Maragda | Interview | New Album With A Sci-Fi Story
Maragda from Barcelona recently released an album that tells the story of Maragda, a civilization that took refuge underground after the Great Disaster.
Many years have passed now, and the memory of a life on the surface has completely faded. People live under the oppression of a totalitarian government, The Core, when suddenly a strange voice speaks inside their minds. After this call, a group of rebels launches an expedition through The Unknown, willing to discover the secrets of Maragda.
“This is a story of liberation”
It’s very exciting to hear the story about the Maragda civilization through your music. Can you elaborate on the idea behind it?
Yes! This record has this sci-fi story behind it, but it’s important to focus on the concept that it brings. This is a story of liberation. In this case, it is presented as a trip that some individuals have while they seek for the truth about their origins, but we believe it can be understood in many ways. It aims to inspire and accompany in any process of search, liberation and questioning of reality. In our opinion, it brings a psychedelic perspective of life.
People live under the oppression of a totalitarian government, The Core, when suddenly a strange voice speaks inside their minds. After this call, a group of rebels launches an expedition through The Unknown, willing to discover the secrets of Maragda. Sounds like the current state of the World…
Yes, it resembles not only our world in a geo-political way, but we also like to think it suggests a metaphor. In this metaphor, the Core can be any element that doesn’t allow growth or expansion, that could be fear, ignorance, et cetera. The expedition to the unknown could be the constant seeking of the true nature of things, or the process of overcoming difficulties, take it as you please!
Would you like to talk a bit about your background?
The three of us have been playing for a long time. Guillem (guitar) and Marçal (bass) are childhood friends and had a band as teenagers. Xavi was recommended by a friend of Guillem when the band needed a drummer, so he joined. In a very wide range of influences, we can say Guillem brings the rock and seventies approach, as well as amazing guitar skills, Marçal brings the psych and progressive elements, and Xavi brings solid drumming and influences from different genres.
What led to the start of this group?
At the beginning Marçal was writing some songs and his original plan was to record them with session musicians in a studio. He contacted Edgar Beltri from La Atlántida Studios, to be the producer of the record, and he suggested to form a band instead, and so Marçal called Guillem, and Guillem found out about Xavi.
“Distortion, fuzz, delay and reverberated voices”
How would you describe your sound?
It is a bit difficult to tag our style because it blends a lot of elements from different genres of rock music. A way to summarize would be: distortion, fuzz, delay and reverberated voices. In a bit more detailed way we could say we bring elements from stoner rock, psych rock, neo-psychedelia, progressive rock and some garage grooves.
How do you usually approach music making?
Our first record has been crafted by producing some original songs that Marçal wrote previously, together with Edgar and the band. Now that this record is done, we are creating music by bringing ideas to rehearsals and starting together from the start.
Can you share some further details on how your latest album was recorded?
The original ideas were ready by spring 2020. We booked a week to record it at La Atlántida Estudios, in Barcelona, for the following December, so what we did was setting up a plan of “creative sessions” from spring to December in which we would work on the original songs, bringing new ideas, cutting some parts, extending some others, and so on. Having that deadline did definitely help us. At some point in the first semester of 2021 we sent the mixes out to Peter Deimel at Studio Black Box in France. We knew his work in bands like Elder and Motorpsycho, among many others, and he did master our record. That pretty much sums up the process.
Are any of you involved in any other bands or do you have any active side-projects going on at this point?
Yes, we do! We are active musicians in our local scene. Guillem plays guitar in Albert Lax’s project, as well as in Bossalo, but he has his solo project on the cooks as well. Marçal plays in another band named Golíat, and Xavi plays in Tripianas. You can check all that out if you are curious!
How pleased were you with the sound of the album?
We think it’s pretty decent! One always has expectations and we like to be demanding with our way of creating music. We want to do our best and we think the record has a well rounded sound. However, it’s important to not look back too much. The record is done, now it’s time to naturalize the learning from it and cook something new, which will eventually bring new approaches. Like a constant evolution, you know?
What are some future plans?
The plans for Maragda at this point are very clear: play live as much as possible, write another record!
Let’s end this interview with some of your favourite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?
I think we would highlight Delving, a recent project by Nick from Elder. We like his way of making music, we find it “elegant” and beautiful. The latest stuff by Frankie and the Witch Fingers is on our headphones pretty often too. And finally Motorpsycho. We are fanboys here!
Thank you. Last word is yours.
Thanks to everyone listening to the record and giving us support, thanks to everyone in general too, feed your head and live your life with joy, or the way you please!
Klemen Breznikar
Maragda Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
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