En el marco de la realización de SYZYGY, evento para celebrar los 3 años de existencia de It Sounds Alternative, tuvimos la oportunidad de conocer a dos proyectos musicales que se presentarán el próximo 9 de julio y tendrán la labor de musicalizar la jornada.

Within the framework of SYZYGY, an event to celebrate the 3 years of existence of It Sounds Alternative, we had the opportunity to meet two musical projects that will be presented on July 9 and will have the task of musicalizing the day.

Desde el lado de NOISBOR, conversamos con Gardiant, dúo de synthpop e indie dance integrado por Alonso Arancibia (productor) y Sebastián Castañeda (compositor y guitarrista), dos amigos que el año 2018 le dieron inicio a su proyecto musical y el 2020 lo dieron a conocer con el lanzamiento de su primer EP «Twilight».

From the side of NOISBOR, we spoke with Gardiant, a synthpop and dance indie duo made of Alonso Arancibia (Producer) and Sebastián Castañeda (Composer and Guitarist), two friends who in 2018 started their musical project and in 2020 they made it known with the release of their first EP «Twilight».

While from the sidewalk of Intaqta, we meet the producer Ignacio Álvarez, who in 2020 debuted with his project Gloss, although it could be said that it is a musical chest, since he has been working on it for more than six years. His stylistic foundations lie in dynamic explorations that oscillate between visceral joy and hints of melancholy.

In this interview we were able to talk about their expectations for the event, about making live music and, of course, what their musical projects are.

Stay and find out what they told us! 

Gloss: Mi nombre es Ignacio Alvarez. Gloss parte relativamente hace poco, pero solamente el nombre. Vengo haciendo música hace harto, como desde el 2013. De hecho, esto fue como al mismo tiempo que el Rafa (Tasfet), que así fue como nos conocimos. De hecho, asimismo partió Intaqta, porque éramos todos amigos. Finalmente, mi proyecto para mí no es algo tan sagrado, como que tenga un margen demasiado delimitado. Me gusta hacer música y después decir como “Esta de acá define más el estilo mío” y cuando voy cachando eso, las voy metiendo a esta piscina de ideas para empezar a sacar proyectos. Y ese mismo proceso creativo, si es que se le puede llamar así, ha hecho un feedback para empezar a generar un estilo propio, o intentar por lo menos. Empezar a enmarcarse solo, sin tener la intención de enmarcarse. ¿Se entiende? Como que orgánicamente se empiece a generar esta descripción, y así al final empezar el proyecto para meter todas mis ideas y después elegir. 

My name is Ignacio Álvarez. Gloss started relatively recently, but only the name. I’ve been making music for a long time, like since 2013. In fact, this was around the same time as Rafa (Tasfet), which is how we met. In fact, Intaqta also started back then, because we were all friends. Finally, my project for me is not something that sacred, as like having a narrow margin. I like to make music and then say how «This one here defines my style more» and when I catch that, I put them into this pool of ideas to start coming up with projects. And that same creative process, if it can be called that, has given feedback to start generating its own style, or at least try. Start framing yourself, without intending to frame yourself. You understand? As like organically this description begins to be generated, and thus in the end I start the project to put all my ideas in and then choose.

Ah, y con respecto a Intaqta. Con Rafa, que es el director, y Flavio (Forsaj) en un principio, nos conocimos en el colegio. Yo no iba en su colegio, pero fue por gente de mi colegio por x razones. Y empezamos a hablar porque no conocíamos a nadie que hiciera lo mismo, y nos hicimos amigos. En un momento, intentamos hacer un sello, pero como que no funcionó. Después conocimos a Luciano, y ahí se empezó a hacer esta dinámica de grupo, de amigos, y se empezó a hacer este sello, que al final es más como una comunidad social, como una ONG musical más que sello.

Oh, and regarding Intaqta. With Rafa, who is the director, and Flavio (Forsaj) at first, we met at school. I didn’t go to his school, but it was because of people from my school for x reasons. And we started talking because we didn’t know anyone who did the same thing, and we became friends. At one point, we tried to make a record label, but it kind of didn’t work out. Then we met Luciano, and that’s where this group dynamic began, of friends, and this label began to be created, which in the end is more like a social community, more like a musical NGO than a label.

Alonso: A ver, Seba. Tengo el speech acá. 

Let’s see, Seba. I have the speech here

But that’s cheating. There were prepared questions.

Well, Gardiant is a musical project created in 2018 in the eighth Maipucino circle of the ninth dimension of electronic garbage by Seba and me. We met how long ago? In 2010?

Yes, like 2010 or so. In 7th grade or something.

