Telefunka

casting from león...

Mineralderock.com: How are you guys doing?

Telefunka: Fortunately very well, we're inside the indie music world which is plenty complicated, and we're working it, I think we're doing well. We're very happy with the things we've been able to accomplish; we like to be in various cities, we like to be here in León today.

MdR: Is this the first time you come to León?

TF: Officially yes, because the first time we came it was in a different format, we were still experimenting with our sound.

MdR: Is this the time for indie music?

TF: Yes, it's the era of the indie bands, at least in Mexico, and you can tell by the billing on Vive Latino from this year because the majority of the bands are part of this movement. I don't this is happening because it was simply indie's turn, as it happened with the genre of Ska, I think its the consequence of many things, principally, because right now the record labels only support pop acts and this rock movement is a consequence of that independence from these same labels.

MdR: Do you think the major labels will ever connect with the indie bands?

TF: I think it could happen, it depends on how it's handled, because people have the necessity and as an independent there is much more possibility for people to hear your music now as opposed to ten years ago. Either because of the internet or the shows, you can make your music important now and it can make it to the labels and get noticed and supported.

MdR: If the album dies do the record labels die?

TF: The labels will die, but only our concept of what a label is. What's hitting now are the independent labels that are very focused on certain genres, for example, SONY BMG once had thousands of genres and now the little labels are very specific, the giant totalitarian labels will disappear and change into tiny record labels which only support their specific genre.

MdR: Thanks to the ease of being able to find music these days, in many cases people only obtain the "hot" tracks off an album instead of the entire album. What's your opinion regarding the fact that the individual songs are getting more attention than the album or the band?

TF: That's definitely something that happens, this is because you promote yourself by way of singles, all of a sudden you only have a chance to market one single, two if you're lucky, but I think there, the important thing is not who is selling it but who is buying it, to know that an album is a complete work and that from there originate the good tracks, is something that the public should not lose sight of. I think that in the future albums will be for the romantics, those that like to see the album art and all the rest, even though later they'll burn it and rip it to their Ipod. But those that want to have the albums will always prevail.

MdR: What's up next for Telefunka?

TF: In three weeks the second single will be released, the first was "Robot", the second single is called "Motel", Lolo Fuentes from Miranda sings on this cut. We're very lucky to have a very good relationship with him. In three weeks the new video will be out, we'll re-edit the four albums we have and we're going to Costa Rica with ZOE, in August the album comes out in Argentina and Chile and we're going there to support it.

MdR: Mineralderock.com is a forum for new bands, what advice can you offer them?

TF: I would tell them to take advantage of the time they have, because the three of us are all above the age of thirty and when we were 18 it was impossible to record an album if you didn't have a label, internet didn't exist, mp3s didn't exist, and I think there's a lot of advantages now and they should make the most of them, because now its more of a commitment to dedicate oneself to music, one must take it a little more seriously, respect ones work and respect the music, like a job, also respect your own music because people always come up to you and say "your music needs to go more this way or that way, because this is what's hot," and often if you take that advice you might regret it later and its better to regret something that you're sure about doing rather than what someone told you to do.

MdR: Anything else to add?

TF: Visit telefunka.com and leave your comments and thanks to everyone. And thanks to you, with your assistance the independent bands and press will grow and prosper.

The questions were answered at random by Giancarlo and Aldo Fragoso.

is Edgar Nicasio

may 20th, 2006