Discover the world of flamenco with a pop sensibility.
Paco Versailles It’s an unexpected fusion, with interlocking rhythms that captivates you from the first moment. For your next concert, Indie rock! forum, We spoke to the members about the origins of the project, finding their unique sound, and what you can expect from their concert in Mexico City. they told us:
Vahaguni and ryan merchant They met in 2017 and haven’t stopped combining to make music ever since. Paco Versailles It really came about as an opportunity to explore rhythms, approach new sounds and discover a world of possibilities that combine two genres: dance and flamenco.As a project between friends, the duo released two albums dancing menko (2021) and california youth (2023), creating an entirely new subgenre. dancing menko.
This unique aspect is not only born from sound creation, but when you talk about its origins, you will find that there is an organic and approachable process to creating that sound. Paco Versailles. Friendship turns into musical sensibility, creating energetic music that captivates you from the first listen. Regarding the start of the project, ryan merchant account:
The beginning of Paco Versailles began with Vahani and my friendship many years ago. In 2017 we became friends and started playing music together with my other band (Capital Cities). Then a friendship began and over the years we stayed in touch, lived together and made music. “We always had this idea in mind, that it would be interesting to combine Vahani’s knowledge of flamenco with my experience creating dance-like music with a pop sensibility. ”
Vahaguni He is a flamenco guitarist and composer, as well as a composer of other genres such as jazz, is classically trained, lives in Andalusia, and knows the unique rhythms, chords and harmonies of flamenco. Instead, ryan merchant He was a musician and producer of dance, electro-pop, and pop music who will be remembered for his band’s success. capital. From completely different fields, both artists began creating something unique that ignored the limitations of genre and time.
It was in 2019 that I started throwing occasional parties in Los Angeles. It was a very casual party that brought together different musicians to try out musical ideas, and having meetings like this gave us an excuse to combine our styles. We wrote some songs, in fact his first three songs that we released were (‘“Unwind”, “Shangri-La” and ‘lilac moon), we quickly wrote it up, put it together, and decided to present this concept in front of a live audience. It felt so good to play that I thought I should pursue this and keep making music. It started as an idea and playing it live made it a reality. ” Merchant added.
Thus, a natural exploration of the two musicians and another idea that they continued to hope to discover was born. Paco Versailles. For the curious, this name is paco de lucia Symbol of Spanish flamenco guitar, Versailles, A French suburb where an electronic and dance music legend was born. daft punk and air. Listening to them provides your first glimpse of the duo’s influences and musical possibilities.
Difficulties can arise from this unexpected combination, requiring musicians to find common ground between traditional genres such as flamenco and contemporary genres such as dance.for Vahaguni and merchant It was a natural path, there was something organic in its composition and a connection that was essential to understanding both genres together. This process is reflected not only in the quality of each song, but also in the way the project is listened to. ryan merchant explain:
We weren’t trying to make a super traditional flamenco, the concept was to use the way flamenco musicians play the guitar rhythmically, the types of chords on the guitar, and the harmonies used, so it was natural. I think that was the case.In flamenco, it is later incorporated beat more and more Dancy. In some ways it was very natural, like adding these guitar lines to the song, but in some ways this whole project was easier because we had a very clear vision of what we wanted. . Also, when the two of us work together, we have great chemistry when it comes to music, and when you connect with someone like that on a musical level, it’s very easy to make music. ”
How unusual this connection is can also be seen in the official birth. Paco Versailles The first time they tried this sound was at a live show in Los Angeles. dancing menko, The positive response from the public was followed by a surprise. The excitement I felt when I heard these songs for the first time.First of all, about these gig, Vahaguni He explains the importance of continuing the project:
Related to what Ryan was talking about, the first reaction we had on the first show we played was recognizing the public’s reaction and thinking we were getting somewhere and making people feel. It was knowing that it was good and exciting. When I write a song, I don’t always think about it, but I always keep in mind how this would sound live. ”
Presenting the song to the audience and removing the protective vinyl from the song depending on people’s reactions was a challenge and a different approach, which could have led the duet down a completely different path.make it shine Paco Versailles was born on stage, largely reflecting the needs of the public and bands to have fun playing.
That’s how we started writing music, so we didn’t intend to release an album or anything, we just wanted material to play, material to put on shows. The concept was what would sound good. What makes you feel good about performing live? “That’s the approach we’ve always taken, and I hope the audience agrees,” he added. Vahaguni.
Well, the duet’s concert in Mexico City is coming up, what to expect? Where do our expectations guide us as viewers? A series of surprises that highlight the importance of the stage to the band and to the fans. Indie rock forum! ryan merchant He tells us what his live concerts are like and explains:
I think our live shows are, in some ways, more energetic and exciting than our recordings. Because we have a great group of musicians playing with us – drummers, bassists, guitarists – who bring something unique to the format. They perform their songs live there and are also currently recording a new album. ”
With the surprise of the third album Paco Versailles We also hope it will be a unique experience for our Mexican fans as they will be hearing new songs from this album for the first time. Before recording or release, we as the audience are part of this stage of the composition.
This particular show will feature some of these new songs. set list When I’m working on new music, it’s really helpful to present it to the band and see how it feels live, so I do that and then go back to production. There is a back-and-forth relationship between live music and recording. In fact, Mexico City is our first show of the year, and we’re going to be trying out a few of these songs for the first time, a couple of them, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. The new songs are very, very dancey, very heavy, very energetic,” Merchant added.
If you are one of the lucky ones who already have a ticket, Paco Versailles This show will be special. Of course, because we get to listen to new music, but also because it indirectly becomes part of this third album of his. This means you can dance, enjoy each song, and connect with all the musicians on stage.
Finally, we have a special announcement. Paco Versailles We are preparing a third album that you can enjoy. dancing menko As a return to our roots, we have evolved the project’s unique sound. Lest we run out of details, here’s what they shared with us about their upcoming album.
In fact, this album puts more emphasis on that (fusion with flamenco), but unlike the previous album, our music naturally leans more and more in that direction. dancing menko.we have used this word among ourselves dancing menko With 2.0, we’re going back to our roots, definitely leaving more flamenco guitar and syncopated rhythms like feet tapping on the floor, reminding us of the feeling of disco music,” he said. Vagani.
ready to enjoy the night dancing menko And what about new music?Next time she will see you on February 2nd Paco Versailles Initialization Indie rock forum!
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