In just four years, BALTHVS, a Colombian trio formed by Balthazar Aguirre, Johanna Mercuriana, and Santiago Lizcano, has redefined the limits of intimate, atmopsheric, psychedelic music. Their music is a fusion of eclectic sounds, ranging from Middle Eastern compositions to cumbia, funk, and surf rock, each track a unique journey of exploration.
Their latest release, Harvest, encapsulates this spirit of discovery. Recorded in the lush tropical hills of Colombia, the album reflects the band’s artistic evolution, built on deep collaboration and intimate creative moments.
Our conversation with BALTHVS delves into this creative process—the collective efforts that shaped Harvest, the significance of working in nature, and how their international experiences have enriched their sound.
From the grooves of “Like Coconut Water” to the dedication of “Anouk,” each track carries with it a story, a slice of life lived during their month-long retreat.
We explore how this album became a soundtrack for many, including myself and friends, during late-night drives that transported us into another dimension.
Join us in this candid interview where we discuss the band’s origins, their inspirations, and the philosophy behind Harvest—an album that feels like a conversation between the earth, the sky, and everything in between.
Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us, and congratulations on your new release! This album truly creates a remarkable atmosphere, akin to driving through the serene, empty streets of a slumbering city. That’s how I discovered it actually! From a listener’s perspective, almost instantly, it’s clear we are dealing with something truly exceptional. To start off, how do you feel now that the album is finally out? What has the initial reception been like?
We’re very happy you guys dig the record! It feels like a more professional release, we always had to find ways to produce vinyl so having it ready to go on stores was a blessing, people have been really enjoying the record and it’s our best seller so far! Harvest will always be a special album since it was fully made by the 3 of us, unlike the previous records.
Please take us back to the early days. How did BALTHVS come to be, and what path have you traveled to arrive where you are today?
Me (Balthazar) and Santiago had a psychedelic rock band called Aguirre Cosmico, it was essentially where we learned how to be in a band basically, on one of the shows this beautiful singer songwriter opened for us, her name was Johanna.
We connected immediately and were living together less than a month after that. We wanted to do something in a trio setting and something that was more relaxing and peaceful than what we were doing, we saw a video of Khruangbin playing (back in 2018) and thought to ourselves, we can put our influences there and do that!
With “Harvest” being your fourth album, how do you feel your sound and approach to music have evolved since your debut?
We’ve all grown as musicians, years touring have done wonders for our skills and we’re far more used to work in the trio setting which gives many challenges in terms of performances and composition, I feel we are now incorporating our old influences from our first band, things like Fela Kuti, Santana, Erkin Koray, the Grateful Dead and Bomba Estereo.
Recorded in a villa amidst lush tropical hills in Colombia, the setting for “Harvest” sounds idyllic. Can you paint a picture for us of what the recording process was like? Any behind-the-scenes moments or photos you’d like to share?
Lush tropical hills in Colombia, very hot weather but we had a nice pool to cool after jamming and recording. Mango trees and birds abound. We had some pictures but we were half naked, the only working AC in the house was in the studio so no pictures this time!
You mentioned that “Harvest” reflects your growth and the sense of a musical family across borders. How has building this musical family influenced your creative process and personal growth?
I feel we’re living the spirit of our times: a Globalized Earth. The internet allows us to venture into 70’s vietnamese music, Anatolian Psychedelic Rock, Ethiopian Jazz, obscure internet genres. We are free from any geographical limitations like in the old days. I think there’s so much out there that we’re very excited to keep exploring and make music with a unique combination of influences which we only have.
This album was a collaborative effort among all three members. How did this equal contribution influence the songwriting process compared to previous albums?
The first records were mostly composed and produced by me (Balthazar), Johanna was learning bass in those first years so she assisted with vocal duties. Santiago didn’t have a drum recording room yet so he couldn’t record drums for it either. As we’ve grown and are able to afford more things we’ve finally reached a point where we can work and record together, simultaneously. Harvest is the result of that.
The tracks featuring Johanna’s beautiful vocals add an intimate dimension to your music. Were you ever tempted to shift the ratio of instrumental sections to sung parts, or vice versa? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this as the creators of this captivating work.
We’re instrumentalists first and singers second so the vocals are always an afterthought, does this song ask for vocals? We let our intuition answer that question and love the balance we currently have of spanish speaking songs, english speaking songs and instrumental tracks.
