The band of Minnesota, which has been working with slow tempos and particular arrangements for two decades, presents its latest album, "Double Negative" in Madrid
"Music is an effort to communicate, to reach the other. It is an act of love. If you can move, even if it is only one person, you have done your job well." You will find few definitions so accurate of art more intangible than that of Alan Sparhawk (Seattle, Washington, 1969), guitarist and voice of Low , a prodigy of sensitivity that has captivated critics for 20 years. Together with his partner, the drummer and also vocalist Mimi Parker (they met when they were nine!), The trio, which since 2008 is completed with bassist Steve Garrington , has been working an impeccable career. His style is halfway to the cathedral slowcore , the expansive post rock and the dream pop of glorious and minimalist vocal harmonies. On August 27 they return to the capital within the cycle of Los Veranos de la Villa (for which they have paraded Xoel López and Joan As Police Woman, among others), which conclude on Sunday, September 1. It is, in short, a mandatory appointment to know them a little more.
This year, in addition, marks the 250th anniversary - now that almost everything 25 years ago, yes - of its debut, I Could Live In Hope (1994). "I always believed that music was nothing more than a dream, something I could enjoy without worrying about whether I was going to make a living with it or not. When we started with Low we were all in our twenties and dedicated ourselves to other things, so no we thought about the future », he recalls by phone Sparhawk from the garden of his house in Duluth (Minnesota). And he continues:" I have always believed that it is better to focus on what you have right in front of you instead of planning for the long term and having big dreams. , because reality is usually very different from what you expect. You are going to find unexpected turns and you have to be flexible , instead of being tied to what you think should be happening to you, "adds the musician, who points out The Wall (1979), by the British Pink Floyd, as the record that changed his life: "When I heard it, I was 11 or 12 years old and it was the first time I felt that music spoke directly to me" ».
Duluth, the birth city of Bob Dylan - who placed that point years ago as a pilgrimage site for hardened music lovers - has been the center of operations of the trio since its inception. "We love living here," he says, and clarifies: " We are a bit weird and being around us is simpler than in the big city , in New York. But sometimes I think what would have happened if we had moved to Los Angeles. , with the opportunities it offers ... Maybe we would have in our repertoire a handful of soundtracks. " In addition, the singer reflects without pointing out what the direction of Low could be: "I suppose that is what the groups do when they get older, finding their space in the cinema and in other artistic projects."
Implosive Harmonies
In this new show they will present again in Madrid (they already did it in October) their twelfth elepte, Double Negative (2018), an experimental and noisy turn with respect to Ones And Sixes (2015), an album of recognized pop trends . "We wanted to surprise ourselves and reach places where we had never been before," he says. I'm pretty good at starting songs and finishing them. I know when an idea is interesting and I know when a topic is finished. But what happens in the middle still seems very confusing. The best thing is that Mimi is great working at that central stage ». The record, which was recorded during the last US election campaign, is a reflection of the global mood. "It is our reflection about what is happening on the planet," he explains. It leaves no doubt, then, why its title is due. Or, put another way, the length explains how to react to a chaotic world defending itself with something even more anarchic. "The current situation is very discouraging. We want to believe that people are good, that everything will be solved, that the truth will prevail and that we will be able to curb the wicked. But, when you realize that your hopes have been trampled on again, it is a big disappointment. It's frustrating, you feel very alone in the universe. " At least, he will always have Low. And, logically, us too.
Data of interest:
What: Low. When: Tuesday 27, at 9 p.m. Where: Quinta de Torre Arias Park (Alcalá, 551). How much: Free.
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