By José Gandue @Gandour
We insist: At Zonagirante.com, there are days when we don't feel comfortable with the familiar, with projects that repeat formulas already studied, with sounds that provide comfort because they transport us to places we have already explored before. We like to find little-explored territories; we are fascinated by surprise. We want to hear proposals that make us ask more questions and fewer statements that take everything for granted. It gives us relief, from time to time, May music compel us to listen in order to try to understand what reaches our ears, may curiosity return to shelter us. Fortunately, that happens when the speakers play Inventory of Echoes, by the Argentinian artist Rocío Gal. This disc of 8 recordings, with a duration of less than twenty-three minutes, It is a collection of soothing whispers that touch the heart from the very first second., where unusual textures and expressions are combined in its mix, such as folk airs, electronic warps, a cappella singing, reverberations taken to unusual points, samples of past experiences and acoustic instruments that create a particular tension in the environment. This is an album that avoids easy labels to be defined and that, rather, invites to be listened to on multiple occasions to understand and enjoy it as it deserves. Through her press agent, we managed to meet with her to talk about her work and her future:
How would you describe the sound of Inventory of echoes?
I think the sound of Inventory of echoes It's eclectic, mixed, a little bit classic and a little bit modern
And what elements do you think are part of that sound?
There is a lot of personal archive material, there are recordings of people who moved me with their way of speaking, there are instrumentations that belong to a certain musical culture (Brazil, folklore) and others that are more electronic and noise-based, incorporating the computer as an instrument.
I'm struck by your singing style. It has many whispered moments, almost like intimate singing.
That's right, I think intimacy is something that's important for me to always maintain.
What are the lyrics of your songs about?
From fairly universal things: from what I observe, from life in the city, from people or places considered as one and the same, from what I can't understand, from what I read and hear. Sometimes there are invented languages too, open to free interpretation.
What are your live shows like?
The first one will be on May 7th and it will be a duet in a format live set. We're going to use some sounds from the album, along with vocals and guitar, to sample and recreate new versions live.
What are your plans from there?
Let's see where it takes us! I also really enjoy the music production phase. I don't feel like much more needs to happen than to keep creating and creating.
What are you listening to right now? What role models do you have at this point in your career?
I've been listening to a lot of Gilberto Gil again, Elza Soares, and always Lenine, a major influence. I'm revisiting Brazilian music quite a bit. Also Adult Jazz, Bon Iver, Madison McFerrin, Silvana Estrada, and Laura Misch.
How do you see the current state of music in Latin America?
Very interesting, a lot of mix.
Do you feel ready to conquer the continent?
Hahaha, I think a little stroll through my new ears is enough for me.
