Was there any obsession, fixed idea, or image that guided the creative process of the album, even if it is not evident to the listener?
We had the very internalized idea of recording the album live, adding vocals or elements, but that the take would be live. We also wanted to record on tape because it makes you work in a very concentrated way in playing and we really wanted this. I think it is something that the listener perceives and certainly we have lived intensely.
What was the process of deciding which songs would and wouldn't be part of the album?
Only two songs were left out, one because it didn't have lyrics, I couldn't find them, and the other one because I didn't like the lyrics very much. So I guess the lyrics are an important factor in deciding which songs go on the album. Musically we have to like them too, but it's easier for us to work on a song if the lyrics are right.
What changed in the way of writing, recording, or producing on this album compared to previous recordings?
Basically the time, we have had a break of three years without live performances and four years since the last recording and this has served to get into a thousand other stories that have undoubtedly fed the band. I particularly have given myself more time to make songs and it's something I haven't done since my first albums. When we decided to record together it also pushed us to work with a producer and engineer and this is a very strong change in relation to the other albums, since we were very involved in the sound. On this album we have focused more on playing and listening.
Were there any songs that were particularly difficult to finish or let go of? Why?
A couple. “Ni rei ni Déu ni patria” I don't know why we struggled a lot in rehearsals, I had many doubts with the song, with the lyrics... but it had something that made it special and we didn't want to abandon it. Fortunately, when we recorded it, Luke saw clearly some changes in the structure that were part of the solution, he also changed the vocal melody a little bit and it gained a lot. At the same time Paco Loco (engineer) gave it a very thick room sound and it is now one of my favorite songs on the album. Something similar happened with “El misteri de la mort”, it had a much calmer vibe without drums and it didn't convince us either, Luke Temple (producer) visualized it in a much more punk style and now we love it too!
What role did intuition and error play during the process?
Being recorded live and on tape, the error has had a crucial weight on this album! It's there all the time but in its most sentimental form, in the end what we were looking for in this album is for each song to have an emotion, and this always ends up outweighing the error. We prefer a take with musical or technical errors, than a take without emotion. Luke and Paco's intuition was also very important, we needed a push and they gave us the right one!
Was the order of the songs intended as a narrative? How was the order decided?
More than a narrative I thought of it as a good journey, I like to think of the order taking into account the sides of the vinyl. And I had clear how to finish the first side and the second, from there I was trying and moving pieces until all the songs took their perfect place.
A key name in the Catalan music scene of the last decade. With a unique and uncomplacent discourse, always in a constant search for change, the quartet has starred in marathon tours and chained a series of landmark albums such as “Por què es grillen les patates?” or “N.S.C.A.L.H.”