By José Gandue @Gandour
At Zonagirante.com (and we've said this several times), we've had a particular interest in the Chilean independent music scene for many years. Given its rich history, we've been surprised by the wealth of talent and high-quality productions it has generated in recent years. Their contemporary music venues have been built mostly through the efforts of independent and self-managed companies. And although this represents more time and, perhaps in theory, more difficulties for international expansion, there has been sustained growth to which the target audience has responded. To understand this phenomenon more deeply, we spoke with Victor Schlesinger, partner and founder of Jungle Music y Tierra del Fuego, ventures related to the development of new local talent, including Blond, Fernando Milagros, Tunacola, From Monaco and other prominent names in the South American music scene. We had an extensive conversation with Schlesinger that allows us to a detailed analysis of what is happening in their country and how lessons can be learned from this experience throughout Latin America. A good talk that, we believe, can serve as a reference and inspiration for new cultural entrepreneurs in the hemisphere:
Explain to me what Jungla Music and TierradeFuego are about.
Well, Jungla Music started as an adventure between my partner Pablo Porter and me around 2014. Initially, with the vision of creating an artistic development platform, we did many things, from managing bands to developing digital release plans and producing live shows and tours. Something like a 360-degree approach. That evolved over time, especially when we noticed that in Chile there was little interest from multinational digital distribution platforms (like Believe Digital, Altafonte, etc.) who were seeing Chile as a low-priority market. At Jungla, we had already been successfully implementing digital strategies for some time and had a fairly direct relationship with Spotify, Apple, and other digital platforms. Since we've generally found in life that no one does your job better than yourself, we decided to venture into technology, and that's when, towards the end of 2016, we began developing what is now Tierradefuego, the first local digital distribution platform. Our vision is to use technology as a tool for artistic development.
There's something in the story you told me that surprises me: In recent years, experts have seen Chile as a country with a constant surge and growth in its independent music scene, with prominent representatives on the international stage, and yet you say that multinational corporations haven't grasped the phenomenon. Is that idiocy, blindness, or a lack of research?
Well, while I can't deny that there have been multinational digital distributors that have done a decent job locally, I think the digital distribution model we know today is fundamentally flawed. On the one hand, we're still in the prehistory of... streaming as the predominant format. This has meant that for a digital distributor to be successful, you have to aim for an unmanageable catalog volume. And that, combined with the capitalist model that demands constant growth and the drive to "conquer the world," ultimately leads to neglecting what's most important: the people behind the musical creations.
Is it profitable to be self-employed?
It depends on what you mean by profitable. Undoubtedly, the life of an independent artist is very tough, but with discipline and a good vision and management of the artistic endeavor, it is possible to make a living. I also believe it's essential to know what to compromise on and what not to compromise on. Independence regarding art, aesthetics, and message is beyond question, but if there are ways to maintain these pillars and create win-win relationships with multinational corporations, we don't rule it out as a possible strategy to expand the reach of our artists' music.
Do you believe it's possible for an independent Chilean artist to become very popular globally without compromising their principles?
Not only do I believe it, I'm sure we're going to achieve it.
What does that depend on?
We need the industry to match the talent of our artists. We owe it to them. That, and for the economy to recognize the real opportunity in our sector and dare to invest in it financially, as they do in other strategic sectors.
How do the mass media respond to this independent impulse?
It's a battle that's been won day by day. Digital media are our main allies. The disconnect from reality of traditional media like broadcast TV and radio in Chile is absurd. They're digging their own grave.
Who has understood this evolution?
Well, in general, a significant portion of my generation (between 30 and 40 years old) does understand it. From there on down, clearly all the younger generations know what we're talking about. But the thing is, those who economically control this country are still people over 50 years old. I couldn't name which traditional media outlets have grasped this evolution. I think they're still in shock. However, there's also a significant number of young people working in government institutions who are strongly promoting the sector because they know its value…
However, I must say: In Chile, the relationship with everything that has happened in the digital world has always been a step ahead of many other Latin American countries, hasn't it?
