Here's a breakdown of the resources mentioned in the interview, categorized as requested:
People
- Leonard Cohen - mentioned as a significant inspiration for the album, particularly his ideas about finishing a record and his quote about cracks letting in light.
- Dylan - mentioned as a friend and engineer the speaker has been working with for six years.
- David - mentioned as a friend and engineer the speaker has been working with for six years.
- Elliot - mentioned as a friend the speaker met through the current project.
- Manuel Molina - mentioned as the speaker's favorite writer in Spain, whose quote is tattooed on the speaker's bag.
- Christy - mentioned in the context of a specific song ("Me and Christy") that took a year to create.
- Noah - mentioned as someone the speaker discussed the desire to write an aria with.
- Alexa - mentioned as a friend who drew on a mug with a message for the speaker.
- Alana Portero - mentioned as a woman whose idea about prayer, even without faith, is appreciated by the speaker.
- Björk - mentioned as a major inspiration, referred to as "mother" and "the most inspiring human maybe," with whom the speaker has collaborated.
- Patti Smith - mentioned as one of the speaker's two favorite inspiring humans, alongside Björk, admired for her freedom and irreverence, and seen performing live in Madrid.
- Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) - mentioned as a songwriter whose writing the speaker admires and with whom she would love to collaborate.
- Nick Cave - mentioned as an artist the speaker has been obsessed with during the making of the album, admired for accepting his fictional personas.
- David Bowie - mentioned as an artist who accepted his shape-shifting personas.
- Bach - mentioned as a composer whose music the speaker has been listening to.
- Mozart - mentioned as a composer whose music the speaker has been listening to.
- The Strokes - mentioned as a band whose music the speaker has been listening to.
- The Smiths - mentioned as a band whose music the speaker has been listening to.
- Pau Casals - mentioned as a cellist whose recordings, particularly of Bach's suites, the speaker enjoyed listening to.
- Mariacalas - mentioned as the speaker's favorite artist of all time, likely referring to Maria Callas.
- Carminio - mentioned as a great writer who wrote the lyrics for "Memoria" and shared a traditional fado with the speaker.
- Santa Rosa de Lima - mentioned as inspiration for the song "Journey" ("Reliquia").
- Santa Rosalia de Palermo - mentioned as a historical figure whose stories inspired the album.
- Hildegard von Bingen - mentioned as a historical figure whose stories inspired the album.
- Vimala - mentioned as a historical figure whose stories inspired the album.
- Santa Olga de Kiev - mentioned as a historical figure whose stories inspired the album.
- Ananda Mayima - mentioned as an inspiration for the song "Magnolias," specifically her burial.
- Rabia al-Adawiya - mentioned as a Sufi woman from Islam whose teachings about loving God for His own sake inspired the song "La Jugular."
- Santa Clara de Assis - mentioned as a saint whose friendship with San Francisco de Assis inspired the speaker to write about friendship.
- San Francisco de Assis - mentioned as a saint whose friendship with Santa Clara de Assis inspired the speaker to write about friendship.
- Rionengenso - mentioned as a Japanese saint who destroyed her face to be accepted into a monastery, inspiring a song and the use of Japanese lyrics.
- Addison - mentioned as someone who said "the world is my oyster."
- Mother - mentioned as a supportive figure in the speaker's life.
- Dad - mentioned as a supportive figure in the speaker's life.
- Sister - mentioned as a supportive figure in the speaker's life and someone who gave honest feedback on early work.
- God - mentioned in the context of prayer, asking for guidance, and in the song title "God is a stalker."
Organizations
- London Symphony Orchestra - mentioned as having collaborated with the speaker on the album for a short period (3-4 days).
- The Strokes - mentioned as a band the speaker listens to and admires.
- The Smiths - mentioned as a band the speaker listens to.
Documents
- Vedas - mentioned in the context of Hindu spiritual texts.
- Hagiografías - mentioned as texts the speaker read extensively for inspiration.
- Substack - mentioned in relation to a birthday post by the speaker.
Tools
- Google translate - mentioned as a tool used by the speaker to translate lyrics.
- Piano - mentioned as an instrument used for writing and composing.
Technologies
- Digital (release) - mentioned as a format of the album that differs slightly from the vinyl release.
- Vinyl (release) - mentioned as a format of the album with specific release deadlines.
Concepts/Themes
- Fiction - discussed in terms of the blurry line between personal and universal.
- Maximalism - contrasted with the "minimalist" nature of "Motomami."
- Minimalism - used to describe the previous album, "Motomami."
- Chaos - associated with the speaker's presence in Madrid.
- Patience - a quality the speaker is learning through each project.
- Finishing the thought/song - a new approach for the current album, contrasted with previous work.
- Light (through cracks) - a metaphor inspired by Leonard Cohen, representing hope and understanding.
- Conceptual environments - mentioned in the context of artists moving deeply into such spaces.
- Abstract vs. Literal - a duality explored in the speaker's work.
- Personal vs. Universal - a duality explored in the speaker's work.
- Detailed vs. Abstract - a duality explored in the speaker's work.
- Implicit vs. Explicit - a duality explored in the speaker's work.
- Sainthood - studied by the speaker across different cultures and religions.
- Spirituality - a subject of study and exploration for the speaker.
- Otherness - a concept the speaker celebrates and tries to understand through her songs.
