Maff - It's My Gift To Her

The13th AÑO: 4 | NÚMERO 43

UNA R E VISTA IMA GINARIA

MAFF IT'S MY GIFT TO HER

[ Interview With Ricardo Gรณmez from Maff by Diego Centuriรณn. Photographs by Simon Gallardo. ]

IT'S MY GIFT TO HER

3 We have not known anything about the Maff Chileans for a long time and we are pleased to know that they are making new music. Melaniña is the new EP that they just released and we connected with Ricardo to learn about the band's news.

Hello Ricardo, thanks for the opportunity of this interview. The truth is that it has been a long time since the previous interview so we want to catch up and know about its present and future.

To begin with, what has happened since our last interview, back in October 2015 (Number 22 of the magazine) until the end of 2017?

Hi Diego.

In the last two years we have been mainly playing live in several places in Santiago and consolidating todays band formation: Valentina Cardenas is now our bassist, Talo (guitar) left and I changed from bass to guitar.

After playing about a year, we gave ourselves a break and it was there where Melaniña was written and recorded.

We recently released the first single "Desfile", our first song in Spanish. And in April 2018 we will publish the complete EP. In that interview they were excited about the recording of an EP that they wanted to edit in 2016. Is that EP "Melaniña"?

Yes. How was the writing period of the songs?

How long was the recording of the EP? After playing live shows for several months, we gave ourselves a break. In that period my first daughter Augusta was born and I introduced myself into the world of guitars (distortions, rhythms, delays, reverbs.) I think that the fact of feeling new things was what made the composition flow.

One I had several song sketchs I contacted my friend Victor Schelsinger, producer of music, and I told him that I wanted to make another EP.

The process was approximately 1 year and thanks to Victor's portable studio, we recorded it in many places (in the city, countryside and beach / Santiago, Casablanca and Mantagua, respectively).

Tell us about the name of the EP "Melaniña".

I read that the album is inspired by your daughter. It’s true?

That's right, Augusta is my first daughter and was born with a degree of albinism.

Melanin is a pigment that most living beings have and is responsible for determining the color of our skin, hair, iris of the eye, etc.

She has been present throughout all the EP process. It's my gift to her.

Recently they have released the single advance, "Desfile", and although it has been a short time since the release, and knowing that it is the first single in Spanish. How do you perceive the reception was?

Very well, it has moved around a lot and so far we have had pretty good reviews.

The art of the album cover is based on a drawing by Augusta, do you remember the moment you decided that that would be the cover?

Yes, I remember. We had several meetings with Nicolas (drummer) to define the concept and art of the album. And after giving several hours of brainstorming, we were in my house and on the floor there was a painting by Augusta, and it made click me there. Instead of defining a concept, I liked the idea of doing a tribute to her by using something that she had done herself.

Speaking a bit about the EP, you open it with "Act 2", would it be the second part of "Act 1" of the first job?

No, they are independent songs. I call "Act" all my instrumental songs.

We appeal to your memories so you can tell us something about each track of "Melaniña".

01 Act 2 I like to start with instrumental pieces so that the listener can get an idea of the different sounds and intensities that will appear on the album.

Interesting fact, the same director Tim Busko of Pennsylvania made the video of Act 1 and Act 2, both are on the youtube channel (maffmusica).

02 Desfile This song is about feeling stuck, Surrounded by toxic people and poisonous situations. ur first full spanish song.

03 Hawaii Hawaii was written on Roatan (a beautiful beach in northern Honduras) is about that nostalgic feeling when you know that a life-changing journey is over.

04 Deserts Are Rainbows Deserts was written on Lake Ranco, in southern Chile. The song is an ode to the beautiful landscape that Chile has (The Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world, which is sometimes covered in colorful flowers.) The "Cordillera de los Andes", the longest mountain range in the world. Chiles cenral vallwys filled wuith fiields and vineyards, among others).

05 Appear It's about losing someone you love. Wanting to believe that they are still walking by your side, and asking if you will ever see them again.

Do you already have plans to present it live? and How is Maff's current lineup live?

Of course, starting in April 2018 we will be back on the stages again.

The band is me, Ricardo Gomez (vocals, guitar), Nicolás Colombres (drums), Valentina Cárdenas (bass) and Martín Colombres (guitar).

What plans are there for the band in this 2018?

We are going to play this new EP live for a couple of months and in parallel we are writing songs for what would be our first LP. Thanks Ricardo for this interview.

A pleasure Diego

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