Interview with Andres Sanchez
Interview by Natalia Rocafuerte
Andres Sanchez (@fuchitsucio) is a musician, podcaster, designer, writer, filmmaker, label founder, and organizer in the Rio Grande Valley.
BLAAST, Blistering Listens and Strange Sounds, Thank You is a weekly music program hosted by Andres Sanchez III, the sole operator and proprietor of Universal Punk, or "U-Punk" for short, a record label and publishing company based in McAllen, TX.
How is your winter going, where are you located?
I’m in McAllen, TX where the seasons all blur together into one long, humid not-summer. I planted tomatoes a month ago and I can’t tell whether or not they are dying. Perhaps they too are frozen with indecision during this pandemic. The winters are getting warmer here every year.
How did you create this piece?
I put my camera on my dashboard, pressed record, and drove away from my apartment two different times and in two different directions, with the intention of spanning the whole Rio Grande Valley. I edited both clips together and composed a score with my yamaha synthesizer and korg drum machine, two independent recordings layered over one another.
Still from Mall Greyhound
What drives your experimental work?
Coming from a place of ignorance and wonder. I don’t like feeling like I know what I’m doing or what I’m looking for, as comforting as it may be. If no one else knows what I’m doing either, even better. Who doesn’t like surprises?
What role does sound/music play in your visual work?
Sounds can sometimes act as the feelings we can’t see. That being said, I find great value in pairing independent visuals and sounds and seeing how they exist in harmony and dissonance.
Do you find yourself inspired by your graphic work as well?
in that my graphic design process mirrors my experimentation process, absolutely. Animation in particular has been very inspiring for me.
Would you care to share your last dream?
The last dream I can recall went as follows: I was in a very green place, a lot of nature, almost Amazonian, with different levels to it, like some kind of naturally occuring Greek structure covered in moss. Everyone around me wore something that resembled a toga, and I think I was some kind of prince or otherwise person of note. I remember having a connection to her, possibly love, or a deep understanding and friendship. At some point, this witch draws negative attention from other 'higher up' people who begin to call for her execution, and decides to disappear. There's a problem though - she's just had a baby. To save her child from being persecuted, she tells me I'm going to need to pretend the child is mine, and that she cursed me with bearing the child myself. As a means of really playing the part, she hands me a knife and tells me to cut my abdomen, to imply that I removed the child from myself after being cursed by her. My dream ended as I began to comply and cut my abdomen open, though I recall not being all that freaked out about it. I didn't wake up in a panic, more of a confusion than anything.
Check out Andres Sanchez'’s latest video project Mall Greyhound during our Experimental Shorts Broadcast hosted by Natalia Rocafuerte on December 4 2020 at 8PM Central Time. RSVP here!
Statement: One of the few things that has helped me feel like I have a grip on reality during this pandemic has been going for drives. It helps keep the high-functioning aspects of my mind occupied while I finally have some time to think. I used to get my fix of this while traveling upstate to catch shows and visit friends, but that all stopped when the pandemic hit, and now the only driving I get to do is around town or across the Rio Grande Valley for a spell. As a result, I've been able to familiarize myself with the different parts of the region, and appreciate what makes them unique. I wanted to capture this experience in my film, which begins on the west side of the Valley during the day and ends on the east side at night. I also composed the score for the film, a combination of droning synthesizers and driving drum machines, neverending patterns just like the long and winding road.
Socials: IG: @fuchitsucio Twitter: @universal_punk U-¶√πk
