10 Questions with Electrolibri

Electrosound Jazz Composer, Electrolibri is surrounded by the modernist artistic avant-garde atmosphere of Catalunya. He writes mainly electronic cello compositions as well as keyboards, and he produced the album Electrolibri in 2019. His photos were exhibited at ArtNumber 23 Gallery, London, in December 2020. He made the musical inauguration of the Girona Street Art Festival in September 2020, and played electronic cello in the category of New interpreter for the Classica Horta Guinardo Festival, in Barcelona in November 2021.

electrolibri.com | @electrolibri

ARTIST STATEMENT

Electrolibri is exploring surrealist photography through the Catalunya environment. He is very interested in electronic music creation, as an Electrosound Jazz Composer, and was part of the artistic residency Olot, in March 2021, for Art Digital Humanities.

INTERVIEW

You are a musician and composer. How did you choose music over other forms of art? What does it represent for you?

Well, I started playing classical cello when I was 8. My mother is a singer, so tunes are naturally very familiar! Anyway, any form of art is linked to each other; I now make photos and musical mapping with a friend. 

What is your personal aim as an artist?

My principal motivation as an artist is to develop creativity with different forms; here in Catalunya, there are a lot of connections between arts, and that stimulates a lot of new projects and thinking! I'm very interested in avant-garde style, especially electronic music, to create sound experiences with electronic cello.

Where do you get inspiration for your works? Do you take inspiration from fictional works, like literature, or do you look more at your everyday life?

From my daily work, I make a lot of improvisation with piano and cello, taking pictures from Catalunya. I focus more on daily life, but I like to experiment with thousands of sound effects during the night, creating innovative sequences and always writing a combination of sounds. I focus on melodic notes.  

What is your creative process like? And how did you evolve this way of working?

Well, my creative process is more continual playing with notes and effects, but the most important for me was the discovery of the electronic cello. That changed my vision of cello and certainly led me to new sound hemispheres while experimenting with materials for sound effects development. 

What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

About details, I pay attention to sound effect combinations because you can have a wow effect and suddenly it could disappear, so I write everything, not to forget it! For pictures and photos, I focus more on instant atmospheres, and then I make artistic changes later. I like to work in a sequence or process mode, but sometimes inspiration could change and decide everything! 

Is there a piece you consider a "breakthrough" in your career? 

I recommend the song Elegancia, which I made in 2019 - extract from the album Electrolibri, a piece made during the night with so many emotions, designing orchestra effects and electronic music, a great composition moment experimenting with amplification notes.

You released your first album in 2019, and you are about to publish a new one. Can you tell us more about the new album? What is the main concept, and how did you work on it? 

Yes, for sure, the new album Piramidal will be released at the end of 2023. The concept is experimental and alternative music with electronic cello, piano, and keyboards.
Few singles are already available on musical platforms. The concept is to develop sound effects as well as electronic cello melodies.
As an Electrosound Jazz Composer, I try different styles and instruments for that album release. My daily work gave melodies throughout the year, then studio arrangements for mastering. But this year, I'm trying to develop Ableton practice to get wider sound possibilities when mixing and composing.

How are you going to promote the new album? Are you presenting it live anywhere? 

The album will be available on digital platforms and radio, currently in progress. I hope to be able to play music for Al-Tiba9 Gallery with pleasure! 

And lastly, what advice would you give to an emerging artist who would like to follow a path like yours?

If I have some advice, create with passion, feel free to follow your dreams, never give up, answer open calls, find your own style and your creative advantage, and remember that a little drop could generate an ocean flow! It is always possible!  

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.