By José Gandue @Gandour
It's the afternoon of Thursday, April 25th. As this conversation takes place via WhatsApp, we are just minutes away from the Chilean group... Zebra 93 release his new album Timeless in the renowned Loreto Bar, From the city of Santiago. Once the soundcheck was over, Miguel Irarrazaval, drummer and founder, along with Sebastian Roman (bass), of the band, agreed to take some time out of his busy schedule to tell us how things are going with the band. While I wait for him to reconnect, I take the opportunity to gather some information about their history: The project, some time after forming in 2013, was signed by the Chilean/English label Endemika Records, which also had Miss Garrison, Tunacola and Kali Mutza among its artists, among others. After releasing 2 EPs, they included their song Summer Love on the soundtrack of the MTV series Bad Girls 2 and they manage to be played on various international radio stations. In 2016 they added the voice of Martina Petric and Fran V on synthesizers, releasing a new EP called Take your time.
Zebra 93 currently consists of Julia Grisenti, who sings the songs on the album, Enrique Escala, Lainus, and Miguel Irarrazaval. Just a few days ago They premiered a beautifully crafted pop album, with many reminiscences of the eighties, full of electronic textures, adding under the name of Timeless 8 topics that have immediately attracted the attention of the specialized press.
How would you describe the sound of Zebra 93?
Like a gentle sea breeze on a warm sunset at the beach
What musical influences did the band have when it was founded?
Toro Y Moi, New Order, Neon Indian, Delorean, Los Prisioneros, Prince, and an old Chilean band called Viena
What do you remember about the time you were at Endemika Records?
I remember that back then we didn't play live; we were a studio production and songwriting project where Roman, Enrique Escala, and I swapped instruments and used the studio as another instrument. We didn't have much ambition beyond having fun, and it was Harvey Jones and Juan Necochea from Endemika who encouraged us to take it more professionally. They started releasing our music, and the work they did was geared towards markets outside of Chile, since at that time we sang in English.
And what made them decide to do live performances?
Being able to take the songs to that level that only happens at live shows. That connection with the audience is one of the most motivating things about being a musician. And we were missing out on that. To put together the live band, we brought in Martina Petric, Fran V, and Lainus.
How would you describe a current Zebra 93 show?
I think it goes through different stages; there are more intimate and nostalgic moments. Then we let ourselves be carried away by improvisation, getting more psychedelic. We end up taking flight with the dance floor mode, and it's hard for the audience not to move their feet.
Tell me about the process of Timeless. It must have been a different kind of work in its execution compared to the previous one, right?
Yes, it was quite different in that I started composing the music myself in my studio, and then I got together with the guys to work on the lyrics and melody. I recorded most of the instruments myself. Afterwards, we brought in Jose Miguel Oportus and Andres Nusser (Astro) for the final mix. Others I worked with Marina Petric and Roman on the melody and lyrics. Jet, The instrumental track that closes the album was originally a Lainus song, on which I recorded the bass and drums. It ended up sounding very Zebra-like, so we added it to the album at the last minute.
What's in store for you with this album?
Being our first album, it marks a very important milestone in our career. We're about to release a couple of really cool videos we made with Piero Medone, a master of audiovisuals. We're really looking forward to playing outside of Chile and showing our live show, which has incredible energy! It feels like this is just the beginning.