Playlist: Pablo Garcia

What’s the best music video you’ve seen recently and why?

I find both the visuals and the music incredibly hypnotic, colourful and original, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like Oneohtrix Point Never - D.I.S.

Also I feel pretty enthusiastic about this project (his album Tranquilizer) in general because in Madrid we were lucky enough to be the first people on Earth to listen to most of these tracks and see some of the incredible visuals during his show a couple of weeks before the record’s official release date.

But aside from the personal connection, I just think it is an incredibly complex, beautiful piece of work, plus it couldn’t fit the music any better. It also reminds me of this video game that I really want to play whenever I get the chance called Animal Well, but way more intricate and visually charged.

What’s the first music video you remember being impressed by?

Radiohead - Just really shocked me the first time I watched it. It’s a super enigmatic video and I remember spending so much time as a kid trying to find info on what on earth did the character laying down on the street tell the rest of the people. I think now I find it even more satisfying to not really have a specific answer for this as it makes it much more mysterious.

But really the whole thing is captivating; the actors, the way it’s shot, the dialogue, the build-up… It’s fantastic.

And what’s your all-time favourite music video?

Probably not the most artistic, technical or beautiful achievement ever but when I think of music videos I love Kirin J Callinan - Big Enough always comes to mind. The Jimmy Barnes’ reveal is now a super famous meme but I think the whole thing is hilarious, the acting is great, the tackiness fits the song so well, the locations, the charisma… etc

I think he is, in general, such an underrated artist, probably because of these themes and sounds he explores, which are never 100% serious, and people usually like their music a bit less self-aware. But underneath all the silliness there is an incredible guitar player, producer and songwriter.

What other directors/artists do you look to for inspiration?

It would really depend on the project I’m working on, but if I need to put my head in a good place for creativity and make some mental space I like diving into random albums that I’ve ended up stumbling upon in YouTube or Bandcamp, usually ambient-oriented music. 

For example, lately I’ve been listening to the last Ichiko Aoba record or Nekkuja by Marina Herlop, one of my favourite Spanish artists at the moment. Both sound super expansive, atmospheric and moody. Ideal to have a cup of your preferred beverage and relax for a second while listening before getting to work in anything creative.

What are you listening to at the moment?

I recently discovered this guy called Adam Bosarge, who has released quite a few albums right now and I think his music is fascinating. He does this super dense and layered mix between electronic music, pop, and neo-classical, but in a way that doesn’t feel tacky or forced at all. It’s super organic and lush. His album Structures Without Rooms may be my favourite as of right now, but I’m honestly just discovering his music.

I’ve also been listening to a lot of Mastodon this year, ever since Brent Hinds died, since he was one of my favourite guitar players. They have released some of my favourite metal records ever and even if it’s a genre that I don’t listen to as much as I used to, it’s been nice to remember how good they are.

What’s your favourite bit of tech, whether for professional or personal use?

I don’t know if it’s because it’s the latest expensive piece of gear I bought, but I’ve been using the S-4 sampler by Torso Electronics a lot and it’s definitely one of the most forward-thinking and straight up fun things I own. Being able to record, let's say, my dog barking, and turn it into

a beautiful soundscape all inside this machine in a matter of minutes is awesome, plus I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of what it can really do. I’m so excited to dig in and use it in more projects.

What artist(s) would you most like to work with and why?

Right now I’d say the man of the moment is Cameron Winter. His minimalistic approach to songwriting, specially in his solo stuff, fits very well with a lot of the music I’ve been making lately, specifically in one of my projects, Interior Decorator, which is also kind of DIY singer-songwriter Americana/indie rock.

But most of all I would love to collaborate with Robert Fripp, or even just have a coffee with him. He’s probably my biggest musical hero, not only for the incredible music he was involved in, but also for his approach to the industry in general. But honestly I think he’s probably way past recording new music at this point.