Interview to Brais Sánchez (Braishtalung)

Today in Galicia Alive we are glad to offer you the interview we had with Brais Sánchez. This Galician musician who lives in Barcelona publishes his new musical solo project: Braishtalung.

Welcome, how are you?

Not bad, thanks.

To start Brais, tell us how do you got into the music? What is the beginning of Brais “the musician”?

Well, I suppose the beginning was before playing any instrument. When I was at home and I listened to any band my sister played. Listening to these instruments freaked me out. I started to play quite late, I was 18. I remember there were many bands in my town (Noia) during that period, well, like nowadays. There were Os Paralelos, Kertuler… Strabissmo wasn’t properly a band, but it was starting. I remember we went to see the trials of those bands and then I started to play the guitar. It was my obsession, I was playing for hours. I played 10 – 12 hours per day and I had quite good level after a bit longer than a year.

Why music and not another kind of art? What does music give you?

Well, I suppose music because it’s what you do when you are 18: listening to music, smoking joints and drinking. I didn’t received any information from another kind of art. Nowadays I’m 27, I meet other people and many other information is brought to me. But I think the reason was the easy way to listen to music, to buy an instrument… everything.

Nowadays you live in Barcelona. What was the reason to come to Barcelona? Why does a musician from Noia decide to come to Barcelona?

During that time I wanted to live in a bigger location, to live in a big city and to try the musical status in another place. I lived in Santiago and the girlfriend I had during that time came to Barcelona to study. I started to look for music schools. I was very obsessed, even being so easy way and almost nothing obsessed – he says ironically. – I found a nice one whose name is Taller de Músics and I came to study. But the main reason was trying the musical status and atmosphere in a big city.

What does Barcelona give you that Galicia couldn’t? and vice versa,  what would Galicia give that Barcelona can’t? 

Galicia… – he thinks. – When I think on the people from there, for example, I would like to have developed myself as musician there. I would like to play there and, from there, go to other places. But it wasn’t possible in that moment. Proximity in Galicia is more inspiring. It looks like artist foolishness, but I really think a lot on Santiago when I compose. Not only on its streets, on everything, on the atmosphere you can breathe.

So, for you Galicia is inspiration?

Yes, it is. But not only mountains, forest, back pipes… everything. The smell of gasoline or the exhaust pipe smell of the bus I used to take… I don’t know crazy things. Here I don’t have this here, not the same as there. What I do have here is the opportunity to make this real.

We have listened some songs of Braishtalung, – pronounced doing the strength on penultimate syllable -, did I pronounced it properly?

Braishtalung – doing the strength on last syllable, he corrects me – Actually I don’t know how to pronounce it – laughs.

Your new project. What is the reason to choose this name? What does it mean the word behind your name?

Talung is a mountain whose height is over seven thousand meters and it’s part of Himalaya. Moreover talung is a shadow puppet which is awesome, it is funny. Myself on the top of a mountain being a puppet or mountain which has the same size as a puppet (laugh). Moreover there is a German word a friend of mine that you also know, B. Soto told me. The word is Brainstralung and it’s a kind of radiation. Now choose what you like the most.

What can we expect from this project? 

In this project what you’ll find is a person who tries to be very honest, but lying.

What does that mean?

That means I only want to do things I really feel. Nothing forced. Nothing is done using previous ideas. Something direct, from the inside. Unadorned. Using all my pain and everything I have inside myself. I don’t modify an idea I have had, but I always follow pop guidelines.

Then, do you extemporize?

No. Nothing at all. That’s what I tried to say when I told you that I follow guidelines. There is nothing which is experimental, maybe it happens sometimes when I loose my head. I make music like this: AB AB. There’s not complication.

We have listened some songs and curiosity lead us to ask you, why Galician and English?

The reason to sing in English is that since I was a kid I listened to English music. So when I listen to myself singing it’s like listen to Paul McCartney. Well, Paul McCartney no because I never like him. I don’t know, anyone I like… anyone.

