ELA MINUS

Hi Ela and thank you for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology.

Of course, thank you for having me.

Your latest single ‘Megapunk’ is an aptly named politically-minded protest track. What is the subject matter you are addressing and did you have a desire for the song to broadcast a specific message?

There are too many things that need change on our planet, we are facing too many emergencies at the same time; we need to act, organize and keep going. Hopefully, this song makes you feel strong, powerful, and capable of change, because you are, and so am I.

The video clip ‘Megapunk’ with its captivating imagery and wonderfully shot monochromic style is a powerful piece. Does the choice of black and white extend beyond just that of a personalised theme and speak of something a little deeper in terms of artistic impact or disparate symbolism?

The entire universe around the music I’m releasing this year is in black and white with only accents of pink. It often happens that I make a choice simply because I am attracted to it aesthetically, pure instinct without any thought behind it. I follow that blindly, and it’s beautiful to see how those choices gain new meaning once released, and even just with time. Black and white has always felt bold, but now even more, as it can be interpreted as symbolism. I also find it timeless, harder to pin to a specific era. And certain things at the moment feel like an endless repetition of history, don’t they? It can have many different meanings, I find it powerful and fitting to this chapter of my work. 

Offering fans a chance to participate, you have created a collection of projections that are available for anyone to download. Can you explain the process of design and application for these visuals?

The design is extremely straightforward, simple text with the lyrics of the song. Initially, I projected “Animo y Fuerza” which translates as “courage and strength”. I wanted to send a message of solidarity and encouragement to keep going to people in cities that had been immersed in protests for a while, fighting against racism. While simultaneously encouraging people to keep questioning life as we knew it before 2020. I felt like we all could use a little push to keep going.

My music has always felt communal, and that is why I love playing live so much, because then we communicate together and the audience is as important as I am, without shows I’ve been trying to make people actively involved with what I’m making, so in a way, we do it together, that’s is why I decided to make the projections available so everyone can do it themselves and share the message of encouragement to the communities around them.

The files will be available in my website for a while (elaminus.com) and I will keep adding more files with each song, this project is just starting.

Preceding ‘Megapunk’ was the hypnotic ‘They Told Us It Was Hard, But They Were Wrong’. Lyrically it is much more of a personal track but delivered in your own intoxicating way. Did the wording of the track lend itself to the choice of instrumentation you opted for?

Not really, I made them both at the same time: I compose by playing so it all happens at the same time. Always using the same instruments, and the same synths, I like using the same setup throughout a production, so that it all feels cohesive and part of the same body of work. I write improvising so it is a completely intertwined relationship between melody/lyrics/production, my approach in that way is more “old school”.

Yet another feast for the senses, ‘They Told Us It Was Hard, But They Were Wrong’ is an extraordinary video clip and begs the question, how much of it was storyboarded before the shoot and how much of it was an organic approach that unfolded the way it did based solely on how it felt during filming?

The idea for that video was a big one, we wanted to create an entire universe that was going to transform with my interaction with it. A symbol that we as human beings have the power to change everything around us if one simply chooses to change perspective. That is the spirit of the song. So the director and I imagined spaces, situations, elements, symbols, colours, ambiances, moods, etc. all down to the smallest details, and then just added the actions: my dancing, singing, etc. was improvised on the day of the shoot. It was more similar to the process of a photo shoot: We created the world very thoroughly, and then I just stepped inside it and we filmed.

In a triangle of alternating genres, you spent ten years in a punk band, achieved a double major in jazz drumming, and produce incredible electronic music. What is the musicality, the common thread, the conduit that ties it all together for you?

Well… the music. : )

Continuing on the theme of dichotomy and alignment, you are Colombia-born/raised and Brooklyn-based. In what ways has your past and present coalesced to produce the signature sounds that we know to be uniquely Ela Minus?

Everywhere I’ve been, all the music I’ve listened to, my family, my native language, the Andes mountains, landscapes, northern seasons, absolutely everything I’ve experienced is a part of me, I’m thankful to have such a rich and particular background and I am constantly trying to get to know myself better, and go deeper and deeper so that I can dig out everything that constitutes that special mixture of things that make me unique as a human, and as a musician I am obsessed with truth and honesty in this moment of my life I think that is what is all about; sounding like your absolute true yourself. Nothing else matters, I don’t care about being a good producer or a good anything. I only care about being honest with what I make, therefore the special combination of my upbringing and the choices I’ve made are especially prominent in my music.

You put together a very insightful piece entitled Hardware for Remezcla, detailing our unique sound, the various synthesizers and handmade units that you produce to achieve your signature sound. When it comes to designing equipment, what is your approach in terms of letting the sounds speak to you and the sonics guiding your design, compared to a hard manufacture that fits a given purpose you have in mind?

Well, making synths and using synths are two completely different things. You are approaching one as a programmer and the other as a musician. The reason why I turned to hardware is because I got tired of coding, screens, and laptops. I spent many years in school coding, designing software synths, effects, etc. All inside the box, and even though I learned a lot I was very uninspired, throughout those years, I never made any music, I was only coding (and playing drums) but not making my own stuff. I went so deep into it that I burned out and turned in the absolute opposite way: only to hardware, coincidentally really, because I had gotten a job building synths, it wasn’t planned, I just like soldering and had access to more synths because of that, I could buy them cheap and fix them myself. I don’t know if that answers your question.. I guess both making synths and playing them I’m always following my instinct and my ears, that is it really.

Having performed with so many artists and musicians over the years, have there been any words of wisdom spoken to you that really resonated with you and in turn altered the way you approach your craft?

I’ve learned so much from everyone I’ve played with. It’s hard to choose just one. If I had to choose I would say appreciating everyone around you. Understanding that music is teamwork. Even when you are a solo artist. Music in its essence is communal and I’ve learned a lot from seeing how other artists deal with the people around them. So just be good to everyone around you, you are truly nothing without the people that surround you. The music industry is a cruel place, which makes this even more important. Take care of yourself and take care of everyone around you.

Lastly, on a philosophical level what does music give you that nothing else does?

Grounding. It grounds me to the present moment like nothing else does.