Well, Chile's relationship with technology is historic. The first synthesizer in Latin America was in Chile, back in the 1950s. And then, during the dictatorship, we were inundated with hyper-consumerism, which has led to smartphone and credit card penetration rates exceeding 100% of the population today. Therefore, Chile is a paradise for technology. Furthermore, the level of local developers is on par with those in developed countries.
But we're talking about technological factors and development tools, but we haven't yet discussed the audience. What is the relationship between the public and independent Chilean artists?
It's grown over time. I'm going to have to revisit the topic of the dictatorship. I grew up in the '90s, when there was a lot of North American cultural influence in the country. In fact, a large number of artists in the 2000s insisted on making music in English (it still happens today, though less and less). Newer generations value Chilean artists much more than my own generation did. The best thing of all is that technology is the conduit between these niches and experimental genres, like what Rubio does. It's wonderful to see how a project like this has found its audience and become sustainable in Chile. Fran Straube is pushing the boundaries of pop music toward a frontier that's been unexplored locally.
Let's talk about the talent that works with your companies: What do you look for in these artists? How do you select them?
What a great question. While the first thing we hear is always our ears, we've decided that we don't work with music, we work with human beings. We look for honest, hardworking people with vision and a powerful, necessary message. We believe that music is a product of great human beings, and we seek to find them and empower them in their humanity. There's a huge amount of intuition involved in all of this, I can't deny it.
And, if we're talking about sound, what are they trying to find?
Sounds that communicate from the local to the global. In other words, we're looking for a dose of local identity, but through global codes. I don't know if I'm explaining myself clearly.
Give me details, please.
This is where our strategic partner and constant collaborator comes into play. Pablo Stipicic. He has been fundamental in achieving that balance. Pablo is the music producer for a large part of the projects we work on. For example, I think a significant part of what has happened with Rubio comes from that balance between honest experimentation and sounds and production techniques very much in the vein of Anglo-American electronic pop.
Do you think one can speak of "Chilean independent sound" as a more or less clear and understandable label?
I think it's often associated with synth-pop. But I think the Chilean indie sound is very diverse and too vast to be captured by such a short definition. This weekend is the second edition of Festival Recess, which brings together various local electronic music collectives. That genre has just formed its own independent guild. And there's so much music to explore there. Then on the other hand, you have everything that's happening with Chilean trap, which is amazing… And well, let's not forget guitar-driven indie, and the aforementioned electro-pop, and let's not forget psychedelic rock and shoegaze… So many incredibly talented bands making waves.
If I asked you to make a top 5 list of your favorite Chilean independent artists right now, who would you name and why?
Ugh, this is hard to answer quickly and well, haha. Let's see. Blond: It is challenging the meaning of pop music in Chile; Fernando Milagros: He's part of the group of pioneers of the current national independent scene, but he hasn't been afraid to constantly and consistently evolve his sound. That takes a lot of guts. Gianluca: Pure honesty; she comes from the trap scene but understands the weight and responsibility that comes with the popularity of her genre. She was born to be a star. Adelaide: They simply blow my mind every time I see them live. Pablo Stipicic: His work as a producer is completely and utterly undervalued in Chile. He is the Chilean artist I respect the most for his integrity, values, and his immense commitment and love for this art. From his studio and behind the scenes, he works tirelessly and dedicates himself completely to the artists he produces.
Finally, what's next for your companies and the Chilean independent scene in the coming years? How do you feel all of this will evolve?
Let me take it one step at a time. We're incredibly excited, and I hope you won't scold me for sharing this too soon, so consider this a year-end exclusive. We've finally finished this first stage of structuring our project, with Jungla as our management agency, Tierradefuego as our digital music distributor and promoter, and next year we'll be launching Discos Fueguinos, an independent label under the Tierradefuego umbrella. Under Pablo Stipicic's direction, we're building an amazing catalog of artists and musical productions. And what's next for the Chilean music scene? Well, the same thing that's coming for independent scenes in general: the golden age. I'm a total optimist, and I'm sure we're not fully grasping the level of work that's coming our way as independent artists. I hope that both I and my colleagues are physically, emotionally, and intellectually prepared to handle it.
