Age has been a determining factor in the growth and maturity of Roberto Musso as an artist. Over time, he has acquired a more philosophical perspective on music and life in general. He has also managed to stay connected with young people, his lyrics increasingly impact a generation that he defines as existentialist. What is The Quartet of Us now? This told us.
The Quartet of Us They are touring our country to present their album from last year, “Plate Eleven” (Stubborn Records, 22). After they performed in Valencia yesterday, you can still see them today in Barcelona (June 21, Sala Razzmatazz) and Madrid (June 22, La Riviera).
Your music often features deep thoughts and describes characters in unique ways. Could you tell us a bit about your creative process and how you develop these characters in your songs?
Storytelling is an essential element in my music. I like to explore the limits of the plausible, creating characters that people can identify with in some way. Sometimes I draw inspiration from personal experiences or everyday situations to bring these characters to life in my songs. It’s a breakdown process from an initial concept and I’m pretty strict about staying true to that concept. One sometimes has no idea of the number of stories that can emerge through a single person, each one is authentic in their own way.
“It’s amazing to see how we have evolved as a band over these forty years”
Some of your followers have noticed a rapprochement in your style with rap. Could you tell us more about your taste in rap and how you incorporate elements of hip hop with rockier instrumentation into your music?
Yes, rap and hip hop are genres that I really like. I see in them an opportunity to develop Spanish and create characters in a different way. My approach with Eminem had a big influence on the way I started writing lyrics. As for the instrumentation, we like to fuse different styles in El Cuarteto de Nos. We are a weird rock band, as we like to say, and we enjoy experimenting with mixing genres. Sometimes we incorporate pop rock choruses with hip hop influences, which allows us to explore new sounds and enrich our musical proposal.
One of your albums, “Bipolar” (09), was considered an experiment in terms of phrasing. Could you tell us more about this experience and how it influenced your music?
“Bipolar” was an album where we explored different song structures. It was a way to get out of the conventional and take our music down a weirder and more particular path. I like to take a solid concept and break it down to create something new and amazing. In that sense, “Bipolar” was an experimentation that allowed us to expand our creative limits and explore new sound horizons.
The most recent album by El Cuarteto de Nos is “Lámina Once”, which was created during the pandemic. Could you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind these songs and how the current state of the world served as inspiration?
“Lámina Once” was a collection of songs that emerged during the pandemic, as you say. The political and social reality, the arrival of the Pope and the implications he had in our region, loneliness and current problems were some of the themes we explored in this album. The pandemic made many sentences that he wrote take on a new meaning and depth. It was a moment of reflection and the music became a reflection of a world that was becoming bigger than it was. Lately, as a band we are addressing mental health issues, which is why the title is inspired by the Rorschach ten slide test. Our album is the sheet that we are yet to discover because the world continues to advance in its good things, and in its bad things.
What role do you think the narration plays in your songs and how have fans connected the different songs with each other?
The narration is fundamental in our songs and that phrase is a reflection of the trajectory of the band and life itself. As an artist I am very interested in who is telling the story and how the story unfolds throughout the song. I think our fans have managed to make connections between different songs and somehow focus on making their own storytelling. For example, in songs like “Buen día Benito” and “Calma Vladimir”, there is a conversation between characters that invites us to reflect on various topics. It’s an experience fans can dive into and find deeper meanings.
“As a musician, I have always felt the need to reflect and question the reality that surrounds us through my music”
One of your best-known hymns is “Iendo a la casa de Damián”, which has become a hymn for many young Latin Americans. Could you tell us a bit about the story behind this song and how it ties into the story of the Cuarteto de Nos?
“Why is it so hard for me to get there?” is the key phrase of this song and is a metaphor for the history of El Cuarteto de Nos. It is a song that represents the struggle and the obstacles that we have faced throughout our trajectory. For many Latin American youth, it has become an anthem that reflects their own experiences and their challenges in reaching their goals. It is a subject that has a very deep meaning for us and we are happy to see how it has connected with so many people.
This year marks your fortieth anniversary since its formation in 1984. How would you describe the evolution of the band from its beginnings as a school hobby to where it is today? How do you think people’s interaction with technology has influenced that evolution?
It’s amazing to see how we’ve evolved as a band over these forty years. We started as a school hobby and, over time, we became a band with a solid track record. I believe that the interaction of people with technology has had a significant impact on our evolution. It has allowed us to reach a wider audience and experiment with new forms of communication and music production. In addition, it has led us to reflect on how we react to all these technological advances and how they affect our psychology and mental health.
Lately they address political issues in an abstract way. Could you tell us a bit more about the implications that social reality has on your music?
“Lámina Once” was an album that explored the political and social reality in the context in which we live. The arrival of the Pope, the implications that this had in our region, loneliness and current problems were some of the issues we addressed. As a musician, I have always felt the need to reflect and question the reality that surrounds us through my music. Music has enormous power to transmit messages and raise awareness about the problems that affect us as a society.
“Thursday” (19) is an album that has been described as anarchic and without a clear common thread. Could you tell us more about this project?
It is an album that breaks with conventional structures and is inspired by the theater of the absurd. It does not follow a clear common thread and seeks to defy the listener’s expectations. I like to experiment with different styles and break the established rules in music. “Thursday” is a reflection of that creative freedom and the desire to explore unknown territories.
Outside of music, is there any other area in which you have an interest or passion apart from your artistic career?
I have an interest and passion for engineering and mathematics. I have always been fascinated by logical thinking and problem solving. It’s a completely different world than music, but I think both fields have their unique beauty and challenges.
What can we expect from this tour of Spain?
Do not expect anything, so it will be easier to surprise them.