Interview with Artists Cyrus Paul & Aimee Raquel promoting their upcoming single Panaginip.
What inspired the creation of this single?
We were looking to create something completely different and new. We realized we could combine our musical backgrounds in a different way.
What story or message does the song convey?
Panaginip is the Tagalog word for dream. It's about a dream, a journey. It invites you to explore the surreal landscapes or our sleeping minds and the aspirations that call to us in waking life.
Can you tell us about the creative process?
I (Cyrus) was jamming on top of a song I had playing in the background and quickly realized it was really groovy. I isolated the drums and started forming an idea on top of it and the lick you hear at the beginning came out. I worked on it and turned it into a full track, no singing yet. I had been wanting to do a song with Aimee for a long time so I showed her the track. We had one session at her apartment and got some crazy ideas. By the second session we got the whole song, lyrics and harmonies included. It was like pulling a curtain and letting light in with no way to stop it. We then got into the studio. We chose Big Bad Sound Studios in Silverlake, LA because of Nate Van Fleet, one of their engineers. I had met Nate through a common friend and he's the kind of guy that just gives you a good vibe and you know you're gonna get good results with him. So we got all the vocals in less than 4 hours! Aimee is a champion in the studio. Then the song got stuck in the production process because we were still using that isolated drum track. We tried reaching out to license the sample but since I had done some music supervision in the past for films and tv I knew it was going to be a nightmare. So we eventually decided to re-record the drums. We hired June Medina to do it. He was just coming out of touring with Danny Ocean and had just a few days in between his next leg. That guy got it done in no time. Made me pull my hair for not hiring him earlier and waste months trying to decide whether or not to license the sample. June has an incredible groove and he is a clock! It's not easy to play drums to a track that has already been recorded, it's usually all the way around. Kudos to him. Then we got to mixing and of course that got us a little stuck, too. I have to stay it's my fault, I tend to nit pick on everything at the mixing stage. Because of my background in film music I tend to combine the creation/production process along with the mixing. So every time I got to mixing I would also polish something in production or hide something in the track a la Led Zeppelin. I like to listen to a song and discover new things every time and for that you kinda have to be subtle with some ideas and also hide some easter eggs. After all this song is about a dream and dreams live in that hidden place. When the song was finally ready, I sent it over to colleagues for feedback, and my friend Andrø Pop gave me some pretty good tips on the master.
How does this song differ from your previous releases?
Panaginip is different in many ways. It's a combination of Spanish psychedelic indie rock but it's sung in Tagalog. We don't think it gets any more different than anything any of us have done in the past.
What challenges did you face while writing or recording?
Like we mentioned earlier, the initial drum track was not ours, so we didn't want to use it without permission. We knew that there was a big chance no one would ever know but we believe it's important to keep it straight. Artists and bands are constantly taken advantage of, and you have to do the right thing, especially when nobody is watching.
Another challenge we had came with the guitar and bass tracks. Cyrus did those at home and the tracks were really good except they had a lot of sudden buzz and added noise. Cyrus' apartment was old and the electricity there was always fluctuating. You can hear it at the very beginning of the track. That scratchy sound was not by design, the track literally sounded like that.
Did you experiment with any new instruments, techniques, or styles?
There was a big wave of rock in Spain in the 60's and 70's so the instrumental is pretty much a homage to that sound. Think of bands like Triana or Los Chichos and combine that with contemporary artists like Altin Gün or Chicano Batman. Then add to it some Filipino folklore with Aimee's unique vocal style. Panaginip is the result!
Is there a personal connection or story tied to the lyrics?
You can hear part of a folklore lullaby that they would sing to me when I (Aimee) was a kid.
Have you performed it live yet, and what was the audience’s reaction?
We are eager to play this song live. It's going to be a challenge because I (Cyrus) am now spending some time in Madrid and Aimee is in LA. On top of that we are hoping that Panaginip reaches the Filipino audience and takes off there. So imagine, we would have to meet in Manila just to play our song! That would be a crazy adventure.
Anything Else You'd Like Your Fans to Know?
Be on the lookout! Panaginip comes out everywhere on March 7th.
Spanish psychedelic indie rock but it's sung in Tagalog? Sounds really cool. I can’t wait to check it out.