Murciélago y Paraguas is an intriguing and eclectic musical project that recently released “El Camino Extraño,” a captivating album that blends Heavy Rock, Psychedelic, and Experimental elements into a highly personal and unconventional sonic journey. We had the pleasure of asking the band some questions to delve deeper into the story behind the project, the inspirations behind the music, and the artistic vision that fuels this unique release.
Let’s start from the beginning: how did the Murciélago y Paraguas project come to life, and what’s the meaning behind this curious name?
“The embryo of the project started when the drummer Stéphane lived in Valencia (Spain). The first drums’ part has been written there, before the meeting with the guitarist Will, in Toulouse (France), when the project really began. The meaning comes from Valencia, too, because “murciélago” means “bat” in spanish, and it’s the symbol of the city. “Paraguas”, meaning “umbrella” is a tribute to an absurd theater company. And these elements are kind of lookalike, in a psychedelic way!“
Your music blends different styles – from Heavy and Psychedelic Rock to Noise and Experimental textures. Which artists or movements would you say have influenced your sound the most?
“In France, we have a good cradle of noise rock (Pneu, Marvin, Sec, Boucan, …) and we really appreciate this kind of energy. Also in Italy, more or less 10 years ago, bands from the north (Lucertulas, A flower kollapsed, Dead elephants, …) had pretty heavy sound ! ‘68, also, an american duo, is one of the main influences, Royal Blood, can also be named. Nu-metal bands like Deftones or Coal Chamber, and many many from psychedelic rock, stoner or post-hardcore!“
What were the main ideas or emotions you wanted to explore when composing El camino extraño? Is there a conceptual thread behind the album?
First of all, we opt for the energy and the groove. Then sound and structure inside the songs. As emotion, we want to create something where the audience can release themselves, expulse too much stress or anger – that’s what we feel when we play the songs. So, there is not really a concept behind the album, but we maintain this line all along.
The EP has a raw, lo-fi yet highly immersive quality. Was that an aesthetic choice or the result of spontaneous recording conditions?
“Both ! We were lucky to work with Luc Ferré – O’O Studio, who made an excellent work with us. He was an important part of the rock/metal/hardcore sound in Toulouse few years ago (Plebeian Grandstand, Drawers, Montreal on fire, …) so we wanted something precise and raw at the same time, and he did all of that, with something really modern. We were surprised (in a good way) the first time we heard his work with our music!“
Can you tell us more about the three tracks – what do they represent individually and collectively?
“‘Shave off’ is kind of punk, tribal and mystic. It’s a simple and binary energy, where we speak about how we can waste our time. “Yautja” is more a legacy of nu-metal. We try to connect with our ‘youth energy.’ It’s more agressive, but happier, also ! Yautja comes from the movie Predator – these creatures hardly agressives, and really ‘oldschool’ right now! The song is really about the youth of mid-aged people like us. “Your ghost” is more groovy, more a dancing song. Is lower than the others, until the final where the tempo speed up to explode this tension. The song is about how meaningless can our way to live, regarding consumption, material or immaterial. All together, these tracks are the most representative of the universes that we explore in our music. All of our others songs are somewhere in the pattern of those three.“
Can you walk us through your songwriting and recording process? Do you work as a collective or is there a leading composer?
“Most of the time, the songs strated with drums parts, and we write on this. Will writes all the lyrics according to the atmosphere of the music. The whole “body” of the songs is a collective composition. We work and the structures until we find it perfect!“
The album has a strong atmospheric and narrative component. Were there specific images, books, films, or real-life experiences that inspired the tracks?
“The list is really too long ! But some strange and coloured atmospheres, like visuals from voodoo in fictional story, or Dias de los muertos in Mexico. Magical and psychedelic stuff, mainly urban and dark!“
Could you share some thoughts about the significance of the title “El camino extraño“ (“The Strange Path”)? What does it represent for you?
“Coming from the picture, because it can be everywhere, and going everywhere. And at the same time, it can be nowhere. So, we can see it as a metaphor of life : somewhere and nowhere. El camino extraño is the way on which we walk every day!“
The artwork is both surreal and thought-provoking. How did it come together, and how does it connect to the music?
“It’s a picture took by the father of Will. Something from the past, with a young energy. We can project everything on it, all kind of emotions or thought. We find a strong “presence” on it. That’s how we feel a connection with our music.“
Were there any particular challenges during the making of the album, whether technical, creative, or emotional?
“All of it remains instinctive. We follow the inspiration, and choose according to our feelings. The technical part comes after, when we “build” the songs with the structures, and also after, when we ‘build’ a logical link between of all them. It’s more intellectual, in a way that we want to be sure that our work will follow a good evolution and different waves of energy.“
How do you approach live performances with such a layered and complex sound? Is Murciélago y Paraguas a studio-only project or do you also perform live?
“The project is really recent, but it’s created for live performance ! We prefer to play surrounded by the audience than on stage. It’a legacy from noise-rock. The experience is way more intense for the band and the audience ! We try to give a freedom in the interpretation of our songs, but at the same time, being faithful to our studio sound.“
What’s your view on the current state of the Heavy and Experimental music scenes in your country and beyond?
“France has really good bands and creativity in this kind of music, but it’s not the better place to produce you. It’s popular, but not so “mainstream”. So, usually, the places prefer to produce other kind of music. We are looking all around Europe, and why not, South America or Central America.“
Outside of music, do you have other forms of artistic expression that influence your creative process?
“We both work in theater, as actor and light engineer. Will can also work as scenographer, and Stéphane as a dancer. We both write, too.“
What are your plans for the future? Are you already working on new material or perhaps planning a physical release or tour?
“We’ll continue to compose songs (we already are !) and perform as much as possible ! Currently, we are looking for places to perform, and we just finished to shoot our first videoclip.“
Thanks a lot for your time and for sharing insights into your fascinating project. We invite our readers to explore “El Camino Extraño” and discover the unique world of Murciélago y Paraguas.
Purchase “El Camino Extraño” on Bandcamp: https://murcielagoyparaguas.bandcamp.com/album/el-camino-extra-o
Stream “El Camino Extraño” via YouTube player below: