Brooklyn-based Argentine singer/songwriter Federico Aubele returns today with the highly anticipated announcement, his first release in six years. His 11-track LP, The Holographic Moon, is set to release on May 27th and is available for pre-order now. Today he shares the project’s dreamy debut single, “Pink Spray Painted Clouds,” with an equally musing and quixotic music video. Aubele’s signature gentle guitar-plucking mixed with his deep, captivating vocals combine to invite listeners into his own love-filled dream.
Federico Aubele has been blending cultures and defying borders throughout his almost two-decade long career. Bouncing between Buenos Aires, Berlin and Barcelona, and now, Brooklyn, Aubele has fused the sounds of each city and simultaneously melded genres into his powerful songwriting, deep vocals, downtempo electronica, acoustic guitar, flamenco and more. The musician has also managed to seamlessly and seductively join both Spanish and English since he began recording music as Boston Globe, PopMatters and Westword each note. Remezcla calls Aubele, “The true master of Latin down-tempo electronica,” with “eclectic influences that range from tango and bossa nova to dub.”
It was in 2014 that Aubele graced the famed NPR Tiny Desk stage, where his use of both Spanish and English mixed with his lower register inspired NPR to write, “While touches of nostalgia and longing seep into both the words and the way he sings them, Aubele can also wrangle a shy smile and a whimsical raised eyebrow with that deep, emotive voice.”
Now, in 2022, he’s ready to re-introduce himself with his forthcoming full-length album, The Holographic Moon, featuring artwork done by Aubele himself. With the help of guests ranging from Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms for Peace) on percussion, Iain Cook (Chvrches) and YukaHonda (Cibo Matto) on synths, Melissa Mary Ahern (Sulfjian Stevens) on vocal harmonies, the YMusicEnsemble (Paul Simon, Jose Gonzales) on orchestra arrangements and Kenny Wollensen (Tom Waits) on drums, Aubele looks to push boundaries of what traditional lyricism and genres might look like, and further establish himself as a dynamic, multicultural musician to watch as he continues to reach new depths.
Delving into the new single and the first taste of the album to come, Aubele says, “This is a hopeful, intimate and sleepy song about the morning after you wake up with someone you love and know for certain your love is reciprocated and the path ahead is a shared one. I always feel like many artists prioritize the breakup song over the falling in love theme. Those first moments when you realize what’s going on are as powerful and intense as the end of a relationship. The song came to me very spontaneously at a time when my relationship with my partner was starting to bloom and we both felt like we were inside a beautiful film, or a cloud in the magic hour.”
With a tranquil upstate New York as the backdrop, the video for “Pink Spray Painted Clouds,” directed by Angus Borsos (Mac Demarco, Julia Holter), explores both self-love and romantic love as Aubele, alongside his wife Jane, fall in love all over again.
Describing the video, Aubele says, “The video for “Pink Spray Painted Clouds” is a story of self discovery and self love. I wanted to steer away from the classic love story in the video and thought that the first thing needed to find love is to find some level of self-love. We shot it upstate and the actress is my wife, Jane. The crow character is one I have been using for photos and will be using for the live shows too so I thought it would be nice to include it in the video.”
As Seattle Weekly writes, “Aubele’s vocals are richly poetic and echo phrasings reminiscent of a Spanish Leonard Cohen,” Federico Aubele aims to reimagine what melding genres and intimate emotion can sound like. The Holographic Moon is due out May 27th, and available for pre-order now. A romantic daydream in song form, “Pink Spray Painted Clouds,” is out now.
Federico Aubele Bio
Originally from Buenos Aires, Federico Aubele lived in Berlin and Barcelona before settling in Brooklyn where he currently resides. Federico started making music at 11 years old when he picked up an old forgotten guitar that belonged to his mother and had been stored up underneath his bed for years. He’s been releasing music and touring as Federico Aubele since 2004 to glowing reviews, performing all major festivals in North America and Europe (Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Montreal Jazz Fest, Balaton Sound).
The combination of organic and electronic elements is at the center of his sound, driven by Aubele’s deep reverberating baritone voice, meticulous songwriting and precise spanish guitar.
Federico’s songs have been licensed for various films, TV shows, commercials and video games over the years. Whether in English or Spanish, his lyrics always center around universal themes such as love, solitude, struggle and hope.
Press release provided by Big Hassle.