Could you take us on a track-by-track journey through “Harvest”? Share with us the creation of each song and any stories or messages behind them. For instance, what was the inspiration behind the tranquil groove of “Like Coconut Water” or the dedicated track to the house cat “Anouk”?
1. Sun Colored Eyes: One of the 2 tracks that wasn’t recorded at the farmhouse, mostly a Balthazar effort so we could meet the recording deadline, there’s something about funky beats and hypnotic middle eastern melodies!
2. Asha: Reggaeton is everywhere in our country, we’re not particular fans of that music but the dembow beat on which it is made is a beautiful african rhythm. We wanted to have a song with that beat, this is the result.
3. Anouk: We brought Johanna’s cat ‘Anouk’ to the villa where we recorded this album, he was our companion for a whole month, we loved him so much we had to devote a song to him, you can hear him right at the end of the song.
4. Like Coconut Water: The last track to be recorded in La Mesa, it was a nostalgic goodbye to a very unique month of our lives.
5. Lovin‘: The first track we recorded, we love Sade and Neo Soul and we wanted something chill and sexy.
6. Aguacero: As the song implies it was raining alot for 3 days and the song came naturally, we’re big fans of afrobeat and Fela so we wanted to have a beat like that and put spanish lyrics to it.
7. Mango Season: There were mango’s everywhere in La Mesa, half of our diet was the mango’s that naturally fell around the house. We love the little niche genre we’re in (Khruangbin, Hermanos Gutierrez, Arc de Soleil, Glass Beams) and we feel this is a track that honors that kind of style.
8. Sun & Moon: The second track that wasn’t made at the farm, mostly by Balthazar, we were missing a disco track, something danceable so this was the idea!
9. Venus Flytrap: We were listening to some instrumental math rock from Taiwan and this is what came up, it’s a song that’s naturally connected to the closer of this album.
10. AIO: We remember arguing one day and not feeling in the best of moods, we wanted to embody that not everything is sunshine and everything eventually comes to an end, that is AIO.
The album cover is intriguing. How does it relate to the themes and styles of the album? What message or feeling were you aiming to convey with the visual presentation?
That was mostly made by me (Balthazar), ive made most if not all of the artwork you see on our records and singles. Art should speak for itself but keep in mind before being a musician I was tour guide at the biggest european art museum in Latin America, the Botero museum has everything from Picasso, Miro, Dali, Chagall, Renoir, Toulousse Lautrec, so im a big fan of expressionist and surrealist art.
As you wrapped up the creative process for “Harvest,” did new ideas begin to emerge? Are there any upcoming projects or experimental directions you are excited to explore?
It was such a tight schedule that we couldn’t not use any material. We had to do 10 songs and we could only pull off 8 on that month! We’re very excited for what’s to come, this year we’ve played the most shows in our career so all that playing puts us in an eager creative mood for album #5.
Your live shows are known for their energy and improvisation. What are your plans for live performances in the near future? Any chances we might see you touring in Europe soon?
Yes! We’re playing Europe in October and November this year, we will be visiting Holland, Sweden, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Poland, France, Belgium, the UK, Spain, Switzerland and Portugal!
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Let’s talk about your local scene a bit. How do you participate in the local music scene in Bogota? Can you recommend any local bands or artists that have caught your attention recently?
Even though we have already played the 2 major festivals in Bogotá (Rock al Parque and Festival Centro) and we will also play the biggest music festival in the country next year (Estereo Picnic) we’ve found our style of music is not very popular in our country. We’ve never felt like we quite belong in the music scene there and I guess that’s why we had to find our audience abroad! We would recommend Bomba Estereo, Nicolás y los Fumadores and Buha 2030.
We’re more than halfway through the year. What are some of the most interesting releases you’ve encountered in 2023? Any albums you would nominate for ‘Album of the Year’?
Marcoca – Homage to Delusion
Kali Uchis – ORQUIDEAS
La LOM – The Los Angeles League of Musicians
Thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to add or any message you’d like to send out into the world? Feel free to share whatever is on your mind. Thanks again, and greetings from Warsaw. Cheers!
We’re very happy to visit Poland (specifically Warsaw) for the first time on November 6th at this venue called Jassmine, some of the fans that have listened to us from day 1 are Polish!
We’re so thankful to all the people that have streamed our music, come to our shows and bought a record, you have changed our lives and we hope you keep enjoying the music.
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