He's been backed by everybody from the UN to New World Symphony. He's created spectacles everywhere from Paris to New York. He sees sound not simply as a way to accompany vision, but to enhance it too. He is Gabriel E. Pulido aka Gabó, and Wednesday night, at Miami Beach Cinematheque, he takes on two films from supreme Surrealist Luis Buñuel.
For those who may not know, who is Gabó? I am a composer, sound artist, performer, and sometimes producer. I mainly compose Electronic Music, but in the large sense, not reduced to club music. The name, well, Gabó actually is how my friends called me in France, and because of the French accent, it naturally became Gabó (with an emphasis on the o).
What made you decide to sound off with Buñuel at Miami Beach Cinematheque? I have always been very attracted to film, and An Andalusian Dog is a picture I encountered very early in my studies. Therefore, when I learned the MBC was going to do a whole retrospective on Luis Buñuel, and having myself just performed there, we (Dana Keith, the MBC's Director) thought about the idea of a live performance. For me, it was a great opportunity to revisit these Film Classics, now with a bit more experience...
This isn't your first foray into the world of multi-media performance, is it? That's right. I really started playing with visuals while living in Paris, either with a video artist who would adapt his material to my original live Electro performances, or me scoring video installations. Then, I initiated a multimedia performance with dance and video called Deep Surface which was premiered at Sleepless Night Miami Beach 2009. Still in Miami, I have started collaborating with local video artist Erwin Georgi aka Buzzeye, with whom we have created a series of performances inspired on film classics such as Godard's Breathless.
Didn't you also recently release a more or less traditional EP? Indeed, I have released several EPs and one full LP called Somewhere Between the Beach & the Sea, which is very cinematic. The track "After the Moonlight" is part of it, but in its "lounge" version, which I had the privilege to perform with the New World Symphony Fellows at a special event in NYC. It was precisely the rapport with them (and especially the encouragement from NWS Friends Development Director Stacey Glasman), that I decided to release its original Piano version. This became the After The Moonlight EP. It is a very personal piece that I had actually started in Miami many years ago and finished in Paris with an intimate premiere at the place where Picasso painted the Guernica. Then, back in Miami, I had the honor of premiering the piece with NWS Fellows at the Lincoln Theater.
And didn't this summer also see something with Natascha Bessez? Yes! While After The Moonlight had a night and winter feeling, I recently released my first track with lyrics in Spanish with guest singer Natascha Bessez from NYC. It is called Aire de Verano and it embraces an alternative summer Rock/Electro sound.
What's with the far-flung collaborations anyway? I really like to collaborate, and that is why I ended up calling Natascha for a full album in a new project covering classic pop songs such as "You are my Sunshine" and Donovan's "Mellow Yellow". This will be out this fall and is a duet we have named Neo-Son. On the multimedia front, I continue with the Deep Surface project and I will also perform on November 5th at Sleepless Night 2011 with Buzzeye inspired by another film master...
Should we expect to hear a similarly-informed sounding at the Cinematheque on Wednesday? Well, this performance is very unique and given the films, very edgy. I am focusing more on sound moods rather than actual new music, since we want to preserve the original Buñuel playlist. It is a new approach for me... you will tell me after the performance!
Gabó takes on Buñuel's An Andalusian Dog and L'Age D'Or Wednesday August 31, 7:30pm at Miami Beach Cinematheque 1130 Washington Ave.Miami Beach For more information call (305) 673-4567 or log on here.
