Introducing: El Guincho

27 October 2008, 09:00 | Written by Rich Hughes

(Tracks)

El Guincho had the official release of his album, Alegranza, the other week on XL. An album of infused sounds, taking in everything from folk, pop and latin rhythms. We caught up with the man himself to find out a bit more about him…

For people out there that have never heard of you. Give us three reasons why they should…
It’s pop music, people loves pop music. It’s dance music, people loves to dance. And at the same time it is no pop and no dance music at all. It’s a different way of achieving those vibes with sounds you wouldnt expect to be there, so it makes it a new exciting thing.

Can you recall the moment when you first decided you wanted to become a musician?
I never thought about it actually. I studied music without any expectation. It was just a family thing. My grandma was a music teacher and singer. But then I started to be more and more interested about production and how my favourite records were made. So it became an addiction and, finally, my job! I mean, I dont feel like writing and performing music makes me any special human being or something. It’s something that was always seen like a normal thing in my family so I think that’s why I never had any goals or plans about it.

Where do your songs come from? What’s your inspiration?
Trying to take what sounds in my head to what ends up sounding in the stereo, growing up in an island, food, Barcelona, and death.

Name your Top 5 records.
Wow… Just to make it and easy thing, these 5 by Caetano Veloso: 1968 (Tropicália), Araça Azul, Muito, Qualquier Coisa (Side A) and Cinema Trascendental.

What was the first gig you ever played and was it a success?
As a kid, I played percussion in a classical orchestra. Just a pretty average show. As a percussionist you’re not the star of the show at all so you can look at everything from the top and just enjoy the sound without feeling any nervous or something. Oh, now I realize you were maybe asking about El Guincho. It was at Heliogabal, a small venue in Barcelona. People knew me from my other band, Coconot, so the room was pretty full of people and it went really good. No pressure.

What one piece of criticism has stuck in your mind and was it justified?
mmm, no, not really. Cause I was using a sampler live on stage some people that doesnt really understand how my music is made used to say that I just pressed play and stood there on stage singing and playing percussion for 45 minutes. Kinda like Carlinhos Brown. I dont blame them at all for that and it actually sounds like a good thing to do to me.

What one thing has caused you to waste your free time in the past 6 months?
E-mail interviews!! haha I’m sorry. I actually enjoy it. I think youtube. Random search for van der graff generator videos in the internet.

If you weren’t making music, what do you think you’d be doing?
Hard one! I think I’d be making music anyway if it wasn’t my job. I used to do it when I wrote short stories to pay my rent.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
I spend a whole day selling roses at Sant Jordi, it’s a typical tradition in Catalunya where boys give girls roses and girls buy books to the guys. I sold literally like 30 roses in 20 hours. I thought I was in a good spot actually. I don’t know why but it all went wrong.

We’d like you to make us a mix-tape. Pick five tracks with a theme of your choice.
Relaxing in space: Sid Bass – Chant of the Jungle / Marty Gold – Ballerina / Jimmie Haskell – Starlight / Attilo Mineo – Century 21 / Russ García – Monsters of Jupiter

El Guincho on Myspace