By José Gandue @Gandour
We received several very pleasant surprises from Peru last year, and one of them was Lost Moments, the latest studio album by Theremyn 4. This album, at the time of reviewing it, we dared to describe as «"A compilation of nine beautiful songs in which he is not afraid to use textures from the late eighties and early nineties to present a heartfelt, nostalgic and exciting atmosphere"«.That's why we included it among the eight most attractive productions in Latin America in 2018. Now, a few months later, it comes out Remixed Moments, ten intense reinterpretations of previously published material, exquisitely crafted and tasteful in their final result. A fascinating work that accompanies a good trip, wherever the listener wants to go. Given this result, we contacted José Gallo, the person in charge of this project, to ask him how he feels about this publication and what details he could share about its creation.
What, in your opinion, should make the perfect remix?
It should have recognizable elements from both the original song and the remixer's style, and evoke the same emotional response as the original. For example, this remix of "Telefon Tel Aviv." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a3HOhB89Z0)
Do you think you managed to get that feeling from those who remixed your album?
Yes, I know all the remixers and their styles, and I think it's turned out to be a well-rounded album, full of emotion and fresh.
How did you select the remixers?
It's a mix of old friends, people I admire, and new people whose work has impressed me.
What instructions did you give these people to carry out their work?
None, I just sent the tracks separately. However, I did send some of the tracks premixed, thinking about the remixer and how they could make the most of the material. Let me explain: In some cases, if there were two drum tracks in the original, I combined them, for example.
Where are the remixers from?
The Peruvians: Humberto Polar (resident in Mexico), Blue Velvet, Silvania, Atahualpa Army & Leo Cerna, Hugo Boccio & Yong Jai Kim. The Argentinians: Gabriel Lucena, Farmacia, and Luis Marte.
By the way, it seems that Peru has become more and more of a benchmark for Latin American electronic music. What do you think?
I think there's much more and better production in Peru, but I don't think it's a benchmark. I've heard more relevant things from Chile or Ecuador lately. We contribute our share, but I don't like the electro-cumbia scene that's come out of Peru at all.
Something's definitely happening in Lima and its surroundings, don't you feel it?
That's right. I've heard some very interesting things in Cusco and Cajamarca. Atahualpa Army from Cajamarca impressed me, which is why I recommended them for the remix album.
What's next for Theremyn 4?
We're currently touring four Peruvian cities in July, and in September we have a concert celebrating the band's 20th anniversary, where we'll try to do a retrospective of our work. We're also working on presenting Lost Moments in other countries, so we'll see what happens.