Kaleidoscope Sound: Alex Anwandter

Paz Monge

Spanish electro-pop has never sounded so good.

Alex Anwandter comes back all the way from Chile, three years later after the sudden break up of his first band, Teleradio Donoso. The emperor of Spanish electro-pop returned with his LP Rebeldes, full of youth, idealism and lustful melodies.

His successful career as a singer, songwriter and cinematographer led him to have three successful musical projects: Teleradio Donoso, Odisea and his current project as a solo artist. These three bands were influenced by the same pop culture that has influence Anwandter all of his life.

With Rebeldes, Alex Anwandter offers us a new project with great potential, showing us how he evolved from Teleradio Donoso‰’s mainstream pop sound into a more complex electronic harmony. The opening track “Como puedes vivir contigo mismo?‰” embodies the sound Anwandter wants to portray across his first solo album. Through shameless and strong emotions, he‰’s able to create a balance between direct lyrics and really danceable/groovy tunes. Don‰’t let the upbeat rhythm fool you; the lyrics through out the whole album are full of sad memories and regret.

Anwandter‰’s previous musical adventure as Odisea really motivated him to expand his sound into something more danceable, while also giving the listener melancholic and hopelessly romantic melodies. Odisea is characterized by the sonic vibes reminiscent of a retro ’80s workout video through really heavy use of synths and simple, yet engaging drums.

Yet, what caused Anwandter to become a cultural icon was his involvement in the LGBT community. His video of “Como puedes vivir contigo mismo?‰” caused a great amount of controversy, leading him to hit the charts of top Latin American videos. Through colorful scenery full of glitter, erotic energy and sultriness, Anwandter caught the attention of the international music scene. He was also able to prove his cinematographer-chips, by serving as director of this video.

This Chilean star is currently touring several venues at Santiago de Chile and will be one of the highlights of Vive Latino 2013 festival this month in Mexico. His strong and emotional shows have lead him to play at past festivals like Lollapalooza and SXSW during 2k12.