Meet Chris Mazuera

We love some good clean guitar fun on this little bloggy blog, and Chris Mazuera is just that…mixed in with an intoxicating bit of piano and a whole heck of chill, lo-fi noises. It’s all guaranteed to get you in a mooooood, and a darn good one at that. 

Following his recent release of East End, we had a chin wag with Mazuera about his impeccable work alongside our usual nonsense. Below, we chat about the difficulties of layering, the heart-shattering music of Up, and his dream collaborators.

Don’t watch Up (at least not right now). DO read this interview.  

NAPOLEON a Mad-lib by Chris Mazuera

I have known STEPHA for 1 year and QUIETLY recommend him/her for the position of assistant LAVA CAKE in your DREAMY company. I can't PHOTOSYNTHESIZE enough about this person's WAVY character and ability to get along with his/her fellow SAIGAS. As for educational background, STEPHA is a college POODLE, is capable of speaking several foreign LUGIAS, and has an IQ of 2112. You will find STEPHA to be a CHOCOLATY worker who is not only as smart as a MACARON, but who doesn't know the meaning of the words “don’t HEADBUTT me!” Unfortunately, this is one of many words this person doesn't know the meaning of.

Would You Rather

always shed pine needles wherever you go, or occasionally cough up hairballs? Why? 

Probably cough up hairballs if occasionally only means like once a day, at least I could figure out a way to hide that. Although it would be absolutely terrible. Not sure how you could hide shedding pine needles, and I’d rather not be a walking Christmas tree in 24/7 pain cause that shit sounds painful.

Some questions with Chris Mazuera

What do you find to be the most challenging part of layering a track?

Knowing when to stop. It’s easy to get carried away adding more and more layers, but in the end it can just make it seem too busy. And most of the music I listen to isn’t layered with too many things either so I try to draw a lot of inspiration from that, seeing how other people make their music so full and say so much with so little. 

Who was a significantly influential family member growing up?

My mom. As far as I can remember she’s always encouraged me to follow my dreams and do what makes me happy, never making me feel like I what I wanted out of life was too much or unachievable. When I told her I didn’t want to go to college and move to New York, she was just like “Finally!”. If I didn’t have her I don’t know if I’d be able to do the things I do today. 

Who would be your dream collaborator?

Producer would probably be Kiefer. His beats were a big part of what inspired me to try to make them myself, and he’s one of those musicians that the moment you hear them play, you know it’s them. He also seems like a pretty cool guy.

If you could only make music with one piece of gear for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Probably my S61 Native Instruments midi keyboard. Mainly just cause I can do the most with it out of any other piece of gear considering plugins and what not. If you count the computer and keyboard as 2 separate pieces of gear, then probably my guitar since that what I started on.  

Do you have a piece of musical gear that you have been really into lately

Yeah, I just got a Korg Minilogue last month for Christmas and I’ve been making music with it so much, thanks Dad. The presets are great, its so compact and its really inspired me to pursue a different sound for things I produce. Most of the things I’ve been making with it are more on the side of pairing it with realer sounding drums, more like a chill psychedelic band sort of sound. 

If you had control of all bats on the earth what would you do with them?

I think I’d just have them bring me anywhere I want. How sick would it be if you’re just walking down the street and you noticed a bat tornado around one guy and then he’s just floating up into the sky. 

What draws you to create primarily instrumental music?

I’m not a great singer. Thats pretty much one of the only reasons, the other being that I’ve always been an instrumentalist and its just what I know how to get my voice through with. Before I produced beats and what I make now, I tried making progressive metal kind of like Animals as Leaders and Intervals, and my stuff just wasn’t that good. 

What movie has your favorite soundtrack?

Up. That movie makes me cry every time I watch it, and the music definitely doesn’t help.

How is the world going to end?

50% some human-caused issue, 50% some random meteor that wants to fuck us up. 

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Be you, do what makes you happy, enable others to do what makes them happy.