Gianluca is a young Chilean revelation in urban music who embraces pop, R&B and trap combining it with originality, eclecticism and experimentation with lyricism that reflects themes of everyday life, love, friendship and disillusionment. “Sismo” was the first preview off Yin Yang, an album recognized by Rolling Stone USA as one of the best Latin albums of 2019. Today, his debut performance as part of the LAMC Indie Showcase takes place at 2:50 PM CST and you can catch it directly at LatinAlternative.com
We asked Gianluca a few questions over email…
How do you feel before your presentation at LAMC and especially in this new format of online/livestream presentations?
I think LAMC is a very interesting festival, to be able to play live even if it is virtually is very good, besides that the session I edited myself so it has a connection with the things I was doing in 2017.
What do you think of the idea of ending the term “urban music”?
I’ve never liked musical genres. the music I like has more to do with the artist than with a particular genre, so I think it’s fine, it’s a loose concept used to skew.
Can you explain a little bit how the concept or symbolism of yin yang is integrated into your music? What does it mean to you?
In the case of the album Yin Yang, the concept is very clear, the first half of the project is yin, the dark side, and the second half is the light side… I think it’s very present in my life and in my music, I live and show many dualities.
In your song “Chainz” you mention alleviating pain and that “sometimes’ the world wants to fuck with me”? (The video is great!) Can you explain a little more?
In Chainz I review a little bit these last years of my life and in them there are many good moments but also darkness.
Can you share with us part of your playlist for the LAMC?
I could share with you a spotify playlist: https://spoti.fi/2YnPN4y
ABOUT GIANLUCA
(Translated from Spanish) — Gianluca is only 23 but a couple of years ago he was already part of the Chilean urban movement. From knowing FL Studio, reviewing rap and committing himself to electronic experimentation, he went on to become one of the freshest projects of risky music, that which seeks to leave the conventional labels, that which bets on merging styles, ideas, sensations and productions.
In the last couple of years he has built his career with three mixtapes: “SSR” from 2017; “Vortex”, from the same year; and “G Love”, where he finishes exploiting his versatility in sound passages that go from reggaeton, trap and R&B, without forgetting the everyday life that represents him so well, as can be heard in his single “Siempre Triste,” a milestone of that work that also marked a take-off in his brief but prolific career.
It is during 2018 that the Santiago de Chile native takes the trap a little further. Collaborations with Fran Straube (Rubio, Miss Garrison), Gepe and Javiera Mena confirm that this is the most refreshing thing on the current music scene; a condition that leads him to be part of the country’s main stages where his staging stands out for its musical and visual emphasis: Festival Neutral 2018, Festival Fauna Primavera 2018, Festival Fluvial 2018 and Lollapalooza Chile 2019.
But his debut would be missing. In October 2019, the artist releases his first debut album, a work from which we got to know the singles “Sismo”, together with Pablo Chill-E, “Solo, “Flotando”, and “Yin Yang”, a featuring with Javiera Mena, who is also in charge of labeling the length. Expected by fans and acclaimed by experts, “Yin Yang” stands out for its excellent production, together with the renowned local producer, Pablo Stipicic. 13 songs that know about light and darkness, two facets that allow us to get to know Gianluca’s versatility: an artist capable of portraying the sensibilities of the end of the world, without judgment in the face of the sound range he has. Just as it was experienced in his exhausted presentation show at the beginning of 2020.
It is this premiere that presents the Chilean in his entirety. A journey that shows the work of composition and creativity that inhabits this race that is preparing its expansion. After trying out his show in the corners of Chile, Gianluca crossed borders, closing a year that saw him on a successful tour that included Spain, Mexico, the United States and Canada, countries in which he reinforced his live show and conquered fans of both indie and trap music. On this tour, he also took advantage of shaping his new music. In Spain he merged Mygal and Love Yi in a dembow hit called “No Me Canso”, while in Canada he joined Jeagen in the production to achieve “Chainz”, the first preview of his 2020 album called “G LOVE 2”, all between video clips that continue to nourish the multi-art experience that Gianluca has presented. A year that gives no rest to the premieres, remixes, unreleased explorations and collaborations are some of the novelties he already has on the horizon; nor to the recognitions, since the artist leads the 2020 nominations for the Pulsar Awards, one of the most outstanding ceremonies in the Chilean industry.