Andrés Gimenez and Harold hopkins, vocalist and bassist respectively of From the earth, a band that brings together members of four fully consolidated Latin American groups within the world of rock [Maná, ANIMAL, Puya and Sepultura] were visiting Mexico City a few days ago to promote their latest material, called simply 'II' (the which is obviously their second album), presented at the end of last year and which will bring them on tour in Mexico in just a few weeks.
At the time of this interview, "Puro" is the most recent video we can find of De La Tierra. An aggressive video, shocking to the eye ... even grotesque.
Andrew: Really what we wanted to achieve with the video was just what you said, that the image is a bit of a contrast of what oppression, repression and lack of opportunity are that the world is giving itself and believe a lot in the strength interior that each one has. We symbolize all that oppression through a character who is the “psycho killer” type jailer who was capturing one by one the members of De la Tierra holding us and believing he had won through the use of abuse of power. The song in the chorus mentions a lot of this about "I am banishing pain" as a virtue of always being able to get something positive out of the negative and when the 4 of us are tied in one place we seek to symbolize the strength of the light of the union over the darkness. If you realize there is a moment in the video where a light enters from all sides that for us is like the soul, the will power or as each one calls him, and that allows us to free ourselves from the bonds. This person -the jailer- who believed he had all cattle is left empty-handed at the end.
"II" is his second full-length album. What will they find in it, those who have not yet heard it?
Andrew: You will find a very eclectic album full of Latin American nuances due to our origins. A totally experimental album within what is metal and they will be surprised to hear rhythms totally out of context of what would be logical within the genre, but that ultimately have to do with the whole seeing it from a musical point of view global. They will also meet the genius of Ross Robinson's production that took each member of the band to the extreme and managed to dismember, crumble and put everything in its place as if it were a doctor. You are going to come across a De La Tierra much more pure and real than that of the first album which is more direct but less experimental.
I think that with this album we are going to be able to grow more on a personal and experimental level because it does not have taboos or prejudices or anything, it is like a real blow and the more you listen to it the more you will understand it. With all due respect to me it is like when I heard Sepultura's “Roots” for the first time. From the beginning and after listening to "Chaos AD" it seemed strange to me, like something was wrong, and when I understood it, it seemed like a genius. I am not saying that our album is a genius - laughs - but take the time to extend it since the trumpet will not come on the first chord but when you listen to it complete and with more and more force.
Something that caught my attention is that at the moment of entering your website, the first offer of "II" that one finds is in vinyl format. Why do you think the return of this format to the market has hit so hard?
Harold: I think that the vinyl format, having an analogous sound, I think is more organic and pure than this “ones and zeros” system of the binary system of a traditional CD. In addition, the art is larger, the object is larger and that makes it more like a collection, in addition to being well cared for, it can last longer than a CD that tends to scratch faster.
Despite the fact that technology came and made the CD something more portable and small, I feel that vinyl has much more respect. Vinyl for me has a much better sound quality that has been rediscovered by generations accustomed to compressed music and that ends up surprising them.
Harold enters this year in relief of Flavio [Cianciuralo] on bass. What were the reasons for this change and how did Harold approach De La Tierra?
Harold: A long time ago when De La Tierra was starting, Andrés, who is my friend for many years and we have played together in many places in America, told me about the project long before it was formalized. In the end it was Flavio who stayed in the group and when he had to leave it was Andrés himself who called me to be part of De La Tierra.
Andrew: When we started with De La Tierra we wanted them to be 4 Latinos: We were already 3 and we were just thinking who could be the bass player and I proposed Harold and Flavio. In the end I don't remember anymore because it was the second one who stayed. After the first album Flavio tells us that he wants to dedicate himself more to the Cadillacs -all on the best terms- and immediately the natural option was to contact Harold. Things happen for something and if he was contemplated in the beginning he was the option without even hesitating.
