Songs of Rage and Impotence

Music project as leader. Jazz based compositions and improvisational game-pieces.
2023-ongoing.

“Songs of Rage and Impotence” features a combination of modern jazz aesthetics, indie-rock moods and contemporary electroacoustic processing in the form of a quintet with live electronics. It fuses a wide range of musical styles, from a delicate Andalusian-Americana guitar trio, to a glitchy 90’s love ballad, to contemporary pure-electronics soundscapes topped up with a bit of kinky calypso.

This project brings forward issues that are unavoidable for me such as climate anxiety and powerlessness in the face of social injustices, using the power of live music to bring hope and lightness. The thought-provoking titles are meant to spark meaningful conversations beyond the moment of performance. The story of each song is woven into a meta-narrative of protest music, delivered in a playful manner with the highest level of interactive improvisation.

The music was released independently and distributed through download codes in limited edition riso-printed postcards designed by Sophie Czich. There are 16 different designs available.

Design by Sophie Czich.

Songs of Rage and Impotence – 1LL0~ Remixes

Released by Oigovisiones Label on limited edition Vinyls.
Features remixes, reworks and bonus tracks from the original release.
In colaboration with Juan Luis Montoro.
2024

Some words about this release:
The instrumental foundation for the 11 compositions in “Songs of Rage and Impotence” was recorded live with the band — guitar, keyboards, double bass, drums, and live electronics — over three days in February 2023. Afterward, I collaborated with Juan Luis Montoro (a close friend and longtime collaborator in various projects, including our duo 1LL0~) to refine the post-production and sound design for each track. Some songs had a clear initial vision, while others evolved organically during the creative process.
During our post-production experiments, we started to consider the idea of making a parallel project, that would eventually become 1LL0~ Remixes.
When listening to the effects-overloaded tracks with the base instruments muted, we discovered new soundscapes and audio processes emerging as the central narrative. Many of these effects were controlled by pseudo-random noise waves and algorithms created in SuperCollider by Juanlu, operating within specific probability ranges. This made each listening experience unique yet familiar — a concept deeply resonant with the original “extended jazz quartet” philosophy.
Preparing the electronic tracks for the vinyl release required us to automate many of these dynamic processes. We had to precisely determine the timing and character of each sound, since the mix would closely define the composition. This method was both inspiring and painful, as we sometimes had to sacrifice the beauty of unpredictability and constant change.
Ultimately, “Songs of Rage and Impotence” has expanded far beyond my initial conception. The original self-produced album of 11 tracks, along with its companion 1LL0~ Remixes, represents an artistic response to my personal interpretation of global systems and societal structures. It’s a collection of songs that narrate small yet powerful stories about ideals, utopias, and critical social issues, exploring themes like commodification, love, catastrophe, privilege, and affection.
The song titles are deliberately provocative, designed to spark meaningful conversations that extend beyond the musical experience. Each track weaves a meta-narrative of protest music, aiming to highlight often-overlooked issues such as climate anxiety and the sense of powerlessness confronting social injustice. Through the raw energy of improvised and live music, we seek to inject a sense of hope into these complex narratives.