Raised on rhythms of the Argentinian backwoods, Matias Zundel, aka Lagartijeando, dips his dance tracks in country-folk gold where chacareras, huaynos, and vidalas two-step with jungle and electronica. Guttural chants, charango, guitar, and loops are the backbone of the style that defines Lagartijeando. Songs that could be traditional, but with sonic engineering coming from the future, Lagartijeando refines his songs in an ideal state for the dance floors, where he unfolds like a shaman under a sky covered with a storm of stars.
Arriving two years after his last full-length effort ‘Jallalla’, Lagartijeando once again returns to Wonderwheel with an expansive new album, ‘La Tercera Vision’. A maturation of his sound, the LP sees the Argentinian wade into uncharted, if sonically familiar waters, bridging his Andean-inspired electronic-folk with psychedelic ambiance, West African instrumentation, and even a few moments of pop melodies. The beauty of his work is its ability to marry seemingly unrelated styles and sounds to something seamless and wholly original.
We caught up with Lagartijeando to learn more about the release of ‘La Tercera Vision’, how the record was made, his personal evolution in the studio, and much more.
Electronic Groove: Hi Mati! Welcome! We are excited to have you down with us for a chat. How have you been doing? What’s Argentina looking like at the moment?
Lagartijeando: It is a pleasure to be with you again, always very grateful for the space you give me. It is looking very well, almost returning to pre-pandemic life. Here in Argentina the number of infections and deaths have been low for a while now.
Electronic Groove: So, you’ve got some big news with ‘La Tercera Vision’ coming up! Congratulations! How excited are you?
Lagartijeando: Thank you so much. I am very excited to be able to share these songs with you.
Electronic Groove: What will we find on ‘La Tercera Vision’? What is the fuel behind this new record? Is there a concept tying it all together?
Lagartijeando: This album was different. I began composing the first songs in 2019 after having traveled a lot. Among the places that I walked through in North Africa were Morocco and Egypt. There you can feel the beat of the music and that amazed me, so it gave me several ideas to add to the new musical cocktail.
At the beginning of 2020, I was already playing several songs in live shows such as ‘Sideral Cumbia’, ‘El Uno’, ‘Cumbia De La Muerte’, or ‘Mano De Fatima’, and I really felt that the concept was beginning to appear; danceable songs with an orientation to different styles of cumbia (onideras, duberas, huyano, folkloric, cantina, etc) mixed with electronics.
When the pandemic hit, everything changed, I had plenty of free time so I sat down to compose (which is the musical stage that I enjoy the most), and explore music more in-depth. In addition to making the songs, I tried mixing them in different ways or making several alternative versions of the songs.
Then it happened, I got bored of the concept idea that I had for the album (electronic cumbia). I began to try other genres, such as trap from the sacred mountain or Brazilian rhythms like onda and magaleña. In the end, the album ended up being a mixed salad of different styles.
Electronic Groove: And music-wise? What kind of color palette can we expect?
Lagartijeando: I think it is an album with rather active energy. Many of the songs were designed to be danced to. It also has some more dark themes, but not too deeply dark. There are bright and radiant themes. Each song has its climax where the situations, colors, and emotions change.
“What started as a co-working relationship turned into late nights, afterparties, and later turned into full-form collaboration on a new creative project”
Electronic Groove: We know there are some collaborations on ‘La Tercera Vision’. What was the process of collaboration through the pandemic like? What do you seek out when collaborating with another artist?
Lagartijeando: I love collaborating with other artists, I feel that art is enhanced when you create in collaboration. The artists who participated were Tagua Tagua, Eva De Marce, Sarja, Javier Arce, KHALIL, Mounji, and Bachan Kaur. It’s very funny because I don’t know any of them, only their music. We met online so I sent the musical ideas and they sent the vocals and that’s how the songs were made. It really was very simple and intuitive. Lately, I believe a lot in the simplicity of music and in the fluidity of creating simple and without much thought. Emotion is the most important thing.
Electronic Groove: It’s been almost two full years since the release of ‘Jallalla’, your last full-length album. In which ways have you grown? How is ‘La Tercera Vision’ different?
Lagartijeando: I think the big change was due to the composition style. First, I tried to imagine the songs in my head (in the Beethoven style) and then to sit down to compose them with a direction. I also feel that I began to respect the silence and use fewer instruments and fewer layers.
Regarding the development of the album in ‘Jallalla’, I see it as being more theatrical because it has different climates that are well marked. On this album, I tried to maintain a constant groove, that’s why it’s more danceable. The mother bpm is 90-92 bpm, which for many songs, is a typical characteristic of electronic DJs.
Electronic Groove: What’s your creative process in the studio like at the moment? Did you pick up any new gear or hardware specially for the album sessions?
Lagartijeando: Whenever I start a new album I try to update my programs, my samples, my recordings so that the sounds I use to create the songs are not repeated. Also incorporating real synths like the Minilogue XD, Model D, and Ableton Push 2 was a great help. I also bought an electric guitar and a ronroco to have other strings sounds
Electronic Groove: Have you’ve got any plans in the works to present ‘La Tercera Vision’ in a live format?
Lagartijeando: Putting together a band is complicated for me. I live in a small town and the musical environment here almost does not exist. Here there is pure gaucho. Also, I have a more withdrawn personality and it is not my nature to expose myself. So I really enjoy being a DJ more than having a band, I feel that the DJ is not so much the center of attention, as dancing and sound take center stage. In my live shows I incorporate Andean instruments and singing so that I also have a bit of surprise.
“First, I tried to imagine the songs in my head (in the Beethoven style) and then to sit down to compose them with a direction. I also feel that I began to respect the silence and use fewer instruments and fewer layers”
Electronic Groove: What else is there for Lagartijeando? What new milestones are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Lagartijeando: At the end of December I will be in Mexico until the end of February. I have a lot of new music ready to release. In January a new EP will come out with the singer Bachan Kaur, and then I have a new album on the way 🙂 Music non-stop!
Electronic Groove: Thank you for your time Mati! We wish you all the best for the future!
Lagartijeando: Thank you very much for being there and always supporting me. Sending you a big hug!
Lagartijeando’s ‘La Tercera Vision’ is out now via Wonderwheel Recordings. Purchase your copy here.
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