The first time I interviewed Valgur that he was in their living room in Mexico City, surrounded by piles of broken synthesizers. It was 2019 and the band's debut album Zapantou was gaining underground buzz for its unusual collage of electronic sounds and esoteric motifs, incorporating the eerie aesthetic of vampires and the dreamy poetry of the Zapotec. But beneath their otherworldly creations, the universal human issues of religion, family and indigenous identity have always dominated.
During that initial conversation, the fraternal duo of Elizabeth and Hugo Valdivieso expressed a growing fascination with jazz prog ensembles, dating back to their devout Christian upbringing in the mountain state of Oaxaca. The stacks of instruments they'd been making throughout the apartment were being repaired in an ambitious—and hopefully affordable—attempt to invent fresh sounds for their next record. Four years later, these expansive, handcrafted ideas became reality on Valgur's second LP of Armageddonan art-pop opus filled with 80s drums, anime vocals and biblical iconography that landed on our best Spanish-language albums of 2023.
Valgur have developed into one of the most exciting and unpredictable bands currently working in Mexico's evergreen indie scene. Revamping their theatrical performance ahead of a recent opening for The Drums, they take to the stage dressed in contrasting black and white, incorporating dramatic veils and swords, and with Elizabeth bearing a striking resemblance to Joan of Arc and folk ghost La Llorona. At the same time, almost every piece away of Armageddon has been given the music video treatment, with the pair embracing goth-punk “Hijos del Caos,” and delivering a horror-fueled critique of capitalist consumerism “Vanidad”.
Now, the band premieres the music video for their pulsating album “El Castillo de la Pureza,” exclusively to Rolling Stone. The collaboration with Hello Seahorse! Singer Denise Gutiérrez is a dazzling explosion of post-punk and angelic harmonies juxtaposed sharply with lyrics about true crime and substance abuse. The video, directed by visual artist Esfera Permanente with photography by Alicia Nieto, unfolds like an excerpt from Gaspar Noé's Gaspar Noé. Suspiriabased on frenetic choreography and captures the paranoid psychedelia of disaffected teenagers looking for a quick fix.
We caught up with Valgur on tour to reveal the personal experiences behind the deceptively exuberant track and learn how a cocktail of MTV, church jams and indigenous wisdom nurtured their unique craft.
Tell us about your origin story. What were your first adventures in music?
Initially we were involved in music and performance in the Evangelical church. Elisabeth began singing and acting in small theater productions at the age of five, and Hugo was playing drums in a Christian praise group at the age of eight. A few years later we joined the church band and that discipline shaped our teenage years. Meanwhile at home we were collecting instruments from children writing songs as a game. We had so much fun experimenting and recording, that whole days would go by without ever going outside.
Family is extremely important in Valgur, since not only are you siblings, but you also learned Zapotec from your grandmother. How do family and Oaxacan traditions intersect with your music?
Valgur's tradition is rooted in our domestic environment and family dynamic. We have always analyzed our experiences and this introspection manifests itself in issues of violence, religion, territory, language, indigeneity and gender roles, as well as a constant questioning of identity. We lived in a traditional Zapotec household until the age of 17, inheriting a particular worldview and customs. But on the other hand, imagine sitting in our living room, having conversations in Zapotec, with late 90s MTV playing in the background, watching Home Alone and A Nightmare on Elm Street… When we moved to Mexico City we understood that wisdom and reason are shaped by social conditions, so Valgur will always be reshaped according to new experiences.
While both of your albums Zapantou (2019) and of Armageddon (2023) are based on synthpop, this latest production with injected post-punk, jazz and prog. Tell us about your sonic evolution.
Oh, there's a huge jump between the two albums. For starters, there was a four-year period where we assimilated many new experiences and lessons that make up the sonic, literary and theatrical collage of of Armageddon. This time you can hear influences from Michael Jackson, Kool N the Gang and Britney Spears, [city-pop stars] Junko Yagami and Junko Akashi, [Christian singers] Marcos Vidal and Marcos Witt, and [prog ensembles] Torre Fuerte and Saktak were sprinkled throughout the record.
“El Castillo de la Pureza” is one of the most exuberant and enigmatic songs out there of Armageddon. How did it come about and how does it relate to the paranoid narrative of the music video?
“El Castillo de la Pureza” was the name given to a very famous child abuse case that took place in Mexico City during the 1950s, when it was discovered that a man had kept his family locked up in the house for 18 years. Later, in 1973, it was adapted into a film by screenwriter José Emilio Pacheco and director Arturo Ripstein, which we watched a lot throughout the pandemic. We related to the story having experienced a six-month incarceration for addiction, where we had no contact with the outside world, and that made the song click. The video was directed by Esfera Permanente, a visual artist from Colima, Mexico, with photography by Alicia Nieto. The clip references the film through the three characters trying to escape this room – utopia, will and future. “El Castillo de la Pureza” is a state of mind that limits their perception and understanding of the outside world, and hence their despair and confusion.
How did you meet Denise Gutiérrez for this song? Was she ready for the surreal ride?
We met Denise in 2020 when she invited us to open a Hello Seahorse! appearance at the iconic, and since demolished, Plaza Condesa in Mexico City. After this collaboration we started talking about recording a song together and we felt that “El Castillo de la Pureza” would showcase her voice well. We told her that the song explores issues of substance abuse and recovery, and she connected with it in her own way, so we went to her studio and recorded all of her views in one day.
There's a really unexpected but fun interview with Denise halfway through the song.
Yes, we're always thinking of new ways to approach our songs, everywhere from lyrical structure to performance and larger themes worth exploring. In this case we thought of breaking the conventional development of a partnership. People usually expect the guest to sing or play an instrument, however, as big radio fans we decided to introduce Denise with an on-air interview. Our protagonist is Agustín Valdivieso, our best friend since childhood and someone we consider the third Valgur. Whenever we want voice acting, it's our first port of call.
of Armageddon it's still pretty new, but what can you tease about the future of Valgur?
Fortunately, this album has brought many wonderful developments, including constant touring, which is a dream job! We were fully booked in 2023 and it looks like this year will be the same, starting with an extensive run of shows across Mexico. In the summer we will play our first shows in the United States, as well as the rest of Latin America. We also record new songs, release merch and vinyl releases Zapantou and of Armageddon dropping with Buen Día Records very soon. Most of all we are grateful to our fans and team at Worldwide Records, Bandemia Fest and Hits Futuros for believing in this project. This is a collaborative effort and everyone was necessary to share his story of Armageddon.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/valgur-el-castillo-de-la-pureza-video-premiere-1234972765/