We posted the fantastic “Guarani Song” ( it’s like she’s taken a shower of rain and turned it into a song, a dreamlike meditation )by Argentina’s Jimena Dominguez a few weeks back. Here self-titled EP (Polvo Bureau) is equally as good, showing an artist with a love of experimentation, chasing the ghost in the machine. We think Jimena is a composer wityh a very bright future indeed and were deligted when she answered some questions for us.
I really love your EP – how long were you working on it?
I worked on my EP for 4 years. At the beginning, I didn´t know it what was going to be an EP, but I was fooling around a lot on Ableton, recording, without sleep many nights, learning to use the software tools by myself, looking at tutorials and at the same time having fun. Obsession, heartache, some hate and the will to know myself as a solo artist made the songs get their shape.
How long have you been making music?
One day I had the thought of myself as a singer and I tried it. Also, I discovered a bolero de ravel, at age 6 and I was delighted.
What is your favourite song that you’ve written and why?
One of my songs that makes me proud and ashamed at the same time it´s called “Lo Menos” (Least), the lyrics talks about the sadness provoked because the person that you love doesn’t trust in you. The pain that makes you feel that someone has anger for you because you did something wrong. They came about after a harsh argument.
I understand that you say you don’t copy musicians you like but what musicians would you consider to be your biggest influences?
I don´t consider myself a musician, I am actually a bad student and don´t really want the knowledge, a little because I’m lazy, a little to be against the grain and also to prove that to do something and to express something you don´t really need to know musical theory.
I listen to a lot of pop and synth pop these days (maybe it won´t last long, there are some days that I listen to the same artist till death). I´m influenced by Nick Koening, the producer on Hot Sugar, only from the sound, because when it comes to writing music all that vapour wave has nothing to do with it.
What’s exciting you on the Argentinian music scene these days?
In my country I listen to Guo Cheng, Lesbiano, Victima del vaciamiento, Mi nave, Matilda, Chimo, Queridas, Unexcoder, Moya Moya, Violeta Castillo, Louta, strong artists that are changing the scene and leaving the basic rock on the side. Sometimes it turns boring that music can only be made with guitars, bass and drums and that criticism of software and synthesizers that are actually classics. At the same time, some of the media only publish “safe music”, afraid of doing some research on what´s going on in music. I like these artists because of that because they do what they like and don’t try to copy and paste to be part of something. Buscabulla, Chancha Via Circuito, Helado negro, Juana Molina are also really original artists with good taste. I love my idiom and not to push things in a deliberate way.
we made a list of Jimena’s recommendations
If you weren’t a musician what would you love to do?
I consider myself complicated to be involved with, I think I would have been a good psychologist or tarot reader.
Can you recommend a good book?
One novel: “los detectives salvajes” from Bolaño.
What question would you like to be asked that you never are?
I would like to be asked about my beliefs and my desires.
What’s in your fridge?
In my freezer there are potatoes, cheese and beer, always. (sounds very Irish)
If you could change one thing in the world right now what would it be?
If I could change something…I would try to balance poverty and the wealth between countries. And that making music would be as profitable as being a lawyer.
Jimena also did a drawing for our gallery, we’ll be unveiling that over the next week or two.
Photo: Juliana Camelli
super world indie tunes 