Alizzz: “I don't want people to think that I am a Spanish artist. I am a Catalan artist” | EUROtoday

The afternoon begins to fall in Madrid when Alizz (Castelldefels, 1984) seems smiling with sun shades and a vibrant pink sweater. We are on the door of the workplaces of Little Spainthe audiovisual manufacturing firm of his good friend and fellow success C. Tangana. We go up within the elevator and upon getting into they greet one another briefly and say “when we're done, we'll talk” with their eyes. Two of probably the most decisive artists within the change within the Spanish musical panorama lately don’t want a lot to know one another. Together they’ve renewed pop, and alongside the way in which they’ve received awards corresponding to tres Grammy Latinos What was the album price to them? The Madrid.

“I always see it as a compliment that we are related,” he says. Alizzwhich is definitely known as Cristian Quirante. “It's not something I run away from. I even often bring up the topic myself because I feel proud of it,” he provides. The Catalan, who achieved recognition as a producer already in his thirties, turned his profession round in the midst of the pandemic. She stopped touring, returned to his metropolis, and commenced releasing his personal songs as a soloist. “I started to be in my studio a lot, I could see my friends more and I even had less stress. I started to feel good,” he remembers of that point.

In 2021 he printed his first album, There must be one thing extra, which was very effectively obtained by critics and the general public. Especially they’re The assemblyon matter with the ex triumphant Amaia Romero. Now, Alizz seeks to present one thing to speak to once more reckless driving, an album with “somewhat darker lyrics,” he says, which will likely be printed firstly of subsequent May. “I'm always making songs, although I never know why. I'm seeing how things are woven along the way. But I realized that I had a record in front of me when I started playing with the musicians in my band. Especially with my guitarist. , Ferran Gisbert, who in the end ends up producing almost the entire album with me. Suddenly something opened up in me: I stopped being alone in front of a computer with samples y you feel to destroy guitars,” he explains.

In his newest work, composed of ten songs, he addresses new composition buildings, however particularly he squeezes this string instrument, experimenting with its sounds to the utmost. “To me I really like pop. But above all I like artistic projects that propose something, that are not simply good songs. I found that I had never squeezed guitars like I had done with rhythms or sound libraries. Besides, it's my thing. “I’m a guitarist,” he points out about the identity and objective of a project that is also nourished by the cinematographic universe of David Lynch.

Despite this desire to carry out new proposals in the artistic field, the musician affirms that “radical improvements should be made by youngsters.” “I believe that’s not my position”explains the author of hits like Bad woman, Booty o Hong Kong. “You should be very connected to issues that proper now I don't even know exist. Be loopy about looking and investigating the deep net“, aade.

It might be surprising that someone who knows the formula for success so well would try to distance himself from commercialism. However, Alizz He sees it as something completely natural. “I’ve all the time felt snug on that border between the avant-garde and well-liked music. Even in some unspecified time in the future I’ve been very concerned in it mainstream and in that barely loopy wheel of looking for the hit. But I'm drained. I’ve separated myself fairly a bit from what radio music and playlists are. tops. Especially with my undertaking,” she explains slowly.

On the one hand, he believes that it makes sense for his music to be framed more “within the different” due to his tastes and influences in addition to the identity he has created. On the other hand, he is quite critical of current popular music. “I've tuned out as a result of I don't discover it fascinating. I believe it's all too established. It's not that thrilling. I've loved it lots for years, however now I really feel that what was a change, a artistic explosion, has change into enterprise as normal. I don't know if we're on the level the place all the things is fucking boring or we're simply in a valley.however pop music is extra of the identical,” he says.

In any case, it shows that he has not completely separated himself from commercial matters when he reveals that he is behind the production of Madrethe collaboration between Puerto Ricans Antillean Villain y Young Miko included on the latter's new album. “But I'm not doing that form of stuff on a regular basis anymore,” he said. “It's true that the necessary issues you could have achieved are there. They are like milestones, No? Your nice achievements. AND It is harmful as a result of generally there’s a combat with your self for desirous to emulate all the things you could have executed earlier than. “That leads to a bit of frustration,” she acknowledges.

