There are just two of them. One is named Javier Velazquez, from Barranquilla, who sings and plays bass. The other is named Federico Tisnés, born in Cali, who also sings and plays drums. That's all. They got together in 2017 to create Atrato, a musical proposal that combines corrosive and heavy textures from metal and punk, with percussive rhythms of Caribbean roots, such as cumbia and more contemporary expressions like champeta. However, when they step onto a stage, they certainly don't try to emulate any rocker with their dense sound or their confrontational attitude. This isn't a folk group that adds distortion to its danceable songs;, It's a band that happily confuses its audience in the decision between moshing and shaking their hips. Atrato, after two years of performing on various stages, including their most recent appearance at the Bogotá festival Hermoso Ruido, can confidently say that they came to renew the Colombian music scene., and be part of what we could call Fusion 2.0, the one that follows the electronic explosion.
After their last concert, we took the opportunity to talk to them to learn more about their project and what's next in their career:
What does Atrato sound like?
Federico: Atrato sounds like something we call "Caribbean and distortion." It's really a mix of everything Javi and I have listened to since our teens. Rock, punk, metal, and other heavy sounds, mixed with Caribbean percussion rhythms and tropical melodies that have been stuck in our heads since we were kids.
What influences do they acknowledge?
Javier: We are clearly influenced by alternative rock duos like Royal Blood or White Stripes, but also by things we grew up listening to, like Joe Arroyo, Billo's Caracas Boys, Diomedes, national rock and of course Nirvana.
How did you come up with the decision to make music with just bass and drums?
Federico: It was an idea that came about when we discovered Royal Blood. I was really impressed by how they managed to sound so powerful with just bass and drums. At that moment, I suggested to Javi that we try making music together in this format, and he was up for it right away. In a way, it's been a quest to be more creative. Having such a small band, besides making decision-making and logistics easier, forces you to approach the instrument and the music in a different way.
Javier: I think there are two moments to that. First, it worked for us, and that was almost instantaneous, as soon as we started working on the project. There was always excitement and interest from both of us in finding a way to make what we had in our heads sound, and that's when you realize it works. The other moment was Atrato's first concert, which we did at Disco Jaguar. Seeing the way people reacted to the music, we realized we had something that resonated with the audience.
What kind of audience is following them at the moment? I mean, are there more rock fans or more people from the folk side?
Federico: We've shared the stage with bands from both sides, some quite tropical and others leaning towards rock. I think the reception has been very good from both sides, but we've noticed that because our music is more rock mixed with Caribbean sounds, it's been better received by the rock audience. Something really interesting is that this mix has gotten tropical music fans moshing and rock fans dancing reggaeton.
Where can their sound evolve?
Javier: We ask ourselves that same question every day… With our latest single, Path, We wanted to work on producing in a slightly more elaborate, less raw way than on the first EP. Then we also talked about exploring as many rhythms and styles as we could from our regions. I'm sure that from these reinterpretations we can give to those rhythms and styles as 21st-century musicians, a lot of new material will come. Doing something like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard… It's kind of what comes to mind with each new project. I think it's something we'll discover over time.
What are your plans for the near future?
We want to end this year by releasing a new song in November. We're also going into the studio to record the new music we've been writing this year. The idea is to release a second album in 2020, probably our first full-length album.