PHIL: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. First of all, I would like to know how you got into Progressive Rock and why you decided to establish Mylodon Records.
JUAN: Thank you for allowing me to talk about Mylodon, which in a way is an important part of my life. I came to the progressive world after exploring many musical concepts since my childhood. As you know, our country lived under a terrible military dictatorship for 17 years, so many freedoms were repressed. I am from the generation of the 80's, where I began to learn about music. My father had many records and loved tango, so there was always good music in his house, since my cousins also lived there, who liked music and had vinyl and cassettes. There I met many of the artists who are now part of my references, such as Pink Floyd, Uriah Heep, Los Jaivas, Genesis, among many others. I'm talking about 1982, 1983. In my adolescence, I got very close to metal aesthetics.
I think it was a stage in my life where I dedicated many hours to music, even making fanzines and participating in some bands. Then, during my university years, there was a kind of evolution that led me to progressive rock. I met groups like Camel, Ozric Tentacles, Marillion, Tangerine Dream, among many others. And what came later was the achievement of that process.
The birth of mylodon in 1998 was in a way the result of that search for meaning. In Chile there were many people who liked this style and many high-quality bands, all of them independent. So, what I did was channel all that effort into a record label.It still seems incredible to me what that little spark of passion turned into.
PHIL: What has the reaction been to your releases?
JUAN: In general, I think it's going well. To date we have released 140 albums, not only by Chilean bands, but also by foreign groups. Some of them have achieved enormous recognition worldwide and have also received great comments about the label, which is seen as a kind of exotic and distinctive island in the immense ocean of progressive rock.
PHIL: Do many of the bands that have recordings on your label play live or just in the studio?
JUAN: We have both cases, but most of them correspond to studio recordings. In this sense, we can point out that there are two types of studio productions, on the one hand the new releases, and on the other hand the reissues that we have been recovering, and which correspond to old recordings, many of which could never be formally edited in the years they were recorded. The latter excited me very much, since an act of justice is done.
PHIL: Thinking about 2024 (nearly at an end already!), I was particularly taken by Danza De La Ira’s “Septies Kairos”, a concept album about relative time. In review for DISS I mentioned “thoughtful synth, piano and guitar and an empathic rhythm section” and some “impressive vocal harmonies”, especially on the track ‘Impulso Distante’. I liked the “melting pot of styles” and heard a touch of Robin Trower’s early guitar playing with Procol Harum on the ascending blues of the title track. Which of your releases has been the most successful, would you say, not just in terms of sales but positive reviews?
JUAN: Thank you very much for your point of view. Indeed, Septies Kairos has a lot of what you point out. Danza de la Ira is a new band and is part of a new generation of Chilean progressive groups that is coming on strong. Regarding which production has had the greatest impact, it is a difficult question, since in general I have appreciation for all of them. Perhaps I could mention that albums like “Patrimonio” by Tryo, “Gritaré” by Matraz which have had an enormous reception by the specialized media, but it depends a lot on the style. There are countries where a certain type of band is better received than another.
PHIL: I have noted in my reviews that there are elements of Art Rock as well as Progressive in albums such as Primavera Negra’s “Clio” and Ren X’s “Rain”. When deciding which music to release what is it specifically you are looking for in band’s music, and how do you go about ‘signing’ bands to your label?
JUAN: This is a good question. Labels generally look for sales parameters when making decisions. In our case, as we are truly independent, we decide to produce what we like. This avoids the impersonalism that exists these days. In addition, we have the possibility of making two types of releases: in physical and virtual format. This opens up a lot of possibilities.
PHIL: Histéresis is another band that has really impressed me this year – their ‘Asalto al Ciezo’ album reminded me of Opeth in their more progressively inclined recordings. I noted that ‘Esclavo del tiempo’, the 19-minute long epic that closes the album is “an exposition of Yes-influenced prog, filmic and symphonic” with saxophone adding another texture to the music.
JUAN: The case of Histéresis from Cuba is very interesting. I think they have managed to capture a very attractive sound, apart from being very good musicians. They are really charming guys. “Esclavo del Tiempo” is an incredible suite worthy of any select progressive rock work. We hope to have a limited edition of the album "Asalto al Cielo" soon, as many fans have requested the physical version.I am sure that in the future they will delight us with many surprises.
PHIL: Continuing this strand of our discussion, I noted that another band, Experimental I think it was (‘Homónimo’) incorporate eastern influences into their music, as well as a distinct ‘mid-period’ (“Beat” etcetera) King Crimson.
JUAN: Experimental is a project from the late 90s. In fact, we rescued the album last year from old recordings that were stored away. It was remastered in Denmark and the final result is very good. As you point out, it also reflects an era of Chilean progressive sound that was very influenced by King Crimson, but which contains its own additives that make it very interesting.
PHIL: Could you tell me a bit more about ESPRESSO?
JUAN: I think ESPRESSO is one of the most striking new Chilean progressive bands of the moment. They remind me a lot of TRYO's process. In fact, they are from the same region. A few weeks ago, we virtually released a double live album, through our Bandcamp, which shows all the potential of the group. I certainly think they are an export band and we are already working with them on what will be their internationalization stage through participation in festivals.
PHIL: Apart from the albums I have mentioned above, are there any others you would particularly like to draw to my attention for additions to the DISS website, and what plans you have for the future?
JUAN: We are currently working on several new releases, both in physical and virtual formats. Jaime Rosas' new album is coming, as well as some new Chilean bands such as Camahueto, which is an extraordinary symphonic progressive rock project made up of musicians from various Chilean groups. We are also preparing Onírico's debut album "Between Dreams and Beliefs", which is an Argentine progressive and post-prog symphonic duo of extraordinary quality.
PHIL: Thank you for your answers to these questions. Is there anything else you would like to add?
JUAN: Thank you very much for your time and for the opportunity to give more details about our works and artists. We cordially invite you to discover our universe: www.mylodonrecords.com / www.mylodonrecords.bandcamp.com You can also find us on social media through @mylodonrecords. Progressive greetings!
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