Madrid Singer/songwriter Mauricio Yrivarren –A.K.A. Binary Drift
Madrid Singer/songwriter Mauricio Yrivarren –A.K.A. Binary Drift- releases the Indie Pop single “Velvet Hearts” on all streaming platforms on February 11th, it is the second single from Binary Drift’s second album “Mortido”.
About
Mauricio was heavily influenced by the UK ‘Britpop’ sound, and you can hear this coming through in his releases.
“Velvet Hearts is undoubtedly a Britpop song. Written on a sunny afternoon, this is the song that Liam wished Noel had written and Noel wishes Liam would sing. I got into playing music in my early teens (mid-90s) and I was heavy into Oasis who ruled the airwaves then and have been a major influence ever since. I hadn’t played my first guitar, passed down from my uncle, in a long time, and when I got it out of its case all these memories of getting together with friends as a teenager and trying to figure out chords and melodies came back to me. I wanted to capture those memories in writing. “Velvet Hearts” is about the power of friendship and the importance of staying true to oneself”. - Mauricio
When presented to producer Josemi Sánchez, he and Mauricio agreed that a palette of ‘classic’ rock sounds and tones would best suit “Velvet Hearts”. Opening with grand piano, the other instruments (guitar, bass, drums, and of course tambourine), gradually make their way into the song, leading to the exquisite first chorus. Josemi and Mauricio have given “Velvet Hearts” a classic feel and have tried to capture the spirit of classic writers like Lennon and McCartney.
About your early inspiration....?
As a kid I recall I was an occasional listener of music. My uncle had posters of Kiss all over his wall and I remember those really caught my attention. I could name a few of their songs, but I would think of them more as super heroes than musicians. The artwork for both Dr. Feelgood (Mötley Crüe) and Appetite for Destruction (Guns N' Roses), and the video for “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode also caught my eye at a young age. They stood out as powerful imagery to me. I guess that early on I had a connection with music based on visuals.
When I was in my teens I saw a video of “Tomorrow” by Silverchair. They were only a few years older than me and not only did I like their song, they inspired me to pick up a guitar and start a band. The Silverchair moment made me appreciate music and feel a connection to it. The Verve, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins, and Kula Shaker soon entered my world. Interestingly, I went back and listened to Dr. Feelgood and Appetite for Destruction, and realized that the music was as powerful as the artwork. The first artist whose music and visuals (or vice versa) impacted me equally was Marilyn Manson. I froze the first time I watched “The Beautiful People”.
It’s been a journey…what inspires me now? Visuals and the emotions they convey.
Where's home?
I’m from the Ciudad de los Reyes a.k.a. Lima – Peru, the 2nd largest city build in a desert after Cairo, and the world’s only city to have grey skies and 100% humidity all year round. No UFO sightings there ever…After many years in the US, I’ve made Madrid my home for the past 11 years. It’s not nearly has humid over here, there are no UFOs either.
As a kid I recall I was an occasional listener of music. My uncle had posters of Kiss all over his wall and I remember those really caught my attention. I could name a few of their songs, but I would think of them more as super heroes than musicians. The artwork for both Dr. Feelgood (Mötley Crüe) and Appetite for Destruction (Guns N' Roses), and the video for “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode also caught my eye at a young age. They stood out as powerful imagery to me. I guess that early on I had a connection with music based on visuals.
When I was in my teens I saw a video of “Tomorrow” by Silverchair. They were only a few years older than me and not only did I like their song, they inspired me to pick up a guitar and start a band. The Silverchair moment made me appreciate music and feel a connection to it. The Verve, Oasis, Smashing Pumpkins, and Kula Shaker soon entered my world. Interestingly, I went back and listened to Dr. Feelgood and Appetite for Destruction, and realized that the music was as powerful as the artwork. The first artist whose music and visuals (or vice versa) impacted me equally was Marilyn Manson. I froze the first time I watched “The Beautiful People”.
It’s been a journey…what inspires me now? Visuals and the emotions they convey.
