ON MUSIC AS A GROUNDING EXPERIENCE, With Guido Colzani & Magic Sandwich

Guido Colzani is an Argentinian musician, composer & sound designer. A Latin Grammy nominee with more than 15 years in the music industry. He co-founded the prestigious alternative band “Banda de Turistas” in 2007 and in 2019 became part of the alternative Latin music scene in New York and Buenos Aires.

As a performer, he plays with artists like Tall Juan, Juan Wauters, Adam & Alana Amram, Mary Vision, Breanna Barbara, Fransia, Las Sombras and Alfonso el Pintor. As Sound Designer he collaborated with brands like Hulu, L'Officiel, Andes Origen and with Japanese animator Moi Yama and the Argentinian animator Dante Zabala. During 2020 he developed a mental creation called “Magic Sandwich” which brings a new musical place where music, fantasy and humor coexist.

This snowy Brooklyn weekend we had the chance to talk about his new projects while wondering about “newness” and ways to stay healthy in this infected digital world.

“Here I ask myself: Robots were designed to do the work of men or vice versa?”. - Magic Sandwich

Music first! Yesterday you published a new song, "Robots". What can you tell us about it?

Yes! “Robots”, featuring the talented Fonso, is my latest song. In this new work I explore a robotic reality, the parallelism between obsolete old machines and new ones that are constantly updated. As if old technology was friendly for humans and innovations become toxic and phagocytes the human brain. Here I ask myself: Robots were designed to do the work of men or vice versa?

The song was recorded between Buenos Aires and New York with the participation of musicians such as Aharon Emery and Evan Heinze. The cover art was designed by Maria Burundarena, she created a layered almost holographic image by mapping on structures designed from robotic silhouettes.

Robots by Magic Sandwich. Cover by Maria Burundarena.

What does it mean to be a multi-instrumentalist / music producer / sound designer explained for dummies?

A Multi-instrumentalist is someone who plays and connects with many musical instruments. When I was a kid I fell in love with drums. My family encouraged me to play piano and after this I met some friends who taught me how to play guitar because they were looking for a guitarist. Years later I realized that I have a big mental connection with the objects, the actual musical instruments, so I decided to experiment and learn as much as possible. When I was 10 years old I started to ask questions about compositions. How does a song become a song? How does an artist decide to repeat some verses many times? Why do some songs start with a whistle? Why is it easy to remember that melody? It’s magic! Well, sometimes not. A song could be born with a simple action, a phrase, sounds, a conversation, there are lots of things that you can do.

A music producer is in charge of communicating with these primal things and understanding what the story you want to tell. Songs have messages in the lyrics and in the music. The music producer helps send the message in the best way possible.

I discovered that the sound designer role is the addition of a multi-instrumentalist and a music producer. The purpose of a sound designer is to produce a sound landscape for a specific target. This could be a video game, a play, a brand campaign, an animation, most of the time music is coexisting with images or video. Songwriting tends to be more abstract in this type of work. You have to produce the music teaming up with the visual designer, something that I really enjoy.

What new projects are you working on this year?

During 2020, my alter ego Magic Sandwich was born. I used an algorithm inside my brain to design this mental creation as a way to express my ideas and feelings without being Guido Colzani.

When I first came to NYC I connected with many outstanding artists like Tall Juan and Juan Wauters and they encouraged me to materialize my solo music with percussive sampling instruments. I contacted friends like Aharon Emery from Paraguay, Evan Heinze in the States, Gio, Fonso and Tomas Putruele, from Argentina and in an adventurous process I released three singles “New Vida” with an English and Spanish version, “Save the Planeta” - an idealistic song about the end of the world - and “Questa Festa” - a disco night collaboration with Gio. I’m planning to release four more songs, a mental healing album, and an upbeat disco boogie album during this 2022.

I’ll also be touring as a member of Juan Wauters band for his tours in Europe and the US from 2022 to 2025. I’ll be collaborating with Tall Juan & Breanna Barbara in many live shows and recording sessions in the next upcoming years. I really recommend checking out their work, it’s terrific!

Could you describe your creative process and methodology in your workplace? Do you think that studying industrial design in Universidad de Buenos Aires created an impact in your professional approach?

