“Volver Al Futuro”, the Debut Album by Les Enfants (Uruguayan Artist)

(English translation of an article originally posted on Cooltivarte.com)

Les Enfants Uruguay
Jorge Luis Borges once claimed that dreaming was the oldest aesthetic activity which ever existed. That is the first lesson any creative person actually learns, or (at the very least) the one he ratifies when he intends to tell his own stories, and set down an imaginary rhythm that could move as many people as possible. The beauty that is veiled from perception by the tedium of routine and by these memories that sorely search for oblivion becomes visible only in these lands we dream on. The world of dreams is the world of creativity in its most crystalline expression.

And you know what? Immersing yourself in such a world is not that difficult. What’s difficult is bringing out what you manage to find there, and having it applied to reality in a way that retains its charm intact, and that doesn’t leave you uneasy, looking at your hands as if trying to remember what you could create with them whilst you were dreaming.

“Volver Al Futuro” [Back To The Future] is the first album by Les Enfants, and it manages to showcase what happens when both worlds become perfectly interconnected. “Volver Al Futuro” is the stage in which dreams and reality become all and one.

The band was started in 2008, and its five members decided to pick a French moniker since they reasoned a name in French would be more memorable in a scene where English names are legion. But they also went for one such name because they still see themselves as children in many senses, specially when it comes to all ludic activities.

Les Enfants Volver al futuro

In essence, Les Enfants are a rock-pop band which uses synthesizers to enrich their music. It’s evident that bands such as Primal Scream, The Killers, The Smiths and The Flaming Lips have been a great influence on their sound. And so have been a handful of South American bands such as Soda Estéreo and Virus.

Martín Vallejo acts as the band’s vocalist, and the songs are created collectively. Martín brings his different drafts to each and every rehearsal, and they all work together to shape both the lyrics and the music.  Martín is likewise one of the two guitar players in the band, along with Mauro Bolatino.

Roberto Suárez handles all keyboards and synths, whereas the band’s rhythmic section is made up of Javier Gorgoso on drums, and Rodrigo González on bass. Continue reading