This week, we asked the talented Mexican artist Van House to tell us about some of his musical inspirations. You may also know him as the curator of the Raw Violence compilation, or have already come across his barber beats artist interviews in the Beyond Beats series. We’re really grateful he took the time to share a few of the albums that shaped his taste and creative vision.
As always these records are making their way into the Dungeon !
- 痛みの永遠 by Macroblanck
To be honest, this was my first direct encounter with the world of barber beats. I thought making
music was simply about taking what’s already been done and just changing it a little, but no.It’s
not just about having a drink and that’s it; you always try to make it feel truly yours. In addition
to that, I firmly believe that this album is one of those that, so to speak, paved the way for what
we do to be more visible and for people to see that we don’t just sample the work of others. This
opened the door for many to come up with original ideas.
The album grabs you from minute 1 and starts with the track ステップバイステップ off with a
rather comforting, playful and somewhat seductive track. This doesn’t change the album’s
premise, which is also quite subjective if we analyze it, since we always go from more to less,
from strong and lively rhythms to the most intimate and seductive.
This album, as I already said, is seductive; it plays with our emotions and with rhythms, starting
from classic bossa nova (ゆっくり苦しむ)Even the most seductive things, like the line that says
“quiero sentir tu cuerpo” This was accompanied by that seductive, feminine voice, as if she were
speaking into our ear (どこにも⾏かない). What is beyond doubt is Macroblanck’s great ability to
draw us into his game and tell us if pain is a constant but there is also pleasure. - 故障 by Rixoy
What captivates me about this album is both the cover and the music, the vaporwave aesthetic
and the future that never was, the analog nostalgia, the dreams we always had and the
synthesizer sounds.
The album is quite solid, starting with 故障 making us feel in an empty environment, as if we
were walking through nostalgia, this achieved with the great mastery of the synthesizers.
Another key piece that we need to fully understand the album is the track 流⾏ Beginning with a
kind of xylophone that feels almost as if the crystals are singing to us, the drum sounds envelop
us and the slow sounds give us the jolt of nostalgia. The album closes with 終わり that
characteristic sound It reminds us of the nights we used to stay awake imagining the future;
personally, I imagined myself in a Ford Anglia cruising through Los Angeles at night. - ⽬的論的解釋 by Quantum Dreams
In my opinion, a classic that you should listen to because of the rhythms handled by one of my
best friends in this field.
⽬的論的解釋 This is the track that most defines or shapes the album; it gives us an introduction
without being overwhelming, without too many detours; it’s clear, it’s immersive, but above all
it’s catchy, which also prevents it from being too repetitive.Which is something refreshing, since
we’re used to looping rhythms without many changes.旋臂內的塵帶 It blends that simplicity with
lo-fi rhythms with slightly more upbeat jungle rhythms, and the interplay with the vocals is
simply amazing; the enveloping piano adds an extra layer.形態標準 It gives us a slightly rawer
glimpse of the album; the combination of the drums with the light piano gives us a new and
refreshing vision of what the album is about. It doesn’t give us something obvious, it gives us a
experience Specifically, to let ourselves be carried away by the sounds, a little by the chaos but
also by the calm. 薩羅星 Although it’s not the album’s closing track, it gives us another clear
perspective on the album; the enveloping rhythms are still present, yes, but now they are
clearer, as if nostalgia were seeping. - 侍 by Dirty River
I have to admit that this album, along with three others, were responsible for me making raw
Violence.
The album starts strong with the track 痛 which transports us to what I would call a temple or
perhaps just a journey, we begin with the drums and the sound of the garlands, followed by the
enveloping song of the Sounds from the Middle East. 劇 In that track, River’s ability to create
such immersive soundscapes is very clear; I would say it’s one of his trademarks, Related to that,
the way this track aligns with that soundscape creates that sense of calm; I would say it’s
comforting with tracks like 史 is a fairly calm track that, with the use of vocals, takes it to another
level of cohesion, being even more concise with the album’s theme, those Middle Eastern
sounds. - Forbidden fruit by Monodrone
A chaotic journey that takes us from the sounds of classic jazz to Bossa Nova, Going through the
rap beats.Without a doubt, this album is one of the most memorable pieces of the genre and
one that truly defines what barber beats are.
Sounding fountain with Somewhere in the dark and that clarinet, And we see what I was saying
at the beginning: this isn’t just about copying and pasting, slowing down the tempo, it’s about
adapting it to your taste to create something new. We go from upbeat jazz to something more
mysterious,Something that captivates us from the very first moment. Grime on the wall (Astral
projection by el jazzy chavo) It shows that even the most chaotic things, like the beats we usually
rhyme over, can be molded to create works like the one monodrone makes. She gets me, The
tempo handling is impressive, and once again we see how he doesn’t just limit himself to
removing all the vocals from the original sample, leaving us with this wonderful piece. This album
is definitely one of the best I’ve ever heard and has been one of the most influential in the
community to create their own albums.
Thanks again to Van House for the contribution, and see you soon for more musical discoveries !
Follow Van house : https://linktr.ee/Van_Houe
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