As I told you, if I try to do music from my inside, with its pros and cons, language should come from my inside too. And there is not other language than Galician. It means, I like sonority of English language; and in Galician, moreover of sonority, words make me feel more when I sing them.

Which (musical or not) influences have influenced you and how have they influenced your music?

Well, I suppose when you listen to my music you know it: Elliot Smith, also José González, but now he’s a bit boring for me, and the biggest one is Nick Drake. First time I listened to Nick Drake it was like time stood. “This guy, what is he doing with the guitar?” –  he reminisces – It looked like there were many guitars. The way he sees guitar and how he links melodies of his voice and guitar, the rhythms… I consider him my maximum influence. Even today I can’t see a documental about him. I have book about his life and I didn’t read it because I can’t.

What does he bring you? What is he for you?

I don’t know how to express it. For me he is part of myself. Crazy… He is a person connected to me, even he died in 74 – he explains. –I don’t know, man. He is part of myself. This is because I like his music much. After this, my head drove me crazy so much that I think he’s inside of me. Actually it is because his music got very deep into me. His style, the way he plays… I’m very far to reach him. Anyway I tried be different to him regarding to music.

What is the best memory form Braishtalung until now? Not only song, any experience.   

Until now, there is not much done, so concerts. At the end I shout. Music is very calm, but, I have no idea how I do it, I shout at the end.

But… shouting? What do you mean?

Trying to sing, but shouting instead of it. People look like…- he uses an onomatopoeia showing strangeness.

But well?

But wrong sometimes. This is what I’ll remember, my best memory. I’m trying to solve it, I don’t want to shout really. Actually I like sensitive things. But I shout when people do not listen. I want them to pay attention and I shout. But I trying to solve as I said.

What do you want to show?

It depends on the song. It depends a lot on the track. In general they won’t show gladness. It could give you big gladness if it completes you as person. What I really want is embodying my feelings. I don’t know what people feel, in the case I’ve just told you: dread – he says smiling.

To know more about you, where can we find Brais? Where can we listen to Braistralung? Tell us your links: website, social media… Where can we find you in life?

OK, in life you can find me lost. Then, you can find me at home and, regarding social network, as Aznar said: “estamos trabajando en ello”. The project was born as live music in Barcelona. The idea is publishing an EP and then create the website, Youtube channel…  

We will be alert.

You should.

In addition to Braishtalung, any other project we can listen to soon? Where can we get it? What other projects do you have or in which other bands do you play?

The most alive one is O Gancho Sanches. Right now we are in a period of stand by because we’ve just recorded an EP, which will be the first. We recorded it last December and now we have to do mixing and masterisation. Barcelona is full doing this, there’s queue, because there are 4400 bands in each hood. Until March or April we won’t have anything. This is a real project I work on. We have a website and if you look for Gancho Sanches on Youtube we also have some videos, like the one from “lemursic”. lemursic is Youtube channel, owned by people from Barna, which works with local band recording an live concert and an interview. You can see it, I was very nervious – he confesses. – There are also on Youtube some videos from other concerts in Barcelona. There is a Facebook page… You can see I don’t work alone in the band.

Then, if we write down Gancho Sánchez on Facebook it will appear?

Gancho Sanches – he corrects -, “s” at the final.

Is there any other project we can listen to son moreover those two (Braishtalung and Gancho Sanches)?

No. Well yes. I can speak about some projects I want to do. It’s not sure. There is a possible project together an audio poet from Barcelona, Víctor López, who do audio poetry, “overtone singing”. He published an album called PHONO SONUS. There he tests loops, poem and sing, just amazing; and there is a project together, but it’s not complete sure. The most entrenched is Gancho Sanches.

To end with this interview, tell something else about yourself to people who don’t know you, something about Brais.

It makes me feel ashamed… – he thinks and confesses – I don’t to say anything because I know it would be worst for me – he laughs – and I know it wouldn’t be good for me.

Many thanks!

Thanks back!

After reading the interview, the most important thing: his music. There it goes a track Brais Sánchez presents in Galicia Alive.