WE TALK TO AISLES ABOUT THEIR "MEGALOMANIA"

Chile's very own Progrock standard-bearers, Aisles, have recently unveiled their newest single, "Megalomania," accompanied by a deliciously cinematic music video written by the band's founding guitarist, Germán Vergara, and directed by renowned Chilean director, Bernardo Quesney. Both music video and song tell a story about unconventional relationships, jealousy, toxic attachment, and the eventual bitterness that follows the downfall of such a doomed love triangle.

The stakes and intensity rise, as we follow the triad of lovers through the concrete jungle in a journey of tenderness and lust that eventually breeds discord, slowly rotting the apparent idyllic and glamorous exterior from the inside with its all-too-human pettiness and other... "complications". The gorgeous lighting and cinematography are an instant visual hook that complements Israel Gil's lucid Vocals, whose emotional performance -in return- elevates the dramatic impact of the fast-paced cuts showing our protagonists' lives descending into a turbulent rush of excess and conflict that would make Lord Byron smirk.

We had the opportunity to dig a bit deeper on the video and the song by talking directly with the band. Check it out:

Tell us a bit about what prompted the story told in the Music video.

Both the lyrics and the video were inspired by my personal breakup with the woman I had been with for more than 17 years. The video is about a polyamorous love story, I wrote the script and I wanted to show an alternative configuration of "love" and that as any other form of relationship it can come to an end, and it always leaves an empty space behind. The video shows the dark and compulsive path taken by the main characters to fill that emptiness. It's also a video about violence and discrimination against minorities. It's a love story without a happy ending.

There seemed to be a great deal of chemistry between Bernardo Quesney's directorial vision and the band's sound. Do you think you will be working together in the future?

Absolutely, he is a great artist. When I wrote the script I knew I wanted to work with him. Because of the pandemic we had more time to talk about the script, to find the perfect cast, to find the perfect locations. We are very happy with the result and probably our fifth single will have a video directed by him as well.

Your previous album "Hawaii" was a high-concept double album, but what can you tell us about the concept and themes of the upcoming album?

Everything revolves around the concept of crisis, of a change of era. It's not a concept album in the classic sense that Hawaii is. It is though in the sense that it represents as a whole what we're living today as human beings and the concept of "a world" that is ending is perhaps throughout the whole album.  

The upcoming album is absolutely positioned in current times, we used to be more abstract. Not anymore, at least not with this album, it's all about drama on a collective and personal level in this century, in this decade, today.

Will you take the Album on tour when it's out?

Absolutely, that's part of the whole plan. We hope in 2022 we can go back to Europe, and the USA

Compared to some of your previous work, these past couple of singles seem to have a grittier and more gloomy sound; why do you think that is?

Perhaps the times we're living in, the pandemic, the crisis we had to go through as a band when changing our singer, the personal drama I had to go through when my relationship was ending. The growing global violence of these past two years, I think that explains it all.

On that note, how has 2021 been so far for the Band's life on stage? 

In 2021 we haven't been able to play live so far. We started releasing new singles and we are practicing every week.

Speaking of live performances; what would be the dream stage for Aisles?

In terms of venues I love amphitheaters. I would love to share the stage with artists like Steven Wilson, Leprous or Riverside. 

As far as international audiences go, European and North American Bands will always have an edge, but Aisles has been around long enough to be able to notice a shift in reception towards South American bands if any at all. Do you think people, in general, are more readily receptive to your music as something fresh, or are they skeptical still?

There may be a sort of natural preference for European and American bands but once people get to know our music they realize it's an original music act. I can't say if there is any reluctance to hear a band because they are from Latin America but without any doubt there is less exposure for bands like us. Now we've been around for a while and with every new song our audience grows, and it always grows globally and that is something that makes us very happy.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work . Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.