Toundra
"Music Is About Freedom"
The Spanish post-rock band Toundra has set a German silent movie classic to music with their new album "Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari". This made me curious, so I asked guitarist Esteban for an Interview.
Due to the confusion around Corona, everything was postponed for some time. Usually, the interview should have been taken place right after the April playlist as Toundra played an important role in it. But that doesn't matter. The only thing that counts is that everyone is feeling well. Today is the day and I'm proudly presenting you my conversation with Esteban.
In 2007 former members of the bands Nacen de las Cenizas and Ten Minute Man build the foundation for a new music project - Toundra was born.
In May 2008 the band released its Debut-EP (I). Meanwhile, there are six albums and Toundra enjoys great popularity - not only within the post-rock scene. After a few line-up changes in the beginning the band now consists of Esteban Girón (guitar), David López (guitar), Alex Pérez (drums), and Alberto Tocados (bass).
Anne: Hi! Thank you for taking the time for this interview! How are you doing at the moment? Unfortunately, Corona has muted the music scene. How did/do you deal with the situation? Did you plan any online events?
"We're not into online events"
ToundraEsteban: Hello. First of all, thanks for this interview, and sorry for the delay. As you mentioned, COVID-19 has changed all our particular world and we've been a little bit disconnected with all the things related to the band but the music. These are really hard times for everyone - especially if your work consists of making the people going together to a show. We have been writing new music and really disconnected to the press and other stuff not related directly with music and it's been really positive. We are not doing any online events as we see it not natural and we are not comfortable doing those kinds of things. Music is about just music, not about image, fashion, and social media.
Anne: Who had the idea for setting "Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari" to music? What is your connection with the movie?
Esteban: A promotor company from Madrid related to classic music films contacted us to do it. It was going to be just one show in Madrid in a big cinema. The process and the show were wonderful. Music came to us really easy and the people enjoyed the show. So we decided to do it again, recording an album and enjoy that moment. I have studied the film in college and the political message, the anti-fascist plot were really special for us and one of the most important reasons why we love that movie.
Anne: Your record is divided into acts. Did you analyze the individual parts of the movie when you were writing the songs?
"We know every part of the movie"
Esteban: We have seen this movie hundreds of times. We know every part of the film perfectly. We saw the film two or three times at home with our instruments. Alone. Trying to imagine what kind of music was perfect for every scene. After that, we did it in our practice room. It was difficult because it was something we had not done before. But it was easy as this film has enormous visual strength and it helped us to write music for it.
Anne: Your previous albums are numbered up (except the last one, "Vortex"). Why did you decide to do so? Do they belong together? What is the concept behind it?
Esteban: It was just a joke. We love Led Zeppelin and we wanted to do it as a tribute. But mainly it's just a joke. Actually, you can see the V of Vortex as "V".
Anne: Your origin is the hardcore scene of Madrid. How does it differ from the post-rock community in your eyes? Or are the transitions fluent?
"The scene is a Facebook event these days"
"Vortex" - ToundraEsteban: Those days were really good. Really funny. We were just kids organizing and going to shows. The music was really bad. Metalcore and emo days. Really funny. There were some good bands as Gone With The Pain (where Alex played the drums). A lot of music was terrifying. But those days were better than nowadays when everything is digitally connected. Now the scene is a Facebook event. I don't want to be part of it. So we knew each other during those days and after some years being just friends, we formed the band. There were some post-rock bands in that scene. Music is about freedom. There are no more rules than the rules you can see in a Pentagram.
Anne: In your music hard passages alternate with calm melodic parts. Would you say that this also describes your personality?
Esteban: Yes, we are bipolar.
Anne: You named your last album "Vortex" after the Vortex Club in Siegen. A German club and a German movie. Do you have a special relation to Germany or is it a coincidence?
"Germany is the best country to go on tour"
Esteban: We are all having a really good relationship with Germany as we always felt like home touring in Germany. Is the best country to go on a tour of the world and we love the people there. We love Germany.
Anne: I've read somewhere that you strictly exclude experiments with vocals, as other post-rock bands start them from time to time, in your band. Is that true? What is the reason for that?
Esteban: Never say never. We have done some experiments with vocals. Also, we have a side project called Exquirla with the flamenco singer Niño de Elche. We recorded covers with singers and I think we are working with some voices in the future.
Hardcore punk and flamenco
Anne: Sounds exciting! Flamenco, hardcore - your influences come from many different directions. Which bands have influenced you the most? Which artists fascinate you?
Esteban: Hm, I have to talk about the common bands that have influenced all of us. I think we love the classic bands like Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and all that shit. We love them and King Crimson too. We love the classical post-rock bands and some stoner and blues connections. Alberto and I have a hardcore punk past so we always mention Fugazi and those bands from the 80s and 90s.
Anne: Thanks a lot for this exciting interview! I am really looking forward to your tour in autumn! I will definitely be there on September 14th at Knust in Hamburg.
Esteban: Thanks a lot and see you in Hamburg!