I love to be on tour, and being on tour means moving all the time. Now, if for a specific project I need a big studio I rent it. My actual working space became more nomadic.

My creative process is not attached to a routine. I like to create things everywhere - on the street, in my room, at the bar, in the subway, at the park, and having dinner with my parents. Everyday has to be different. I know that I have to deliver my work in a professional way, but I like the challenge of doing it from anywhere.

My days as an Industrial Design student helped me understand the creative process while also learning about softwares, devices and machines. Everything that we come in contact with has been created by an Industrial Designer, the desk where we work, the chair you sit on, computers, pianos. Being an industrial designer means always being aware of what the possibilities are, being innovative, thinking outside the box. The professionalism I got from the music industry and the desire for innovation from my industrial design practice make me eager to work with old and new technologies, always thinking forward in the most effective way.

What new art + tech trends / instruments / do you find interesting?

At the moment, for my live solo shows I have a balanced set that goes from analog to digital. I combine percussive samplers with two analog pedals. I love bringing old and new technologies together, also having organic elements like tambourines and shakers.

I’m currently exploring NFTs and cryptoart as a new platform for expression. I’m developing music for video games and mental healing apps. Even though I like to be aware of new tech trends, I always come back to classical instruments for inspiration. The mix of both worlds lights up my brain.

“I think the pressure to produce, release and innovate with new songs has never been higher. This mindset is due to toxic behaviors from the music industry and the comparison we feel everyday from social media”. - Guido Colzani

In Galaxia 2000 we have been discussing tech, nature & sustainability, and how virtual spaces can be healthier. Do you think a balance is possible?

Balance is key. I believe in balance and I have to make an effort and take time to have it. Music for me has always been a very grounding experience, a way to release stress and express myself. Virtuality and especially social media can be overwhelming and anxiety inducing spaces. I try to use them as a window to the world in the healthiest way possible. I try to go for walks and get fresh air when I feel like I’m being sucked by screens.

Most of the records that I worked on - and that have won awards and press recognitions - were recorded around nature, inside studios located on farms and in the countryside. Many successful records had been recorded in contact with nature. It’s interesting to find Music Studios in EarthShips, music instruments powered by solar energy and native music instruments like the “Clave'' combined with more contemporary machines. Nature is always the biggest source of inspiration, there’s nothing better than two wood sticks to guide the rhythm.

I think the music industry has the challenge to become more sustainable and fair. We must work together to elevate the connection between planet earth and technology, teaching, learning, discussing, asking, talking and writing.

As creators we are expected to innovate constantly. Do you struggle with that? How do you find "newness"?

I think the pressure to produce, release and innovate with new songs has never been higher. This mindset is due to toxic behaviors from the music industry and the comparison we feel everyday from social media. This mindset can be very harmful for the quality of the final product. I believe that innovating and experimenting is a fundamental part of my practice, but I try not to become obsessed with the results.

This new era shows us that increasingly, we are running like rabbits trying to catch the carrot but just to catch it because we are not hungry. It’s hard to determine if we want to create something beautiful or just to be famous or even don’t lose what we have conquered. Some artists are goal oriented and others are not. I’m not here to judge, I’m here to create at my own pace being the best musician I can be. For me newness is trying things I never tried before.

Can you share a picture from your last week about a moment/space/thought that you enjoyed?

Sophie Taeuber-Arp’s exhibition at MoMa.

Would you like to add something?

I will join Juan Wauters for his European tour during April and for the US & Canada Tour during April and May. Magic Sandwich will perform in the US this summer. Stay tuned!

Website: www.guidocolzani.com
IG: @guidocolzani
TW: @guidocolzani

︎ MY LOVE TO DISTORTION BY SHIS UNUSUAL

ON MUSIC AS A GROUNDING EXPERIENCE, With Guido Colzani & Magic Sandwich

“Here I ask myself: Robots were designed to do the work of men or vice versa?”. - Magic Sandwich

“I think the pressure to produce, release and innovate with new songs has never been higher. This mindset is due to toxic behaviors from the music industry and the comparison we feel everyday from social media”. - Guido Colzani