Where's home?
I’m from the Ciudad de los Reyes a.k.a. Lima – Peru, the 2nd largest city build in a desert after Cairo, and the world’s only city to have grey skies and 100% humidity all year round. No UFO sightings there ever…After many years in the US, I’ve made Madrid my home for the past 11 years. It’s not nearly has humid over here, there are no UFOs either.
Did you get creative during lockdown?
I did. I admit that the lockdown didn’t really affect me in the sense that I have experienced long periods of solitude while writing or recording. Time can fly as I go through a new library of sounds and synths, or as I try out new guitar chords. In a way the mandatory lockdown made me turn to music even more, and yes it sparked a long creative phase where I managed to write the majority of my second album “Mortido” and some of the songs of its intended follow-up. In hindsight, it was the absence of everyday life and its distractions that resulted the writing in a handful of songs, and being able to read a number of books that I had on my shelf for some time. Perhaps it’s hard to understand, but my conclusion is that creativity and alone time go together. I too add that this solitude ignited creativity ‘around’ music. For instance, during this time I came up with concept for the pictures that accompany “Mortido”. I began to read about photography techniques, the science around colors, and the meaning behind different color combinations. For me it was the discovery of something completely new, and I approached it with a child-like energy, the kind capable of blocking prejudice. I then came up with multiple sketches for each of the tracks for “Mortido” relying on a black and yellow color palette and using the golden ration as a composition tool. These were presented to photographer Luis Grajera who in turn got back to me with suggestions, and who very wisely translated my ideas into the final set of pictures. There is more…I also got to study the trends for releasing music in the digital age, and after reading many books and interviews, and listening to plenty of podcasts on the subject I settled on releasing singles steadily as opposed to a full album. That is an art form (Episteme if you may) in itself, believe me.
|
|
Do you get hands on producing is production part of...?
For me, the writing process goes beyond figuring out the chords, melody and words, it involves finding the right guitar tone and working out a song’s overall treatment as well. I took on the role of co-producer for songs that make up “Mortido”, and it was a gratifying experience. I thank the producer I work with Josemi Sánchez for letting me explore production at a much closer level. Josemi produced my first album -2019’s “Pocket Tunes”- and he and I are on the same page 95% of the times in terms of sounds and direction. It turns out that for “Mortido” we both wanted to explore the use of drum machines, synth textures mixed with Spanish guitar while not forgetting classic elements such as grand piano. This is best exemplified by first single out of “Mortido” “Summer Breeze” and my most recent single “Velvet Hearts”. To answer your question, I’d say that production is important indeed. Moreover, it ought to serve the writing behind the song at all times. Take Robin Thicke’s “Wanna Love U Girl”. That song has very few elements, yet when combined they sound incredible. I’ve heard people call it a simple song, but I feel that its complexity lies in how well all parts sound together. On the other hand “Touch Me” by the Doors features a Vegas-style orchestra which takes the song to a different level. The Doors is a band that I always go to for references on the writing and the production. I feel all elements work in consonance in such a way that I hear what everyone is doing. “Break on through” is a great example of this. Everything from the opening bossa nova beat, to the bass being played on a Vox Continental making way for Jim’s thundering vocals, and Robby Krieger’s killer riffs fit perfectly in a 2:26 minute hand grenade. Paul A. Rothchild produced that one…what a genius. To answer your question for a 2ndtime, production is there to ensure that all instruments involved and the vocals (if any) find their proper place and/or their moment to make and entrance or exit. I am fond of “Velvet Hearts” because it starts out just with the piano and vocals and other instruments make their entrance at the right time, so I feel.
Playing live are you happy on stage?
Definitely! Happiness, more or less, It's just a change in me, something in my liberty. In the words of the prophetic Richard Ashcroft, I feel the happiest on stage. It’s a different kind of happiness though because through music you can bring joy in people. In a way playing live can fulfil what I understand as ultimate happiness, which is to make somebody else happy.
Bless you mate - best pauliepaul xx
share
|
|