Aérea Negrot
Aérea Negrot
04-06-14
This Saturday sees a special team up from Borja Peña and Bpitch Control solo artist and former Hercules Love Affair member Aérea Negrot for B(e)ast. We quizzed Aérea ahead of the party to ask her collaborating with her Berlin neighbour Billie Ray Martin, singing in various languages and recording for Ellen Allien's label...
Dalston Superstore: Tell us about the inspiration behind your stage name?
Aérea Negrot: Aérea was a name given to me by friends when I started performing, as I used to be fascinated by airplanes and airports since my childhood. Needless to say that started my obsession of dating flight attendants... Nowadays I hate airports, flight regulations and liquid limitations.
Negrot, however is a mixture of two famous Latina singers: Toña La Negra and Olga Guillot, both known for their melodramatic touch... Aérea Negrot since 1996.
What is your favourite language to sing in? Which do you feel you are most expressive in?
I feel quite comfortable singing in English, but I sing also in Spanish, Portuguese and German, I have a connection with these languages since I have been moving around for a while and have a funky mixture in my DNA!
At the moment I'm recording a song in Hebrew for a film called Marzipan Flowers by Adam Kalderon. I enjoy being challenged by sounds and languages.
Your vocal style seems a composite of styles and genres, perhaps anything you find interesting? How would YOU describe it?
I find it also hard to describe... it's freestyling with a operatic touch! I'm inspired by many musical styles: classical to jazz to pop; salsas to sambas... all with a electronic beat.
What did your classical training entail?
My classical training was short lived as my entrance to Classical School was denied. That was traumatic, but it only encouraged me to continue my path... that teacher told me that by age 24 I was too old to start at Conservatorium, that around that age I should've already been singing the same repertoires that my vocal range would allow me to... SAD, but she was right. However, today I'm Aérea Negrot.
What are your personal favourite solo tracks from your former Hercules & Love Affair band mates?
After touring with Hercules and Love Affair for four years, I developed a special relationship to songs, because I had to sing some of them live. My favourite was of course Blind, originally sung by Antony Hegarty. Falling, which I used to sing in duo with Shaun J. Wright, You Belong by Nomi Ruiz and It's Alright by Kim Ann Foxman.
You've remixed previous DSS guest Billie Ray Martin's band The Opiates, recorded a duet with her and you've even interviewed each other... why do you gel so well together?
Oh Billie and I have been involved in projects since we met a few years ago. After all, we are neighbours and friends. It started with a remix that I made for her called Dinah And The Beautiful Blue. It was magic putting her voice in an airport environment.... still melancholic and sexy.
We've also recorded a duet together... coming out real sooon!!!
What makes Bpitch Control your label home?
Bpitch Control has been my home label since 2010, home to my baby album Arabxilla... it been just an honour to have these dreams released by them, and also a great opportunity to collaborate with other label artists like Kiki, Dance Disorder, Skinnerbox and System of Survival. All thanks to Ellen Allien who invited me to take part with the release of my first ever EP All I Wanna Do.
If you had a time machine and could go back to any dancefloor anywhere/anywhen, where would we be visiting?
Definitely Studio 54.... with a touch of Ancient Egypt, I guess the time is now.
B(e)ast and Aérea Negrot Present... Eda Lind is this Saturday 7th June at Dalston Superstore from 9pm - 4am.
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Aérea Negrot