By José Gandue @Gandour Photos by Mati Montagne
6:40 a.m. It's ridiculous that I'm awake at this hour, sitting in front of the computer, already checking the news and seeing if yesterday's hateful stories are being repeated. A few sporadically memorable memes and a handful of emails, including one from a friend who's a press officer, whose style of presenting her clients is entertaining and, moreover, He is fortunate to work with entertaining independent musicians with valuable and diverse proposals. This time, she warns me in the letter that I'm going to have fun listening to a musician from the Buenos Aires town of Adrogué. His name is Mariano Villasante and has just released a five-song EP called The Force. I open the platform and start listening. I immediately find something that greets me with openness. Exquisitely constructed melodies and an instrumentation that is not afraid to approach classic forms of pop rock with its own personality. Within seconds, a respectful nod to the Beatles is evident, but soon after, a hint of Spinetta and other Argentine influences emerges. The sound mix is impeccable, showcasing the work of a skilled producer. In this case, we're talking about Rodrigo Crespo, a compatriot based in Los Angeles and recognized for his work on albums such as Bossa N' Stones o Light a fire, by Marilina Bertoldi. And suddenly, the unexpected reference arrives: With a tune, Villasante reveals his fondness for Star Wars. And of course, the story of the saga created by George Lucas can serve to describe, in some way, everything we are experiencing in contemporary times. In the midst of the turbulent days we are living through, Thinking in terms of resilience provides insight into how to endure and overcome adversity. And a song, precisely called Luke, serves to warn us «"Darth Vader is outside," "Pain is outside, because that's how the Empire is,", to conclude by saying “"I'm empowered, I'm much more than just surviving. I want to be Luke Skywalker fighting, take what you want from me.". In short, a composition worthy of a romantic nerd who knows that many will understand the message of his verses. I confess, however, that in my opinion, The best moment of this compilation is the last track, a short jazz ballad called What to see the sea from an igloo. A demanding love song, with a perfect touch of desperation, that accumulates a beautiful sadness that remains stuck in the chest for a long time.
Fifteen minutes after starting to listen to the material, I want to repeat the experience. The Force It's a well-rounded album that's worth listening to again and again, hundreds of times., for his sensitivity, for his good work, and because he speaks in contemporary language without trivializing the message. For all these reasons, within hours of discovering his music, we contacted the author and set about interviewing him:
How would you describe The Force?
CHow to build a raft, set sail, find allies, and finally, reach the shore! To set foot on solid ground and have a jungle at your disposal. An album with luminaries, sharp songs that accompany this moment with the power of music.
What influences do you recognize as being present in your music?
Argentine music, with song as its banner. Rock, pop, folk, songs from the southern suburbs. Also family, nature, the street, the world, magic, loss, football, cinema…
Your lyrics are very unique, what are your songs about?
This album has a very defined horizon. We are warriors of life, and in my case, the weapons I have are songs. I try to talk about that, I suppose; it always has to come from the heart. I want to sing about what's moving me from within.
Let's talk about what's really important, about Star Wars: You're the first musician I know who's made a serious song about Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, how did you dare to do so much?
The truth is that the song arrived like magic. «"Like in Star Wars. Super frenzy. These are dark times for the rebellion. Don't stray too far from me."». It came out in one go. And that encourages me, along with anything that seems honest and real to me.
These are times to find inspiration in the most unexpected places, aren't they?
Yes, absolutely. I rewatched the saga with my kids, and I can't believe it! Damn, it's so real. When that song was born, something inside me changed, and I followed that instinct until I turned it into a song, an album! The song ended up being called Luke, ...as a tribute. And the album The Force, Imagine that.
I can't help but ask you, how would you describe contemporary times?
Completely and utterly divided into two factions, like a global mandate. It's tremendous and clearly visible how they've articulated this bipolarity.
Music, nature, family, friendships, paths, resilience... these are, in my humble opinion, the reasons to keep composing, stirring things up. Then again, the world is all the wonderful things it is. And that's true too, because the sun is real every day. That's why, perhaps, you make me think, we have to take a stand, right?
Does it have to be done?
I prefer to keep going, and I instinctively prefer the handcrafted—music that's shared! That's my rule. Music, nature, family, friendships, paths, resistance... these are, in my humble opinion, the reasons to keep composing, to keep stirring things up.
What comes next?
Don't know!
Is that uncertainty a good thing?
It's a special time, we know that. For now, being alive and doing what I love is a blessing. I still have three or four albums to record. We'll see where this journey takes me.
