{"id":118610,"date":"2023-07-06T13:00:24","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T18:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/?p=118610"},"modified":"2023-07-06T14:20:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T19:20:02","slug":"interview-nostalghia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/interview-nostalghia\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Nostalghia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I\u2019ve been a fan of Nostalghia<\/strong><\/a> since <\/span>Olvido <\/span><\/i>came out in March 2022 (which is now half his discography ago). I had the pleasure of being able to interview Alex Becerra, the man behind the project, in anticipation of his upcoming eighth album.<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you get into black metal or heavy metal in general?<\/p>\n

<\/b>First of all, thank you very <\/span>much for the opportunity to have this interview with you.<\/span> I got into black metal when I was in middle school. I was beginning to play the drums and I remember feeling fascinated by techniques such as the blast beat and those really fast double bass sections. I began listening to extreme metal more often as a way to study these techniques and get better at the drums, and later I started to appreciate other musical elements as well. Interestingly, black metal was the first metal subgenre I ever listened to, so I only got into other less heavy bands a few years later.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the metal scene like in Mexico? Where do you see it going? Are there any changes that you\u2019re currently seeing? Are there any underground local (or local-ish) bands that you\u2019d recommend?<\/p>\n

<\/b>It’s hard for me to describe the state of the metal scene in Mexico since I haven’t had time lately to get into new local bands or attend events. But the truth is I have noticed a lot of interest in metal in the last few years, and I’ve also received lots of support from the Mexican metal community. I think things are changing for the better regarding Mexican metal music, as I’ve been noticing a more ambitious and less traditional sound, which also means more room for creativity and experimentation. There have been very talented and prolific Mexican artists, such as the music of Victoria Camilla Hazemaze, also known as AIAA Music. She’s participated in several projects ranging from atmospheric black metal to shoegaze, and it’s totally worth having a listen.<\/span><\/p>\n

You write, record, and mix all of the instruments yourself. What instrument was the hardest to learn? Which one is the hardest to record?<\/b><\/p>\n

The most difficult instrument for me to learn was definitely vocals, especially clean vocals. I’ve never considered myself much of a singer, so I always have to record several takes until I get exactly what I want. I do think I’m getting better, but it’s still quite the struggle for me to get it right. Recording anything acoustic is difficult as well, mainly for the quiet sections. My biggest issue is I don’t live in a very quiet place, and I don’t have a soundproof studio or anything like that, so there’s always a chance a motorbike will pass by, a dog will start barking outside or someone will do loud construction work right next to my room. I’m not even kidding. I always have to do it at the right time, or else I’ll get unwanted noise in the recordings.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been extremely prolific since Nostalghia\u2019s debut in 2020. Do you see music more as work or as a hobby?<\/p>\n

<\/b>I wouldn’t categorize my music as either work or hobby. It’s not just something I do to relax or have fun… it’s more of an unstoppable emotional force. That’s the main reason I release so many records in such a short time span: it’s a sort of itch that will drive me insane if I don’t do something about it. Even before Nostalghia, I was releasing three to four albums a year from different projects, but Nostalghia happened to appeal to more people than I ever imagined, which also helped me continue working on it. Money helps, of course, because it allows me to focus more on the music; but even if I went broke, I’d keep releasing albums. This is also why my music has always been “name your price” on Bandcamp.<\/span><\/p>\n

How has your sound evolved since the beginning?\u00a0 How is it evolving with your new album?<\/p>\n

<\/b>Nostalghia’s music has evolved a lot since my first release. I think I have become a better composer, but mostly a better producer and sound engineer. The sound has become more nitid with every album, and the music has become richer with different genres, instruments and structures. I’ve always intended to make every Nostalghia album different from one another, and I plan to keep it that way. The upcoming album, <\/span>Duelo<\/span><\/i>, is probably the heaviest, darkest album in the whole discography, and there’s an unprecedented vocal style for the project which rings closer to my emotional state at the moment. Above all else, <\/span>Duelo <\/span><\/i>is my most honest and personal album.<\/span><\/p>\n