Is today's music missing the power of Improvisation?
Not accordingly to Matias Olivastri, artistically known as Elmapa, who has tapped into this boundless niche where tonal ambiguity and art intertwine to awaken the senses. With a mission to delve into the psychedelic pop-rock genre, which meant pursuing a solo career, Elmapa has unfurled a new level of melodic, rhythmic, and aesthetic musical experience that has truly encapsulated audiences around the world.
He explains, "I began to experiment with a looper, recording bases and melodies live, and I could quickly capture the ideas I had to make the songs. I discovered an exciting path. Alone, I was able to dig deeper and continue bringing out the music that lies inside."
Central to this sophisticated concept is improvisation. Unlike playing something that has already been planned, Elmapa wants the audience to continually adjust and interpret the ever-changing sounds: "Improvisation and spontaneity awaken in me an incredible adrenaline that infects the audience. Something magical occurs. It is a very clear back-and-forth energy. When I invite collaborators to live concerts, I also give them a place to let loose. I want them to play without ties."
By focusing predominantly on three main instruments when working with loopers - keyboards, synthesizers, and guitars, Elmapa uses the recording process as an honest and free way of expressing himself. He notes, "I connect the instruments to the looper and usually improvise until I hear something I like. I then press record, put it on a loop, and add layers, arrangements, lyrics, and melodies until I form something that resembles a theme or a song. Sometimes a melody with lyrics pops into my head and I let myself get carried away by that impulse, accompanied by the instruments to capture it. I need it to be genuine."
Yet, Elmapa's creative visions don't just stop once the music is complete. His live performances are somewhat of a spectacle, and he ensures that the performative nature of his artistry is conveyed through productive aspects. "I integrate live projections that I have previously made in editing", Elmapa explains. "I also film my own music videos for the songs I release and use those projections as a light source on the stage. My performances are accompanied by costumes and props, which I share with the audience and other musicians. I want the experience to feel like a live video clip".
It's Elmapa's extensive background in set design and art direction that greatly informs his approach to creating visual settings for his live shows. These two elements go hand in hand, and when one is working within the psychedelic musical world, options seem to be irrevocably endless when it comes to design features. For him, the music and manipulation of plastic arts are viewed as an entire symbolic representation - a necessity for successful on-stage depiction.
Elmapa says, "Working on set design gave me the possibility of representing that abstract world of music. It always happens when I make a song - I see images in my head. Sometimes they are very specific, other times they are just colors or sensations, and thanks to the tools of the plastic arts I can materialize and combine those two musical and visual worlds."
The modes of inspiration for Elmapa's work are often channeled through his vast travel experiences. Each country visited represents a particular memory, carefully replicated in the form of music. "For a creative person, any travel situation is synonymous with expansion, landscapes, friends, and anything that makes my inner world expand and take on another shape", he explains. "I met many beautiful people and music groups with whom I now collaborate with. I also experienced unforgettable moments such as playing in Valle del Elqui in Chile, opening a '4 pesos de Tipina' show in Uruguay, touring Peru with 'Nubes en Mi Casa' and many others."
Elmapa's upcoming album, 'Alquimia' (Alchemy), is entirely based on the concept of generating new elements by mixing others together with a specific energetic intention. By articulating this theme throughout production, lyricism, sonority, and instrumentation, the entire album is set to reach new heights in the experimental scene.
"It contains twelve songs that cover different stories ranging from various mystical and spiritual aspects to the most mundane and everyday experiences. Stories that were influenced by my experiences in Mexico, where I have lived for three years. There is an alchemical phenomenon of chaos and abundance that I try to convey in this new album."
Follow Elmapa Photography by Camila Leon