En La Orilla [Vinyl]

Sebastian Rojas – En La Orilla [Vinyl]

En la orilla is the debut album by Sebastin Rojas, a composer and musician born in Mexico City. After years of playing in various bands and collaborative projects, Rojas embarks on a solo journey where the song format expands with unexpected turns, immersive atmospheres, and unconventional arrangements. In the early 2020s, luck seemed to turn against him: the pandemic cut short a tour with his former band just as they were about to take off; he returned from Berlin with no money, and his mother fell gravely ill. In the midst of that chaos, he fell in love. That love helped him rebuild, and together with producer Hugo Quezada, he shaped En la orilla. The album narrates the passage from emotional shipwreck to a new sense of stability, through songs that explore introspection, longing, and vulnerability. The album finds its path somewhere between experimental song, synth pop and balladry. Each piece is woven with synthesizers, melodic bass lines, and saxophones that emerge like emotional flashes. There’s a strong melodic sensibility and an intimate tone that allows the sounds to unfold with freedom. Echoes of artists like Arthur Russell and Robert Wyatt can be felt, as well as the nocturnal spirit of Neil Young’s On the Beach. Mexican bolero forms — Pedro Infante, lvaro Carrillo, Los Panchos — drift in more subtly, alongside traces of 1980s sentimental pop, with figures like Luis Miguel or Miguel Bos appearing more as emotional references than stylistic ones. From Cuba, his father’s homeland, the music of Benny Mor lingers as an early imprint on his musical memory. Highlights include “Demasiado pronto” and “Pulmn del trpico,” the latter inspired by a verse from Roberto Bolao. The album’s emotional range is amplified by the production of Quezada, a key figure in Mexico’s independent music scene. Also contributing are Amrico Hollander (The Americojones Experience) on bass and Emiliano Tinajero (Demencia Infantil) on saxophone.