By José Gandue @Gandour Anima Ferley Photos
There is music that allows us to imagine it in specific spaces and times. It is music that transports us to very different places and circumstances contrary to those we are currently experiencing. They can be songs that awaken in us the desire to be somewhere else, in better company, or in better solitary circumstances. Today is Monday, and listen Little face, the first album by the Argentine artist Pitucardi It puts me in a Sunday mood, a day illuminated by large windows in a country house, dressed in shorts and a colorful t-shirt, lying on the sofa, wanting to recover the old lost tranquility. What this singer-songwriter has done, in my (too personal) view, is so clean and simple that it's a relief. It's pop music crafted with a subtle use of electronic elements, accordions, and acoustic guitars, which, in their mix, allow the vocals to flow with their everyday poetic discourse. Thus, without great pretension, and yet, without hindering the undeniable beauty that shines through from the outset.
After repeated listenings to his material (seven songs, 23 minutes), we contacted "Pitu" via WhatsApp to get more details about his work:
How would you define your music?
Songs. In the most classic sense. I'm looking for a synthesis or simplicity.
In complex times, how is synthesis achieved?
In this case, we started with the composition, using few chords. The songs mainly have A and B sections (some have a C section). Then, in the production, we aimed for a less cluttered sound. With Martín Mikulik, who co-produced the album, we sought to add only what we felt was right and necessary for each track: a synth, some drums, some backing vocals…and so on.
Which artists do you currently look up to?
From the most classic to the most current: Litto Nebbia (Los Gatos), Caetano Veloso, Charly García, Daniel Melero, Leo García, Babasónicos, Javiera Mena, Rosario Bléfari. Contemporary and more recent: Paula Trama (Los Besos), Diosque, Antolín.
How do you relate your musical side to your work as an illustrator?
These are two ways I have of communicating with the world. Both are part of my daily life; I'm prolific, but I also leave everything unfinished, whether it's drawings or songs. The approach often comes from the same place, but physically they are very different activities and affect the body and emotions differently. In the case of Little face, Since it's a solo album, I wanted my drawings to be more prominent as a way of reinforcing the message. It would be something small and fresh.
What are your songs about?
They capture the emotions of a moment. From something small, they develop ideas. Sometimes they tell a story or talk about a character that isn't entirely real, but there's a kernel of truth in them. Or a lot, haha, it depends. Sometimes they're phrases I hear a friend say. It's an album with songs about love, heartbreak, loneliness (and being okay with it), the reality of the country where I live at the time, and depression too.
What's coming up in the next few days for Pitucardi?
I'm still working as usual, giving drawing classes, drawing comics, posting things on social media… with music, I'm still doing some interviews, I'm going to record my voice as a guest on Lucia Klein's EP, and I have to rehearse at some point for an online performance. Little face. At the end of November (I don't know the exact date yet). We also have an instrumental album with Scientific Expeditions (my band) that is on the way.
To learn more about Pitucardi's illustration work, come in here.
