By José Gandue @Gandour
It's always good to keep up with the latest news from the Chilean music scene, a space full of very interesting proposals with striking aesthetic aspirations., eager to break the mold and rethink what is on the table at the time they publish their creations. As travel resumes across the continent, we have learned of the presence of Marcelo Parra, singer of the group Informers, in Colombian territory, and we wanted to take the opportunity to talk about what they've been doing in recent years. Their band, also made up of Fako Damien D'Large (guitar), Javier Carrasco (pianos and guitars), and Mauricio Tapia (drums), has released two albums and several singles in the last eight years, and with that material they've toured their country and performed on an extensive tour of Mexico. A few months ago they released their latest EP called Promises at Dawn, which has had a good response on digital platforms. Taking advantage of his stay in Bogotá, we contacted Parra to talk about his projects:
At this point in the game, what does Delatores sound like?
Ugh, that's a complicated question to answer. Always, hahaha. We think we have a very distinctive sound, which this time is closer to new wave, a darker pop but without abandoning certain more danceable beats. We studied the sound of Virus a lot (Pleasure surfaces), he Blinding lights From The Weeknd, Electrodomésticos, and the sounds of Depeche Mode, I think we took a lot of references from there.
Do you feel comfortable within what has been happening in the Chilean music scene in recent years?
Yes, although there's always more criticism directed at the music industry itself than at the scene. We feel like a very attractive project, and above all, a very serious and professional one. With great humility, we always seek to connect with both new and established bands that are out there making music similar to ours. The problem with the Chilean scene continues to be an economic and networking barrier that's difficult to overcome. The road is longer and toughens you up, so we'd like things to be a bit fairer, but that's how it is. It's the reality for many artists nationally and throughout Latin America; it happens everywhere.
It's curious, because in Chile very interesting things happen, artists frequently emerge who attract international attention, but there's always a complaint of feeling isolated from the world and the public around them, is that right?
Yes. It's strange. Our culture isn't one of high artistic and cultural consumption; the dictatorship did us a lot of harm and cut short a growing momentum. This makes it harder to build a loyal audience and for that audience to be willing to consume and pay for music. Chile, as a country, struggles to export art sustainably; there's no real policy for artistic training or protection for arts and culture workers. All of this makes creating art in Chile difficult in the long run and leaves us feeling so abandoned and disconnected at times.
Could the upcoming political changes influence any kind of change in that situation?
We are hopeful that things will change, and in a positive way. We have a president-elect, and we expect that both he and his cabinet will be able to reverse many of the negative situations we are currently experiencing.
Furthermore, he seems to have good taste in music, which isn't something everyone can boast about…
Hahaha, that's right. We'll campaign to get him to listen more to the whistleblowers.
Well, for that to happen, they have to release the new album. They've always been a bit slow with that, haven't they?
Yes, it's taken a while, but that's because for the first time we're putting a lot of work into the production. Believe me, the upcoming album, of which we've already released a first part, will be fantastic and will be a huge surprise to our loyal fans and those who discover Delatores for the first time.
Have you taken on the role of production?
It's been a collaborative effort between the band and Esteban Ibañez, our producer at Sello Sinusoide. We studied together before entering the studio.
What's next for Delatores in the short and medium term?
In the short term, we plan to release the next singles before this third album, tour regions of Chile, and produce more material, especially audiovisual content. In the medium term, we long to visit other countries in the region, such as Peru, Argentina, and Colombia, and to return to Mexico (a country we love with all our hearts). All of this is difficult due to the pandemic, but we have faith that it can happen. In the meantime, we will continue working diligently and with great passion to make it possible, just as we always have and as our music reflects.