- Loops - intentionally avoided in the current album, a conscious decision to use human performance instead.
- Acoustic instruments - preferred for the current album to create a human, physical feel.
- Materiality/Physicality - desired qualities in the music of the current album.
- Instinct - the starting point for the speaker's creative process.
- Analysis/Chirurgical approach - a later stage in the speaker's creative process.
- Intuitive process - how the speaker generally creates.
- Friendship - a theme explored in the album, inspired by historical figures.
- Aria - a musical form the speaker aspired to write for the album.
- Languages - multiple languages are incorporated into the album, including Catalan, Spanish, Japanese, and Italian.
- Sacrifice - a theme explored in relation to saints and personal growth.
- Craziness/Extreme behavior - discussed in relation to extreme actions and how they are perceived.
- Identity - seen as something that should die and burn daily, allowing for constant self-creation.
- Doubt - seen as a proof of being alive and that one's work is true and alive.
- Faith - linked to the presence of doubt.
- Present moment - a difficult state for the speaker to inhabit, as she is always moving and doing.
- Desiring less - a practice the speaker is working on to find inner peace.
- Prayer - a practice the speaker engages in, depending on what she feels she is lacking.
- Gratitude - a focus of prayer when feeling blessed.
- Listening (instead of asking) - a practice the speaker finds valuable when seeking balance.
- Guidance/Blessings - things the speaker prays for.
- Veneno (poison) - something the speaker believes people carry and can be shed through projecting oneself towards something bigger.
- El Juego de Pelota Vasca - a game the speaker wishes she could play, referencing the conversational dynamic.
- Soccer - a sport the speaker played as a child.
- Dancing - an activity the speaker engaged in.
- Striker/Defense - roles played in a soccer game by the speaker and her sister, symbolic of their relationship.
- Supportive family - highlighted as crucial for the speaker's confidence and risk-taking.
- Disappearing into oneself/world - a childhood tendency of the speaker.
- Dissociation - a childhood tendency of the speaker, often accompanied by singing in her head.
- God's obsession with humanity/self - explored in the song "God is a stalker," with the interpretation that God can be perceived in various forms, including human and relational.
- Imperfect human creation vs. divine perfection - a contrast discussed in relation to the speaker's work.
- Life's work/desperation to get it all out - how the album feels to the listener.
- Mental breakdown/Deadlines - the emotional state and pressure experienced by the speaker near the end of the album production.
- Creative windows - the importance of meeting deadlines to release work in a timely manner.
- Simultaneous process - how the speaker works on multiple elements of an album at once.
- Uncertainty - a state the speaker is learning to exist with.
- Porcelana (hook) - an example of a precisely written and arranged musical element.
- Aggression/Front foot aggression - characteristics of the opening song "Berghain."
- Provocation - a conscious element in the album's presentation.
- Brutalista - a style descriptor for the album's maximalist approach.
- Arboreta de la montaña (Bergheim meaning) - interpreted as a metaphor for the mind's labyrinths.
- Meeting of minds - observed in the collaboration between the speaker and Björk.
- Freedom/Irreverence - qualities admired in Björk and Patti Smith.
- Not giving a fuck/shit - a mantra and energy admired in Patti Smith and adopted by the speaker.
- Stretch the ball, say the truth - a motto written on a mug, guiding the speaker's album creation.
- Pressure makes diamonds - a statement explored by the speaker in relation to life and the album's creation.
- Carrying weight/burden - a common human experience discussed in relation to pressure.
- Mission of making music - the speaker's driving force, for which she "begged."
- Al borde del quebrarme/al borde of breaking - a state of being on the verge of breaking that the speaker has experienced due to her ambition.
- Stylistic/Materialistic (Motomami) - how the previous album is described.
- Grounded/Less searching verticality (current album) - how the current album is described in contrast to Motomami.
- The world is my oyster - an attitude of exploration.
- Artificiality/Performative nature - acknowledged as inherent in many aspects of life, especially art and performance.
- Construcción/Avatar/Obra/Momento - ways artists construct themselves and their work.
- Shape-shifting - accepted by artists like David Bowie.
- Theatricality - present in the work of Nick Cave and accepted as creating fiction.
- Writing with others - seen as a way to be pushed and learn new perspectives.
- Pushing boundaries (of voice) - an aspiration the speaker had for Motomami but could achieve more fully in the current album.
- Openness and surrender - necessary for the speaker to sing and write from a place of truth.
- Spiritual connection with God - a constant in the speaker's life.
- Contradictions - a key element in the speaker's creative process.
- Memoria (memory) - a theme explored in the album, acknowledging the imperfection and fabrication of memories.
- Confessional moment - how singing with an open chest leads to this.
- Dynamics (in song) - used to create variation and emotional impact.
- Relic - mentioned as a category for songs, possibly implying items of significance.
- True stories - a component of the album's lyrical content.
- Lost items (heels, smile, faith) - part of a playful list of things experienced in different locations.
- Beautiful skies (Buenos Aires) - a vivid memory and sensory experience.
- Amusement park (Japan) - a descriptor for the stimulating environment of Japan.
- Nostalgia/Sadness - emotions that can surface in seemingly calming environments.
- Tough love - an experience the speaker had in Madrid.
- Blessings - received by the speaker, for which she is grateful.
- Gratefulness - a feeling the speaker consistently expresses.