Yes, at school. Basically he had an Avenged Sevenfold patch in his backpack and I had a Green Day patch. So we practically hated each other (laughs). Oh, and well, we make electronic noises with guitars and vocals, and now they make sense.

And after many unsuccessful bands we ended up doing a duo.

Yes, we did like 7 bands, and all of them had nothing to do with each other. And that, in truth, the process of how we make music is like each one brings their ideas and we try to maintain a concept, unlike Gloss, which is a little more organic. We still have a ground of a lot of sounds or ideas, especially now more than before, but I like to say that before the songs didn’t make much sense, and the ones we do now make more sense, as we try to have an editorial line . Obviously without locking ourselves up and that all the songs are the same.

Unlike Gloss, neither of us are founders of Noisbor or anything. I met them out there when we were in high school, through the internet or through electronic gigs, things like that. More online than electronic gigs. Neither Seba nor I were big fans of those things at that time, and in 2019 we organized a gig in Chile, in the elephant room, which was called COSMOS, it was very cool, and there I joined Noisbor right after that , at the end of 2019. I mean, the event was before the outbreak (Protests) but I joined at the end of 2019, and it was like “Oh yes, we are going to do more events” and the pandemic arrived.

I have a hybrid in my show. An almost fail-safe show, like mixing stuff, but I keep adding and removing songs of my own. That’s the thing, I don’t know how to mix. So that’s why I had to do a live set. Also, it’s still entertaining, up to a certain point, when it’s already too complex and you have to touch like a thousand buttons at the same time to get it right, otherwise it starts to be an unnecessary stress.

Ah, you guys have to do rehearsals.

Yes, but we don’t have to rent a rehearsal room or anything. Seba comes to this very room that I’m in right now.

Yes, and we use my amplifier that has been there for about 4 years.

I think more.

 I think that since I’ve had it, it’s been at Alonso’s for longer than at my house.

We, like Gloss, do not mix either. We also do live sets. I always like to classify the show as an entertaining show.

I still feel that in this show, without trying to make spoilers, the Gardiant eras are much more combined in a certain way, like the phases.

Actually, technically speaking, it’s obviously more of a live set, we play, etc., but it also has a couple of dj set phases. Not just guitars and vocals, but there’s a little bit of everything. In fact, we revive something very old. Something ridiculously old. Something older than Gardiant.

You know what’s super good? I understand the songs I do better when I play with other people. Like playing all of a sudden I have a eureka moment and I’m like “oh, that was it”, and I almost have to write it down. Because of course, you understand them because you’ve heard them many times, because you’re doing it, and as a poor person: you’re mixing it, mastering it, producing it, messing it up and arranging it, so when you’re at the shows, you finally see the reaction of the public and you put yourself in another state of mind, because you have to be attentive to the music. And at that moment you see the people, their reaction, you get a little more self-critical and you get this good way of polishing themes.

I think, personally, of the parts of playing live that I like the most, it sounds a little weird anyway, but it’s like the time to disconnect. At a certain point, I know I’m not the most present at a show. There is a moment in which one is very focused on not making mistakes and being very attentive to things, and there is another moment in which one simply works. It works a bit on automatic, and this feeling of stress and euphoria goes away, in a way, and it’s a bit more of a trance. I personally like that feeling.

I quite agree there. I think it’s a super cathartic experience. Like a mix between adrenaline and extreme concentration. Depending on the part of the show too. There are parts where for 3 minutes you are doing just one thing, by this I don’t mean (playing) just one chord, but (for example) just playing chords.

Do you see it as a disconnection? is that it’s shocking because I have the concept completely backwards. It’s like I’m too connected, but to one thing. Kind of forcing myself to concentrate.

I mean, it’s weird because it’s a disconnect but at the same time you’re extremely focused. It’s like the world doesn’t exist.

Like uninhibited, of course.

And in that sense, it’s kind of the same. Stop thinking about the public or what is happening and just let it happen.

In fact, that’s why I like to integrate pauses in the shows, because or else I forget that there are people.

To look up.

Sure, to talk, to joke around.

For my part, it is increasingly cool that there are more places, not just physical ones, places and instances of showing “rare” projects. So, it’s cool and it’s useful for us as artists that these instances, these places, these people exist, and that this begins to spread. Because, in the end, no matter how much nobody listens to you, which usually happens, you do it because you like it, and it’s a very cool feeling when you find another person who likes you.

Complementing that, I think that as Gardiant we have lived eternally thinking that we are not electronic enough for an electronic show, nor indie enough for an indie show. And it’s cool that these instances are generated. And yeah, ItSA is the greatest, they are some of the coolest people I’ve met during the pandemic. With the exception of Seba, which is not that I dislike him, but I have known him since before the pandemic.