By José Gandue @Gandour Archive photos of Sleep Paralysis
After a few singles and small compilations, the Chilean band Sleep paralysis presents his first album, under the name of Brigid, And what we find in this work is as varied as it is colorful. It touches on pop, rock, bolero, and other genres that, if we tell you without further explanation, you might think it's a disorganized effort, where any idea is piled up without any coherence in the whole. But we'll tell you that this assertion is far from the truth. Brigid It is a roller coaster of irregular heights united by the desire to maintain coherence through an exquisite work of melodies and a fine mix of voices, which experiment in their position in front of the instrumental textures. The guitars, wind instruments, keyboards, and percussion contribute to the strength of each track, but the entire ensemble provides a suitable foundation for what is truly seductive., the oral element. What Sleep Paralysis has done in that respect It stands brilliantly on the shoulders of its country's singing history, The range extends from Lucho Gatica to Portugal, including Victor Jara, Los Tres, Lucybell, Los Bunkers, and many other leading figures in this field. That's why it's so fascinating.
Taking advantage of the recent release of this album, we were able to contact Kotalo Gallardo (vocals, guitar and keyboards of the band), to talk about this new release and details of their group:
What is it about? Brigid?
Brigid It deals with the feelings or stimuli that shake one to their core. If there's a common thread running through the album, I suppose it's that each song is a letter from someone speaking passionately and anxiously to something or someone they love, protect, detest, or try to reason with. Each one is set to a variety of musical styles, which, I think, adds flavor to the narrative. At least, that's what we've been told. The songs that have garnered the most attention are precisely those that sound least like the first Parálisis album. Zodiac, which is more of a ballad. It hurts so much, which is a bolero. Let's be honest, which is kind of retro, crooner, etc
That's what I was going to say, it's quite an eclectic album, ranging from rock to bolero, and other styles in between. Was that intentional?
Yes, we always intended to make an album that explored a wide range of moods and sounds. It was natural; we didn't have to force it much. We put together some pretty schizophrenic playlists when we listen to music, and I suppose that influenced the album's personality. Will it be very strange? I think that in recent years, mixing styles has become the norm; it's not as surprising as it used to be. We're a generation that likes to mix everything with everything. Juanes playing Metallica is a perfect example of that. I love it when that happens, haha.
When talking about the band to someone who hasn't heard it, how do you explain in a few words what it's all about?
Ugh, it's a tough situation we haven't quite figured out yet. But we know it's not some strange band. It's rock at times, more pop at others, and now it has a bit of Latin ballad and bolero. Sometimes it's more distorted. But I feel like words or labels mislead that description; the best thing is to listen to this album, and everything becomes clearer. Brigid It encompasses all our personalities.
Let's continue down this rocky path: I ask you, what influences do you recognize?
Off the top of my head, a lot of Latin American influences come to mind, anime music too, music we listened to as kids at home… The rock of the nineties and two-thousands is ingrained in our brains. From Latin America, we're always guided by Los Tres, Álvaro Henríquez in general, Electrodomésticos, Fother Muckers, Molotov, Plastilina Mosh, Aterciopelados… From abroad, Elliott Smith, Nirvana, QOTSA, Blur always pop up… We can mention some huge influences from anime as well. The soundtrack of Cowboy Bebop, the one of Chobits.Radio Pudahuel, from Chile, also had a lot to do with it. It's known for providing music during household cleaning sessions, and that's where we discovered a lot of top-notch Latin artists.
How do you feel about the current state of Chilean indie music?
I think there have never been so many active bands doing such interesting and professional things. There are so many acts out there that you can't possibly appreciate them all, at least not at their full potential. This contrasts sharply with the lack of venues to put on a show under optimal conditions, especially for up-and-coming projects. But it's always been like this; good things are done with very little. What I'm left with is that the songwriters, both established and emerging, are working incredibly hard; they certainly aren't lacking in songs.
What's next for Sleep Paralysis?
In the immediate future, we're going to present this album on March 7th at Matucana 100 in Santiago. We want to take these songs on tour to various regions of Chile and hopefully visit other countries this year. We're working on that. We might also release some B-sides, songs that were part of the creative process. Brigid But those songs didn't make it onto the album. The idea is to keep creating and playing; we could really use an intense period of work, and we're preparing ourselves mentally for that.
