As part of Static Discos and Indian Gold, Polo Vega is a man fond of remixes, has collaborated with people like Siete Catorce, and laces his tracks with rhythmic beats that sometimes resemble reggaeton. But at the heart of the music he makes as Trillones lies an abstract, noisy and melancholy vibe more often lumped in with shoegaze.
His recorded output, From The Trees To The Satellites and Naive Again, evokes dream worlds of sonic manipulation, often matched by videos that deepen the emotion with sepia-toned surrealism. While it’s not as clear-cut on his other projects, Trillones certainly gives nods to My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, the first ten years of the 4AD label, and (especially) Spacemen 3’s gentler moments.
On the eve of his set at Ceremonia festival, we asked Polo about his favorite projects – the ones that make him sigh a little harder and his ears buzz a little louder. He responded with four Mexican bands and one Spanish act.
CHILDS
Spelled like that, with capital letters. Paul Marrón, the brains behind this project, is a very reserved genius; if you’ve heard Yui, you know what I’m talking about. But even if you know who this guy is, you probably can’t imagine how huge their upcoming album is. I had the chance to listen to it because they sent it to me “under the table” and it sounds fucking amazing. Plus, their live act has an amazing full band that makes you feel full of joy throughout their whole set. If you let them, they can save your soul.
Vaya Futuro
Tijuana is the Baja little sister to my desert, Mexicali. This little sister has been stubbornly making shoegaze music for decades, and that stubbornness has allowed them to tune their ears, experiment with pedal effect and aesthetics, and generally birth bands like this one, which I consider something greater than the sum of its members. Vaya Futuro is the result of a generation of Tijuana shoegaze lovers that’s had a long road to getting the recognition it deserves.
Lorelle Meets The Obsolete
Their releases have all been amazing. They trap you, throw you into a whirlwind, mesmerize you, lose you, and confuse you in a sea of layers; but in the end, you find yourself sitting on the dock of a fine shore. Live they’re very hard, brutal even; the most obvious thing to say would be that I wish they could capture the intensity of their live show on their recordings. But naaah, I think it’s awesome that they can catch you off guard with the way they play in concert, even if you have high expectations coming in.
Hey Chica!
I can’t be objective here, I love them so much. There’s so much love between us because they’re just amazing people. I’ve had the chance to see them grow so much and take giant steps since I first met them and had the enormous pleasure of sharing the stage with them. They’ve just released a new EP titled Un Instante and it’s with great pride that I listen to the lovely [vocalists/guitarists] Kiwi and Jeka representing girl power in such a genuine way. In my opinion, they’re super underrated and deserve much more recognition than they’ve gotten so far. But it’s fine, time is wise and will place them accordingly.
Odio París
Hailing from Barcelona, they broke my heart when I listened to their eponymous album from 2011. I love it from start to finish; it picks up speed, and it fills you with nostalgia – a nostalgia that’s rich and makes you stretch your lips sideways, building a smile from remembering all those moments that existed [in your life]. You lived them and you were part of them, and [you realize] that better moments can happen. I have no idea if they made another album since this one, but I don’t care, I had to mention them on this list. “Iremos juntos / Al infierno / Al infierno iremos / juntos.”