ALBUM INFO:

Full-length studio album of traditional and contemporary Flamenco music.

Released June 15, 2023

From the album liner notes: ESPASÓN (EH-SPAH-SOHN)

The word ESPASÓN derives from the Spanish words for space and sound - ESPACIO and SONIDO. As an artist trained in architecture and music, space and sound are the mediums of my creative work. They are sources of inspiration, means for expression, and vehicles for communication. They also represent tension and struggle. They compete for time and attention, pulling me in different directions and rarely existing in equilibrium. Ultimately, I welcome the tension. I would not be the musician I am without my experience shaping space. I would not be the architect I am without my experience shaping sound. My mediums are interdependent and forever linked.

The seeds for the music recorded here were planted in 2017, when I relocated from the United States to Spain. Prior to this, I was self-taught as a musician, dedicated and thoroughly obsessed. A love of art has always been part of my DNA, but flamenco did something different. It grabbed me hard and did not let go. Before I knew it, I had become a professional musician. After self-producing my first record, Punto Lejano, in 2014, it was clear that a life of music was ahead of me. But, I needed more. My resources for artistic development were being exhausted. I needed more training. I needed to cultivate stronger artistic relationships and permeate flamenco’s deeper meaning and culture. I understood flamenco was not just a musical or dance style. It was an entire life philosophy, value system, and creative universe unto itself.

After many years of hard work and professional sacrifice, I was awarded a Fulbright performing arts fellowship. It gave me my first opportunity for complete immersion into music, and forever changed the trajectory of my life and career. I moved to Sevilla for instrument training with master guitarists and, most critically, to live among the Andalusian people and the culture of flamenco. This time was special, and only deepened my love of the art form and that part of the world. It fortified my sense of commitment and accelerated my development as an artist.

This project started in earnest near the end of 2021, as the world began to emerge from the COVID pandemic. It builds on existing relationships and forges new collaborations with artists I met in Spain. It is a concept album that unfolds gradually and episodically. It was conceived as a single experience with musical encounters that shift dramatically in character. Certain episodes are firmly rooted within flamenco traditions, and others venture into more experimental territory. All tap into specific parts of my musical sensibilities, while also showcasing the artistry of an international team of musicians. The roots of flamenco guitar lie in accompaniment, which plays a central role in my approach to the instrument. The guitar is front and center at certain moments, but also spends considerable time accompanying others and guiding the search for larger, cinematic ensemble sounds.

CREDITS:

Flamenco Guitar: Gustavo Alonso López

Voice: Edu Hidalgo

Clarinet | Harmonica: Diego Villegas

Percussion: Davide Sampaolo

Trumpet: Brian Chin

Double Bass: Steve Schermer

Lyrics: José Luis Rodríguez Ojeda

Musical Direction | Composition | Arrangements | Production: Gustavo Alonso López

Graphic Design: Gustavo Alonso López

Photography: Gustavo Alonso López | Jeremy Wesley

Recording Engineers: - Michael Thomas Connolly (Assisted by Jeremy Wesley & Zach Miller) | Empty Sea Studios, Ferndale, WA - Eduardo Rebollar | Artes Escénicas Rebollar, Sevilla, Spain - Ron Haight | Common Tone Productions, Seattle, WA

Mixing Engineer: Michael Thomas Connolly | Empty Sea Studios, Ferndale, WA

Mastering Engineer: Rachel Field | Resonant Mastering, Seattle, WA