“Now everything in pop is more of the same”

“I consider that I am a person who does not like to arrive at a place, metaphorically speaking, and stay there. I enjoy the path traveled. When I achieve something for myself, I lose interest. But it is true that sometimes there is a little inner voice that tells you: 'You have to get here', 'they must have called you from such and such a place', or 'you have to be earning I don't know how much' I have my nerves between that part of the ego that can be the search for success and. find what really makes me feel fulfilled,” he confesses.

Returning to his new work, the album has three collaborations. Although, he reveals, “there are others recorded that have not ended up being released and perhaps will appear in an extended version.” In those we discovered there’s a global musician in addition to two Catalan artists. One of them is No Arnalwhose single has already been printed as a preview.

“I wanted to give value to Catalonia because I think we need to believe in it a little more from there”, clarifies his determination when selecting who has accompanied him. “I think we had a very big boom with him Soonhe Primavera Sound and the entire independent music scene but it has been diluted a bit. We have to be reborn from those ashes. “Go again to doing necessary issues from my land,” she factors out.

Even Alizzz dares to use Catalan in one of the songs. And it's not the first time. He already did it in Qu pasa nenand single published a year ago now with which it aroused a great stir. In the song, she claims recognition as a successful local artist.

“I needed to precise that I’m a part of Catalan tradition and I knew that there have been individuals who have been going to say no to me, as occurred with Llus Llach.. I didn't need individuals to assume that I used to be a Spanish artist. I’m a Catalan artist. “I know Catalan culture perfectly and, furthermore, I am part of those elites that are proposing things,” he explains. He confesses that “there was a lot of criticism, some very interesting” and acknowledges that it helped him to get the general public to take him “more seriously at a level.” creative and discourse.” “The solely factor that scared me was that it wouldn't generate dialog. That would have been a hell of a fiasco. But I ended up very glad. Not everybody makes a political situation. “Pop music doesn't dabble in that stuff,” she says.

Where self-censorship is admitted is outdoors of the songs. “I have sometimes written a tweet and deleted it. Although many times you think something that is true, then you wonder if the world really needs to know that you think that. So yes, I have sometimes censored myself because I know that everything I say passes scrutiny. In some interviews I also think: 'I'm not going to say this because I'm going to get into an absolutely gratuitous mess,'” he responds.

“I am a Catalan artist and I am part of Catalan culture even though people like Llus Llach say no”

One of probably the most controversial and vertigo-generating subjects within the creative world is how synthetic intelligence can change artwork. “If an AI can make a song better than me, I'll step aside. I think you can't fight with that.”says Alizzz. He factors out that he has not but “internalized much” the way it might have an effect on his work sooner or later; However, he acknowledges that he has already performed with the AI ​​on some events “to do nonsense.” “In 30 seconds he makes you a song latin pop “that talks a few lady whose title is another person and whose birthday is that day,” he says with amusement.

“I don't know if AIs are actually going to do something of worth. I think about so. I believe we’re going to expertise historic moments on a cultural degree with this. It doesn't scare me, however slightly it appears thrilling to me. It's one thing that we’re going to do.” see it firsthand. It's not going to happen when we're 80 years old,” he provides.

Beyond his subsequent steps within the music trade, he doesn’t shut the doorways to transferring into performing sooner or later. “I have some concerns about acting”he confesses, “I feel that it is what is most similar to being on stage, plus I think it is something very interesting on a personal level. I can be good at it. I am a very shy person, but the camera or a stage generates moments of euphoria and they make me grow,” he declares.

In any case, he maintains that he has no regrets about having chosen himself as a soloist. “It has compensated me both creatively and personally.. Starting to write makes you learn a lot about yourself. It seems to me that I have grown a lot. So far, everything has been a gift,” she concludes.

When we left the manufacturing firm workplaces, we left Alizz chatting with previous associates. The matter of dialog revolves, after all, round deciding the place to observe the Champions League match that Barça, his workforce, is enjoying in simply half an hour. Perhaps it’s a part of his cultural declare to Catalonia.