Astro

Mateo Kingman conceives of his second album Astro as a cure for the healthy. It’s a journey across the constellation of the snake, a journey at once earthly and cosmic. The poetic text expressed with a multiplicity of vocal timbres drives the musical journey, starting with the decision to face up to our demons, passing through a deep sense of vertigo and sacred healings, to return us to ourselves, reconciled and grateful.

Musically, Astro expresses an intense investigation, tying together different threads: contemporary urban song (trap, hip hop, and elements of electronic music), traditional Latin American melodies influenced by shamanic icaro chants, and the emphasis on synthesizers, resulting in a new, hypnotic kind of sound.

The journey begins with “Umbral”, its introduction reminiscent of a prayer, a representation of the moment when we understand we need help. With each song we go further into the meaning of this introspective journey. “Puerta de Sal” is an invitation to let ourselves go, embrace the absence of control and take a leap of faith into the unknown. “Último Aliento”, made in collaboration with Gustavo Santaolalla, speaks of the acceptance of death as an indispensable part of life. “Religar”, the first single from the record, is about reconciliation, the possibility of returning to oneself after the disintegration of the self. The journey ends with “Astro”, which gives its name to the album, and represents the learning we carry with us after a spiritual journey.

In a world in which we increasingly need more stimuli and approval from the outside, Astro invites us to take a look inside and explore all the aspects of the self, from the darkest to the lightest. On this record, Mateo Kingman shows a strong point of view as the author, although he moves away from the sounds and themes with which he made his name, daring to mix current trends, urban rhythms and vocal experiments, forming a constellation through which we can all travel, showing a clear personal and musical evolution.

Astro is out on AYA Records, an imprint of ZZK Records on July 26, 2019