Hi! Can you tell us about the concept behind your album “Tales From New Babel”? What inspired the story of siblings Suzan and Alan May and their fight for the rights of the people of New Babel?
A: Tales from New Babel is a conceptual album that follows the story of our previous record Requiem for Atlas City. In our new LP, it explains the story of the birth of a new empire (New Babel), on the ashes of Atlas City, which oppresses the less privileged classes. It is in this context that our protagonists, siblings Suzan and Alan May, along with the young Arkady, start their journey leading the opposition groups that confront the regime.
The truth is that the story of New Babel is a reflection of current society, in which there are great inequalities and injustices. Despite the context of science fiction, the main inspiration stems from an intention to denounce and reflect on the world we build every day.”
How did you manage to flesh out the narrative of “Tales From New Babel” through your music? Can you share the process behind this?
A: The main tool is the lyrics themselves, as they allow us to unravel aspects of the plot and the characters in a poetic way with creative freedom. However, we usually start by working on the structure of the song and the melodies. Once the idea becomes clear, Guillem then works on the lyrics so that they serve as a common thread of the story.”
You’ve created music videos for six of the tracks on the album. How do these videos help to illustrate and complement the sci-fi story of the album?
A: Today, conveying such a complex story through music alone is very difficult. Visual support is necessary to help shape the plot as well as the created universe. We have worked on these videos with the producer Cacau, and they are indeed spectacular, practically a mini science fiction series. In fact, we are so happy with the result that we are thinking of making a movie using the generated material, effectively concluding the project.”
In addition to the album, you’ve also released a 6-episode podcast series. Can you tell us more about this and how it ties into the album?
A: This was an idea of Ventilador Music, the record label, as they had seen the potential of this whole story and proposed to develop it in more detail. We embarked on a project where the label hired two scriptwriters. Together, we worked to deepen the characters and create a richer universe, always respecting the framework of the album.
Your music style is described as a mix of alternative rock, indie rock, electronica, and psychedelic rock. How have you seen your style evolve since your emergence in 2016?
A: In our beginnings, our style had more of a garage band feel, as we spent many hours jamming together until dawn. Now, working more on Logic software projects, our music has refined a bit and, in some cases, includes a more electronic component. Our productions have become more complex in terms of arrangements, while still embracing our roots and psychedelic character.
The album “Tales From New Babel” is described as impossible to put in a box, packed full of surprises, and filled with emotional depth. How did you approach creating such a distinctive and exciting body of work?
A: It’s a group effort. Musically, we usually start with ideas from Adrià or Guillem, which are then refined with contributions from the rest. We allow the songs to naturally evolve and then work on interconnecting them. In terms of the story and