Angulart (Chilean band ), January 2006

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   INTERVIEW WITH CHILEAN PROGROCK BAND ANGULART

                                      (by Erik Neuteboom)

ANGULART is a new progrock band from Chile, the very southern point of South-America: their debut album "Donde Renacen Las Horas" features Alfredo Bown Cuello (vocals/quena), Mauricio Flores Sanchez (bass), Alvaro Graves Fuenzalida (guitar/charango), Ricardo Perex Cea (drums) and Nazario Tabilo Poblete (synthesizers, organ, piano). It’s hard to describe their music: it sounds rather original although I can trace elements from the early Italian progressive rock movement (BANCO, Le ORME, Il BALLETTO DI BRONZO) and the Brazilian bands from the Eighties and Nineties (like LOCH NESS). The 10 compositions alternates from heavy, up-tempo and jazzy to bluesy, bombastic and dreamy, ANGULART keeps your attention for the full hour! If you are up to a compelling, varied musical trip and typical Latin-American vocals (an emotional undertone) this sensational debut-CD will please you. Prog Archives delivers only four ratings and two reviews but every time at least four stars so a good reason to ask this band and their manager Marco Guerrero some questions.

1)      What is the story of Angulart, from the very beginning until now?

Angulart’s members got together through a (Spanish) Chilean based prog (internet) mailing list in 2000, in the list we talk about the prog scene, and many friends have a huge knowledge about prog history. All compositional work in Angulart is original and you can discovery a variety of influences, from Los Jaivas to Krautrock and more current French bands. Angulart’s style is evolving into a unique sound, this is most apparent in the current Cd’s  last track ("Acta non Verba" and "Judas"). Our first project was conceptual in nature, we have many thing to say and prog music is our venue.  We are currently working on our next project, once again, conceptual in nature.

2) What are the main musical influences and favorite bands from all the members of the band?

Alvaro Graves: Everyone in AngulArt has his own influences, from different likes and musical styles. In my case, I'm a great admirer of Rush, and King Crimson among others (the list would be too extensive) in the progressive field. There are a lot of awesome bands like Inti-Illimani (Chilean folk) or Los Jaivas (Chilean folk influenced rock). Also, I enjoy a lot of jazz, in all its differents flavors, from Louis Armstrong to Allan Holdsworth.
Mauricio Flores: Although it is certain that as a band we share certain musical likes, the variety of music that we listen to individually makes Angulart’s compositions so varied and with so many stylistic changes. I believe this to be our main influence: to mix all our diverse musical influence into  progressive orientated compositions. In my case, the progressive bands  I admire a lot are  Pink Floyd, Rush, Dream Theater, Marillion, Pain of Salvation, and Porcupine Tree. Chilean bands I like a lot: Los Jaivas, Matraz and some things by Australis. However, I also listen to a lot of classic rock and some jazz.
Ricardo Perez: My personal influences in Rock music are very diverse. Prog-metal bands like Lemur Voice, Fates Warning, Dream Theater, Andromeda, Pain of Salvation; the classic-prog bands like Genesis, UK, Kansas, ELP; the krautrock bands like Grobschnitt, Eloy, Nektar, Anyone’s Daughter; and rock bands in general like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, UFO, Uriah Heep. In addition, I often listen to other types of music such as jazz-rock-fusion (i.e., Pat Metheny Group, Jean Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Brand X and Passport).
Nazario Tabilo: Asia Minor, ELP, Univers Zero, PFM, Halloween, Los Jaivas, King Crimson, Il Trono dei Ricordi, Mona Lisa, Genesis, Anglagard, Gerard, Camel, Devil Doll, Galaad, Gentle Giant,Van Der Graff Generator,Yes, Happy the Man.

3) What do you know about the legendary Chilean progrock formation LOS JAIVAS?

