Rock influenced me in the way i hear sounds - interview with German Lamonega

Do you feel as a part of Buenos Aires scene?

German Lamonega: Most of my work is developed in Buenos Aires so i do feel part of the artistic scene.

What is your opinion about argentinian jazz? Is it growing?

GL: It’s difficult to me to talk about “Jazz“ as a genre and even more about “Argentinian Jazz”. it makes harder to move forward thinking in those terms. Argentina is a very rich country artistically speaking, and over the last few years i’ve seen/heard a lot of projects, musicians and performers unknown to me that really moved me. In a way i think it has to do with the positive side of social network explosion that made artists work more accessible and inspires and encourages other people to do their thing.

You are a classically educated musician. Did it help you in making your own music?

GL: I don’t consider myself a classically educated musician. I started playing electric bass when i was in high school. Rock was my main interest by that time and i think it really influenced me in the way i hear sounds. After a couple of years i started playing double bass, studied at a local Conservatory and at the same time i began studying Orchestral Conducting at University of Fine Arts in La Plata (Buenos Aires), where i discovered the work of people like John Cage, Luigi Nono and Morton Feldman.

You are an educator. Does students want to play jazz?

GL: Most of the people that study with me are interested in playing “Jazz”, they come with that approach but I’m always showing them new stuff in order to enrich their musical spectrum.

Do you like teaching and why?

GL: Yes, i do like teaching, its a permanent challenge.

When did you met Paula Shocron and Pablo Diaz? How your collaboration began?

GL: We’ve known each other for almost 10 years i think. We played and recorded together in different projects. Our friendship was enriched when SLD Trio began. Our first record “Anfitrion” was the product of a deep living/musical experience that Pablo, Paula and i had in NY in 2014. we were playing together since 2010 and in that trip had the chance to hear, talk and play with people that we admire. When we returned to Argentina we thought it was time to record and have a register of what that trip meant to us.

What can we expect from your new album with Paula and Pablo as a SLD Trio?

GL: “El contorno del Espacio” is our 3rd record and here we approach music in a different way than our previous recordings. We worked on compositions or musical ideas or text from each member of the trio. It was a very interesting proccess that reflect how the trio works on different grounds.

What are your other music projects?

GL: I’m working with a large ensamble of improvisers expecting to record soon.

What are your main goals at this moment?

GL: I’m about to release my first solo album and on the other hand I’m focused on finishing a play/performance that im working on with an actress.