By José Gandue @Gandour Sarasqueta archive photos
The first lesson this interview brings is that Any opportunity to travel can open your mind and bring the love we long for. It must be done, even if it means crossing the ocean, to allow oneself to be surprised and to complete the narrative with good compositions. The second lesson is that, perhaps, as a result of these necessary journeys, Life can bring us incredible moments that we cannot avoid, and that enrich our days.
Is called Julen Giménez Sarasqueta, He was born in San Sebastian, province of Guipuzcoa, Basque Country, and has taken his mother's surname to name his musical project, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the collaboration of his wife and daughter. His music is intense pop, with complex, inevitably poetic lyrics, and a thick sound, built almost entirely on his own initiative. (co-produced by Carlos Abriola), with an independent spirit. A few weeks ago he released his first EP, called Today's fishing, a compilation of four songs, that contain immeasurable tenderness, which, contrary to what the most skeptical might suspect, It never undermines the strength or solidity of the project. This is a work that unfolds without expecting immediate stardom or adoring crowds. It is, rather, the story of a man who sings to his wife after becoming a lovestruck migrant living in the city of fury., «"What I love most in the world is looking into your eyes and dancing, dancing, dancing."». That's why, and because of its great melodies, we decided to have this conversation:
How does someone from San Sebastián end up making music in Buenos Aires?
In 2004, I was living in Barcelona (I lived there from '99 to 2006). I usually went back in December and August to see my family, but that year I went at an unusual time, in June. I was working on the film adaptation of a play by a Basque author, and I had arranged to meet him there to review my script and discuss the project. When I arrived in San Sebastián, I called the author, but his assistant answered. He apologized because they had made a mistake by a week; the author was traveling. Since I had a place to stay and didn't have a permanent job in Barcelona at the time, I decided to stay a few days in San Sebastián waiting for the author. One of those days, a random Wednesday afternoon, in a bar in the city center, I felt a strong presence, a feeling… but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. After a while, I saw a girl sitting by the window… It had come from there. The thing is, I tried to gather the strength to talk to her, I looked at her, but nothing… I left the bar dejected, and saw a sign that said «"Manifesta/Biennial of European Contemporary Art.". I went back and mumbled an invitation to the exhibition. The girl responded with an Argentinian accent. «"Let me finish my coffee and we'll go. But if it's not good, I'm leaving in 5 minutes."». We went to the exhibition and we both thought it was awful. I told her that if she wanted to see some good contemporary art, I invited her for a stroll through the old town of San Sebastián and some pintxos. Gabi was traveling in Europe. She stayed three more days in San Sebastián. I gave her a thorough guided tour of the city. We fell in love. She returned to Buenos Aires and I to Barcelona. I never got around to making the film about the play, but it was through the play that I met Gabi. As the months passed, we continued writing to each other and decided to meet in Buenos Aires. I visited her a year and a half after our first meeting, and we've been inseparable ever since. Our daughter sings track 1., Tour, and Gabi sings backing vocals in Correcting chance y Dance.
In general, your work features love songs; it's evident in the lyrics.
Yes, it's a recurring theme. Not just romantic love itself, but love as a philosophy. Learning from life, listening to it and respecting it, learning from it, being connected to the here and now. But Dance It's a love song to my wife, clearly.
To someone who hasn't heard your songs, how would you describe your music?
Ugh… that's tough. Almost all the songs I compose (at least at this stage) start sitting in front of my synthesizer, my beloved Korg Poly 800. I begin by programming some sounds, and each texture inspires me to talk about a feeling or a story. The synth is where it all begins, but the song is always the most important thing. I'd say I make songs that are sometimes closer to electronic pop, sometimes closer to noise, and sometimes more like a singer-songwriter. I like to explore different genres, although there's always a common thread.
What influences do you recognize?
The first bands I fell in love with as a teenager were Pixies, Sonic Youth, Pavement… I’ve loved the Beatles since I was a kid, and the less hair I have, the more I love them. San Sebastián has a beautiful jazz festival, and I was lucky enough to see a lot of giants who really influenced me, like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Diego Amador. I really like bands from the late 70s like Devo and Talking Heads… and more recent ones like Air. I also like the San Sebastián musician Poch, in different groups, like Derribos Arias. And I love all of Luis Alberto Spinetta’s work, with his continuous search, always changing while remaining true to his essence.
Artistically, how do you feel in Buenos Aires?
It's a culturally stimulating city. There are tons of free activities (and some that aren't, of course). The offerings in theater, film, and visual arts are incredible. There's always something to do, from an opera at the Colón Theater to a small show at a cultural center… thousands of events. I really like Museum Night, which I think is on the first Saturday of November. Things have been tougher in recent years because the country has been hit hard economically, but there's always plenty of cultural activity. I work in the audiovisual industry, and the sector has been really struggling.
How are you getting on with the audience and local musicians?
The truth is, I've only done one show since I started Sarasqueta. In fact, I had no intention of doing shows; I hadn't played in many years.
It all started because my daughter asked me to get the synthesizer out to practice the keyboard a bit. When I plugged it back in, something took hold of me and I couldn't stop composing. Tour It was the first song I ever made. In fact, Isabella and I wrote and composed it together (she's 11 years old). It was a wonderful experience. Honestly, the last thing on my mind was going out to play live. I really enjoy playing live, but everything that happens before and after the show bores me to tears. Often you play in venues where you can't do a proper soundcheck, or the sound engineer doesn't care because you're nobody to them and they ignore you… It's really hard to put on shows on your own, but as soon as I finished mixing, I started feeling the urge to play. Except for the drums, the female vocals, and a few specific arrangements, I recorded everything myself, so I started looking for musicians, and now I have a fantastic band that makes me very happy. We're still getting to know each other, and we have a repertoire of 12 songs: the 4 from the EP, some of my old songs that I've rediscovered, and some new ones that will be on my next release. The idea is to find venues where I feel comfortable, with good sound, good conditions, where I can play with my daughter and wife… I prefer fewer, more carefully crafted shows to just playing for the sake of playing. In November, I have a couple of dates at a radio station and a beautiful venue. And that's how I'm taking it, little by little, without rushing. Did I answer your question?