Alfredo Bown: They are not just a progressive rock band, they are very popular in our country because of their folkloric sound. I don’t think there is anybody  in Chile who hasn’t heard of LOS JAIVAS.
Mauricio Flores: As Bown says, probably everybody  in Chile has heard of LOS JAIVAS, and in my case I believe that it is the only Chilean band whose  music has passed over several generations. In the personal thing, I really admire the work carried out in “Alturas de Machu Pichu”, Mamalluca and “Obras de Violeta Parra”.
Ricardo Perez: LOS JAIVAS is a very popular band in Chile. In my opinion LOS JAIVAS is a Folk-Rock band with progressive influences. I Like the "Alturas de Machu Pichu", and "Obras de Violeta Parra" albums, since these are the two more progressive projects of this stunning Chilean band.

4) What equipment do you use (keyboards, guitars, drums, bass)?

Alvaro Graves: I'm currently using a Shecter Guitar (C1-FR) with some Behringher stuff, such as the Virtual Amp and The Magician Vacuum Tube Interface. This is my main configuration.
Mauricio Flores: At the moment I’m using an Ibañez GSR306DX activ  6 string bass and I try to stick to rotosound strings. As for effects, I use Behringer’s  Bass v-amp pro and their FCB1010 midi foot controller.
Ricardo Perez: I’m using a Premier XPK, Genista and Signia Drumkit; Sabian, Zildjian, Paiste and Wohan cymbals; Gibraltar, Premier and Mapex Hardware; Remo and Evans heads. I love my drumkit!!!!
Nazario Tabilo: Roland XP10, Roland JX305, Yamaha CS1X.  

5) What is the current progrock situation in Chili and South-America?

Alvaro Graves: I think this is a great moment in the Chilean prog scene: There are a lot of different bands, playing different styles, from RIO (Rock In Opposition) to metal-prog, but always applying a distinctive style in their compositions and playing.
Mauricio Flores: I believe that the level of progressive rock that one makes in Chile is very good. There are bands with great musicians and that little by little they open up roads in the local and international scene. However, in Chile the diffusion of the progressive rock in the media is very reduced and mainly the lovers of this type of music communicate through specialized groups or pages on line.
Ricardo Perez: I agree with Alvaro on this. I just want to add that it is not an easy task to play progressive rock in Chile, since almost all the potential support from government programs or private initiatives goes to other types of music (pop, hip hop, folk, etc). It is difficult to find places and interested audiences, but in spite of this, we won't ever give up. We love to play and create!!! 

6) Do you follow the current progrock scene in Europe and do you know bands like SPOCK’S BEARD or ARS NOVA?

Alfredo Bown: Yes!! One of my favourite bands is PORCUPINE TREE. We talk a lot about bands, about music, and the European progressive scene is always on the table.
Ricardo Perez: I love to listen to new sounds so I give myself time to "chase" new bands in other latitudes. The predominant bands in my cd player are: BEYOND TWILIGHT, ANDROMEDA, SUN CAGED, HUBI MEISEL, PLANET X, GERARD, MATRAZ (Chilean prog-band), CHROME SHIFT, OPETH, MINDS EYE, LEMUR VOICE, AYREON, LANA LANE, THRESHOLD, PAIN OF SALVATION. I know of both bands mentioned in your question. Actually, I personally met the members of ARS NOVA during the Baja Prog Festival in Mexicali, Mexico (2003).  Very nice, simple and terrific Japanese performers!!!

7) Can you tell something about the stunning artwork on the front cover? In my opinion it has a dark and religious undertone, is this right?

