had the pleasure of meeting Portugal. The Man in Chicago, in Lollapalooza Chicago, a couple of years ago. We went to play and shared a show with them. There, in reality, we had the expectation of meeting them in the dressing room and seeing their show, because obviously we had listened to them since we were adolescence. We ended up having a very good relationship; They are much cooler than we expected. And there was a connection.
At one point, while making the song for the album, they came to mind because of their good vibes and because their musical style seemed to us like it could be very good. The only issue is that we are from Mendoza and they are from Alaska, so they are like the two ends of the globe, so unfortunately it had to be from a distance. But well, now in a few months they will come to play here in Buenos Aires and we hope that the post-recording meeting will take place.
GO!: Continuing with the new album, the visual aesthetic that they are managing at this stage is very black and white and can be seen from when they said goodbye to the last album on Instagram, to the recent publications. I also find it curious that they maintain those colors on the covers of past singles and previous albums. What was it like to arrive at this visual aesthetic so that it looked so ad hoc with these new songs?
JS: That came up a little with the creative director of the process, who was Sofia Malamute. But it was also something we found along the way; It was not something that was completely dictated. Also yesterday, giving a couple of notes, we realized that we always play with dualities, and this is an album that speaks a lot about darkness and light in every sense.
Always when writing lyrics, as a band, we have talked about those types of dualities that are somehow connected. And for visual communication we found it interesting that black and white, perhaps high, or even like the inverted cover art, because it gave something of not knowing what era it was from, not knowing if it was old or new, and it seemed to us that it was more preserved over time.
GO!: They are going to return to living life on tour, from city to city, and on this new tour they are going to have presentations in Mexico, three exactly: Mexico City, León and Monterrey. How are you preparing for this new tour? Do you have anything special prepared? What can we expect?
LB: Well, logically it is the tour to present this latest album, which will be the first time we are going to play it live. That's quite new, not only for people, but also for us, because it's making new music live.
Furthermore, the album has a very marked character, so the idea is to bring a little of the previous discography to that universe and try to make a show thought about what it is. Terms and Conditions. It is a show that we have been preparing since last year and that we already had the opportunity to try in part at a festival here a couple of weeks ago. We played and it was amazing for us to experience that situation as well.
It's just the three of us playing, which is something we haven't done in a long time. In fact, we tried playing with just the three of us last year in Mexico, when we went to play with Zoe to the GNP Stadiumwhere they invited us to open a show. We were right in the middle of the recording process. Terms and Conditionsso it was kind of strange to go and play the three solos, but it also helped us a lot to realize that it was indeed something we could do. As a result of that show we started working on this whole new show, which is what we will see on the tour, in Mexico City, León and Monterrey.
The truth is that it makes us very anxious, because it has been a long time since we have had our own show in Mexico City. The last few times it was opening to Zoe or going to festivals, we also went to open for Leon Larregui a couple of years ago Sports Palace. Our last Lunario was practically three years ago, and we feel that the band changed a lot from then to today.
We are preparing a very, very special show, also thinking that we haven't been in a long time, so we want it to be a super special night to meet the entire Mexican public and be able to do a long show, playing many songs and reviewing the entire discography, not only Terms and Conditions.
GO!: How have you seen the reception of this new stage for the project on social networks?
JS: Well, as I said LukeI think that especially in Mexico the album has been received very well. We see it in comments, but also seeing the analytics, as long as you accept the terms and conditions beforehand. For example, “Going around” It's a song that worked very well there.
There is always a great affection for Mexico, and I feel that the album does too. Although there are many fans who loved it a lot, even when not playing it live, those songs also mutate and begin to have life at that moment. So we are obviously seeing all the comments, but we also know that there are going to be many people who are going to join the process, and that is what I like most about launches: the long term. But the truth is that it has been very well received.
GO!: Finally, which song from the new album are you most looking forward to performing live?
CO: To me, personally, I'm sorry seems…
LB: Oh, me too. No, I'm going to say the same thing, I had a desire to touch it.
CO: Yes, yes, yes, totally. I think that's it, he's in a good moment.
JS: Yes, I feel that the entire album in general is very comprehensive. In Mexico surely Let's invite some of the composers. I also forgot that in “Going around” we work with Juan Sucre and Luis Jimenez to make just the chorus, which later ended in the verse sung by Portugal. The Man. So I don't know, I feel like in Mexico out there “Ray” with Jesus either “Practices” with… Shea could be interesting.
GO!: Let's hope those surprises happen on your next tour here in Mexico. And well, anything else you would like to add in the interview?
JS: I think that simply remembering that tickets They are already on sale. We will be playing on May 28th at the Lunaryin Mexico City; on the 29th Paruno Forumin León; and on June 4 in Monterrey, in Corona Forum. So nothing, we are obviously very eager and we invite fans to listen to the album, also take the opportunity to start listening to the new, the old and the new, and study the lyrics.