Harold: In fact something very curious happened. I have a good friend from many years ago in Puerto Rico called Marcos Ibarra Aguirre who had been returning from a spiritual retreat in Peru and when I see him he asks me if the people of De La Tierra had not contacted me already and I answer no, they were already playing with Flavio. Not even 2 weeks passed when I found out through Oscar -percussionist from Puya- that Andrés has been looking for me for months. Sometimes I feel like disappearing from social networks and everything -laughs-. It was a thing like destiny and I got in touch with Andrés who tells me about the situation and I immediately accepted: After my 3 children who are my greatest treasure what I love the most is music and for me this is like a blessing and I am very happy to be here.
"It is so great what we live on stage being together the four of us, living together on the tour, so once we do, it becomes a necessity ..."
Speaking of tour plans. When will we have them here again? What comes from De La Tierra?
Andrew: On October 6 we will be in Monterrey and on October 8 in Mexico City. Later we will visit Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, and for sure later other countries will be added. It was difficult for us to start a bit because just when the album comes out, a member leaves who also left on the best terms and as a friend and everything was out of date. The record company asked us what happened and if we had quarreled and we clarified that nothing and everything like that.
Starting a tour of De La Tierra is complicated by what our other projects demand of us but once we start we are unstoppable. It is so great what we live on stage being together the four of us and living together on the tour and the van and everything that once we do it becomes a necessity, I do not say it to stay well with anyone is the true truth.
The press usually describes De La Tierra as a "super band" for having members who have sold thousands of records and have spent years in music with their original bands. How do you feel about this description?
Andrew: We don't like it, because the truth is that we never get together as a super group, but only as a group of friends. If we think about talking a little about a Latin American super group, it is as contradictory to the place where we live. Of the Americans I believe it because they have like that fantasy of the "rockstar" and even in Europe, but to say that we are a super group just for having a 20-year career separately as well as not. We are a group that just came to make music and although yes, it is undeniable that we have been in music for so many years as a result of our effort and that no one can take them away from us we are not stars or anything. The stars are in the sky, we are ordinary human beings and prefer to see ourselves like this, as a group and not with that nickname that I also think goes more to perhaps a pop band or something, and not to what we play.
De la Tierra covers Mano Negra and Titas for example, but never their bands of origin. Why is this Can you think of a song that you could put on a set list of De La Tierra from your initial groups and that fit the concept?
Andrew: It is very difficult to play a song from our bands because finally that's what our bands are for. De La Tierra es De La Tierra and that's why we chose to play only songs like "Lord Slaughter" Black Hand that we love, or "Policeman" from Titas [a song that Sepultura has also played], but from our bands it would be like bread with the same. For that matter, it would seem more interesting to me to play a cover of something that had more to do with the roots of Latin American music; for me it would be prettier and richer, for example a cover to Ruben Vlades in the style of De La Tierra, or for example Celia Cruz or Buenavista Social Club; or northern bands like bukis that play amazing.
Harold: Also, if we played one we would have to play four in total, to be able to play at least one of each band-laughs-
As good Latinos they are surely passionate about soccer. What team do they go to? And being from different countries, do you bet on tournaments like the World Cup or the America's Cup between you?
Andrew: –Laughs- I'm going to tell you: When the World Cup [Brazil 2014] was played, we did shows together and saw several games together. Andreas is very [really, very] a fan of Sao Paulo and when we went to play in Brazil the first thing he did was take us to the stadium. Alex is not a football fan but he supported Mexico too. I had some more ties with Andreas because Argentina reached the final in Brazil and they stayed in the semifinal, so I made fun of him and when Argentina lost to Germany, he returned it to me. The truth is that apart from soccer we have fun with many things and we had a great time, which is essential.
Finally: Could you leave us a message for your fans in Mexico?
We want to thank them because the first time we played there in the Latin live we saw with what passion they were waiting for us and it was very special for us because it was the first time that we played as De La Tierra and it was amazing to see how their own shirts with our logo and they sang our songs. We are happy to know that soon we are going to return with a demanding metal audience, which is very good, and we are very happy to see you soon.
