A QUICK DOZEN with MEXICAN CHILLI FUNERAL PARTY

A QUICK DOZEN with MEXICAN CHILLI FUNERAL PARTY
By Shane Pinnegar

 

Mexican Chilli Funeral Party – five stoner rockers from Milan, Italy – have an excellent new album called Mexican Warriors’ Revenge. A recent press release explains that it is, “made up of eleven high-octane, energy-infused tracks that blend stoner rock, power rock and grunge influences. The album is nothing if not original. Each song has its own story and at the same time stands as a piece of the album’s conceptual puzzle: the journey and the exploration of distant lands, both real and imaginary, are the leitmotiv of the entire project.”

Aside from that, they have one of the best band names ever, so we caught up with drummer Rasta, bass player Carlo, guitarist/vocalist Ale, lead guitarist Bre and all rounder Mr Diniz (guitar, effects, keyboards) for a quick dozen.
1. Tell us a little about your latest release. Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material that only diehard fans might pick up on?

MEXICAN WARRIORS’ REVENGE is a good album for us, because we work a lot on every single song, watching at all the little particulars, so we are proud of the result.

You know, when you have three guitars in the band, is not so easy to put everything together without doing a ‘muddy’ sound, so we work a lot on that – on the sounds, on the riffs, on the harmonisations, and if you have time to listen to it, we think you could grab that.

One particular thing we could ‘spoiler’ is the really end of the song Lu Curt, in which we put a song of a bluegrass Japanese band (who, at that time, we don’t even know who they are!) Lu Curt is really slow, where you can find a dark soul inside, we put that bluegrass riff with a Japanese song just to smooooooth the mood of the song.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realised you wanted to be a musician?

RASTA: I can’t tell you what got me into music, probably the music I listen in that period, and some of my friends that already play. When I was 15 I started thinking about playing bass, one year later I started with the drums and I never stop!

DINIZ: It wasn’t a specific moment. From when I started to listen and appreciate music, pick my first guitar and started writing songs, it has been something continuous and spontaneous.

CARLO: When I was 16 I went to a music class to learn how to play bass, together with Ale. Some years later we ends up together playing with Mexican Chilli Funeral Party!

ALE: I realised I wanna be a musician in my life when I was seven, and for the first time I went on a stage and sing. Stage makes me free – I become a different person… I don’t understand yet if the real me is when I’m on stage or off, however I like myself more when I’m on!

BRE: It was a random choice: I was 13, and I had to choose and afterschool lesson. I followed a friend and chose a guitar course. When I learn this beautiful ‘other language,’ I never stop!
3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Queens Of The Stone Age
Brant Bjork
Kyuss
Led Zeppelin
Eagles of Death Metal
4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

RASTA: Trent Reznor
DINIZ: Tom Waits
CARLO: Brant Bjork
ALE: Robert Johnson
BRE: Robert Plant
5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

It is something heavy and psychotic, that tries to always change during the songs, without really do it. It’s something you can listen easily while you are cooking, fucking, chatting, or whatever you want to do – it’s something good!
6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

RASTA: For me, when the show starts, you close your eyes and you are in your own fucking world for one hour.

DINIZ : Being a musician!

CARLO: Playing on a stage, feeling the warmth of the people.

ALE: Being more ‘sensible’ respect of the people who don’t play, I think it is the same for every kind of art form.

BRE: The thing that fascinates me most is when you play, you could talk to everybody and everybody could understand you – music is the ‘mother’ of all languages.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

The real cook is Ale, but every one of us loves to cook for the others – and we all drink a lot, so everybody has to take care about the thirsty mouths of the band! Usually if someone has to take an acoustic guitar out, it is Bre or Ale, and then we all sing some stupid shit!
8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

RASTA: Something that lets me travel a lot around the globe.

DINIZ : Probably I could have continued being a hairdresser.

CARLO: An illustrator.

ALE: I can’t imagine something different.

BRE: I think maybe a teacher.
9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep, or you would like to be able to “do over”?

We are all convinced that we do the same things we already did – the present is the result of all the mistakes you made! That’s how you learn.

10. If you were made ruler of the world, what would your first orders be?

RASTA: No more military stuff, and all the things that grow fear and stupidity and rage. More music and instruments and humanity, please!

CARLO: Ban all the religion!

BRE: No more money around – go back to bartering and mutual aid.
11. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

RASTA: I think Outlandos D’Amour from The Police – just to sit and watch them play. That album reminds me when I was a kid trying to air-drum the critical groove they had.

DINIZ: I love to listen to my favourite records as they are – I would never ruin them by taking part at the recording sessions.

CARLO: Legend from Bob Marley – for me he means revolution!

BRE: Led Zeppelin I. I would like to understand how those four guys matched together.
12. What, for you, is the meaning of life?

RASTA: I think there’s no meaning of life. You don’t have to find it – it is better to find yourself and live the life you choose to live.

DINIZ: Just to live and feel the life itself.

CARLO: Questions. Look at yourself in the mirror and give yourself some questions. When you have the answer, do it again.

ALE: Be sincere and go find beauty.

BRE: I’m searching for that…
Find Mexican Chilli Funeral Party online:

BANDCAMP https://mexicanchilifuneralparty.bandcamp.com/
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/MexicanChiliFuneralParty/
TUMBLR https://mcfp.tumblr.com/

Category: Interviews