This week we're celebrating HONDO's newest release. We chatted with the Colombian-born artist about Urutaú. The title is inspired by the legend of a ghost bird that hovers over the magical South American landscape
Can you briefly introduce the project "HONDO"?
HONDO's sound can be classified between tribal, deep house, and futuristic electronic dance music - eclectic journeys surrounded by mystery, magical realism, and deep humanity behind the machines. Creator of the record label Sonido Hondo and the showcase Danza Pagana, both artistic projects explore the cosmic side of electronic dance music.
Proud of his South American roots, HONDO is a nomadic artist in constant evolution. Music for HONDO is a way of spiritual connection between nature and technology, which inspires him to create environments in his characteristic Colombian style.
He currently lives in the city of Barcelona, working hard in the studio and focusing on his work as an international DJ and producer.
What can you tell us about "Urutaú"?
Urutaú is an organic and progressive deep house track. It's a journey of deep electronic music inspired by the natural environment of the ghost bird, also called Urutaú, that lives between the north of Colombia and the plains of the pampas of Uruguay. Legend has it that when night falls in the Paraguayan forests, one can hear the impressive lament of the Urutaú, perched all day long on a high treetop, its eyes full of tears, always facing the sun. It has a characteristic chant that is sampled throughout the song, and at times seems to come to life when mixed with the melody and beat of the production.
Tell us a little about your experience with Spotify and the other streaming and download platforms.
Both HONDO and Sonido Hondo are relatively new projects that I've been working on for the last two years since I moved to Barcelona. It's played very well on Spotify, and I haven't quite gotten used to the streaming format yet: it requires constant work, which I hope will be reflected in the label's upcoming releases. As for Beatport: although we know that the music scene is changing for the platform, it is still the best channel for electronic music.
What do you have planned for 2021?
For 2021, we're releasing a lot of new music produced during the quarantine. Next up will be the remixes of Urutaú by pretty talented artists, and right after that, a series of downtempo tracks.