Alvaro Graves: In principle, we wanted an original artwork for the cover, not just a band photo, but something that reflected some part of the concept of the album. So, we met Sergio Lantadilla who agreed. I think it's an excellent work, reflecting great part of the spirit of the album.
Mauricio Flores: Our first project: "Donde renacen Las horas" is a CD of a conceptual nature. The CD tells a story of a person that is  living a reality  which is foreign to his dreams. The character starts to question this and begins to understand that his life  has assumed a stereotype implanted by society. He decides to undertake the difficult trip to find inner peace and personal realization. The cover art as well as the music represents the character's different psychic and mental states. We thought  the art on the  cover should highlight the story representing the desperation and the difficulty of coming  to terms with who you really are inside.  For this reason, in the cover, the character is trying to leave his dark and difficult context which accompanies him in a sailing compass that reprehends the search of the direction of his life. In this sense the artwork can feel quite depresive, since the art in general represents the complex process of searching for  personal realization, however the CD finishes with a message of euphoria, love and it thrills where the character finds the place where his dreams are really possible, where he is able to be reborn with a new sense of the life the place where the hours are reborn...

8)How did the press react on your debut-album?

Alvaro Graves: Great!!!! Although we are just starting to play in different pubs and cities, we've had great reviews and comments, both about or live shows and our disc.
Ricardo Perez: We have been surprised (nicely) of the warm reception by local and international media specialised in progressive rock. We never imagined receiving these great comments from cyberspace such as the one from The Netherlands or even being interviewed for a Dutch progrock magazine or a worldwide known site as Prog Archives!!! This, plus our stubborn character gives us strength to continue our progressive rock enterprise.

9) The music from Angulart is very varied and a bit complex: from heavy metal guitar-riffs to classic piano, from mellow parts to bombastic with spectacular keyboards parts and the Spanish vocals gives the music an emotional dimension. Can you tell something about the making of the compositions, the way the musical ideas developed?

Alfredo Bown: Well, we mainly  compose based on a one person idea, but this idea is completed by the rest of the band, and finally our songs are a collective creation. Before the music is done it is completed with my lyrics. 
Ricardo Perez: Everybody's ideas are taken into account. We work in a very friendly environment, which I guess helps us  convey ideas for this collective composing.  

10) I read on your site that the singer has left?

Marco: Alfredo Bown left the band at the end of 2004 in order to finish his
studies in mining's engenieering and he prefer to dedicate more time to work
and profesional developer. The half of Angulart are students, indeed soon
Graves will be graduate too, we hope it will not turn out to be more bad news ...).

11) Do you want to work on a replacement for him?

Marco: During the half of 2005, Angulart had an introspective work and finally
began to recruit of a new singer. The choise was not easy and actually
(after 3 candidates)  we recruited Jorge Garrido. The band, after making some
new arrangements to include the new voice of Garrido, finally began to compose
songs for the new album.

12) How about the CD sales?

Marco: Well, Chile is no a good market for progressive rock. However the fans
are very loudy, but are (we) a fews. Many friend also plays in prog bands.
Usually a new prog work of a band is rare above 2000 CDs. Only specialized
magazines out of Chile (ezines too) like ProgArchives are the best allies to
Chilean Prog advertising. Until now we are sell near 50% of our 1st work. We
thinks from the begging, that our first work are entierely for promote the
band, neither for profit money.

13) What are the future plans of Angulart?

Alvaro Graves: Currently, we want to play a lot in different scenarios, in Santiago (our city) and in other places. However we are thinking of the next album, we all have a lot of ideas, both in the musical and lyrical level, so, time will tell.
Ricardo Perez: We will continue to play our music in different places here in Chile and of course, to record our next two albums within the next few years. As part of our goal, it would be a big challenge to play overseas because we know that progressive rock has more space elsewhere. One short term goal is to gain a spot in the next Baja Prog Rock festival in Mexicali next year. We think it would be an excellent window for us, and it is more affordable economically speaking. Not to mention our big dream of playing one day in Europe, Japan or the U.S.!!!.  Our first CD is available for sale in Musea Records.
Marco: Angulart is still composing the songs for the new album and hope
finish before end of 2006. Previous we must reenchanted the fans and
consolidate the lost time. And good news is, I could say, than Sergio Lantadilla (illustrator for the first work to Angulart), has committed to make the next cover art. He
actually is a very popular illustrator and is working in a new Trading Card
Game "Humankind" (http://www.humankind.cl/). Well many thanks to all friends at ProgArchives!