By José Gandue @Gandour
Among the new features presented in the new edition of Beautiful Noise Festival, There's the inclusion of some representatives of the new generation of Bogota musicians. Among those invited to be part of this year's lineup are Bad Bengal, A pop-rock quartet that is beginning to gain recognition on the local scene, receiving radio airplay and standing out among the favorites of some experts. For these reasons, we invited them to talk about their present and, given their youth, about the future they envision:
What is Mala Bengala about?
Mala Bengala is a Colombian synthpop band, made up of 4 members who, inspired by the nostalgia of the 80s and 90s, combine elements of pop, electronic sounds and avant-garde with progressive touches.
You are very young, perhaps you didn't fully experience those times, so why talk about nostalgia?
Let's say there's a strong influence from the Latin American rock boom that emerged during that era, bands like Caifanes and Soda Stereo, who, with the technological advancements of the time, fused that world of guitars and vocals with modern drum and synthesizer sounds. It was the music we listened to in our teens. Of course, we don't leave out other genres like Britpop or 2000s indie.
Even with those influences, do you feel you're making music for our times?
Of course, ultimately, when making music, there's an evolution of everything one has listened to. Even if one is influenced by something, by manipulating and internalizing it, it transforms into something new.
How would you describe the band's current sound in a few words?
Rock heart with electronic and synthetic speech.
How do you feel within the Bogota music scene?
We feel there's a great deal of room for this genre in the current Bogotá scene, and even more so in Latin America. There's still a lack of spaces for artists to gain exposure, but the scene has grown, there are several very interesting bands, and many important projects are in development.
Which bands would stand out in your preferences?
Gorillaz, Spiritualized, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Deerhunter, Beck, New Order. We also like Ismael Allende, Él Mató a un Policía Motorizado, Cero 39, and Systema Solar.
What are Mala Bengala's songs about?
I believe that in this first album the lyrics revolve around fiction, not necessarily as something imaginary, but as an alternative, rational and paradoxical presentation of love, desire and frustration
How does the public connect with their music? What have they been able to perceive?
The advantage of the current distribution model is that you reach several audiences you didn't expect. The other side of the coin is that there are many options, and only the commercially strongest ones stand out. Our main listener on Spotify is in Mexico, an audience that greatly appreciates emerging sounds from all over Latin America. Bogotá is a more challenging city; its audience tends to prefer established projects.
What are the plans for the future?
Yesterday (September 21st) we released a new single, Television, which is part of that first EP we released two months ago So Much Fiction (Side A) . In a month or a month and a half, we plan to release a promotional single from the second part of this album., So Much Fiction (Side B). This EP features synthesizers and programming a bit more prominently than on Side A. We want to expand our reach throughout Latin America. We know there's a discerning audience waiting for projects like ours. We also know that Spanish-language music is gaining popularity outside of Latin America. We want to capitalize on that and show that Spanish has added appeal and isn't a barrier for the listener.
