Interviews

For their second full-length on Jazzego, Porto duo Gaztween… Miguel Tenreiro and Tito Romão, return with II, a record that drifts through humid electronics, hushed acoustic textures, and the kind of dub-informed pulse best heard when the city has finally wound down for the night. Recorded between Mr Beans, a bedroom, and a basement, the album feels less like a polished statement and more like a series of meditative experiments captured in real time… two friends chasing possibility rather than perfection. With influences stretching from 1970s Brazilian orchestral arrangements to Saint Germain and the textural oddities of Sam Gendel, II maps a quiet space where humans and machines seem to breathe together. We caught up with Gaztween to talk about process, influences, and where their slow-burning sound might drift next.

Your new album II was recorded across three intimate spaces… Mr Beans, Miguel's room, and Tito's basement. How did each location shape the atmosphere or direction of the tracks?

The way a space influences music is closely connected to the resources it offers. At Mr Beans we had access to a real Fender Rhodes, an outstanding bassist (Miguel Pinto), and microphones readily available to record the cello, which is why we defined the instrumentation of -Peaceful Nights” that way. The same applies to atmosphere: cold weather tends to inspire something like “Dubdoutono”, while a contemplative cigarette naturally calls for a more ethereal mood, such as “Nway”.

You describe the album's theme as “intimate bonding between humans and robots.” What does that phrase mean to you in a musical sense, and does it reflect anything about your own relationship with technology?

Our relationship with technology is inevitable, especially in an urban context. We are constantly bombarded with bleeps and bloops from machines, mechanical rhythmic patterns, and robotic voices that have become part of our everyday lives, and music naturally tends to absorb these kinds of timbres and structures. On the other hand, we feel that music can become cold if everything is synthesized, which is why we try to rely on sampling and even the recording of acoustic instruments, allowing us to work with a richer and more varied palette of “colors.”

The music on II has a slow, meditative drift. Was this mood something you intentionally pursued, or did it emerge naturally from your sessions?

It emerged naturally

“Egydio” marks your first time integrating flute and cello together in a composition. What drew you to those acoustic instruments, and how did you approach blending them with your electronic processes?

I always wanted to be a trumpet player, but since flute technique is easier, I ended up buying a cheap second-hand one. I quickly realized that, with some processing, its timbre sits very naturally on top of an electronic beat. Tito has been playing the cello since he was very young, and the fact that he has a solid technique allows us to record melodic ideas in just a few takes.I always wanted to be a trumpet player, but since flute technique is easier, I ended up buying a cheap second-hand one. I quickly realized that, with some processing, its timbre sits very naturally on top of an electronic beat. Tito has been playing the cello since he was very young, and the fact that he has a solid technique allows us to record melodic ideas in just a few takes.

You've mentioned that II is more “documentation of a process” than a definitive statement. What were the most surprising discoveries or accidents that became part of the album?

There were many mishaps throughout the creative process, but one that stands out clearly was during “Nway.” We usually do jam sessions with both computers synced in Ableton Live's Session View. In this case, we only realized at the end that we had forgotten to activate the sync option. Since the track is largely built around textures and atmospheres, the fact that the overlap between the two sources wasn’t “perfect” actually worked in its favor.

Your sound sits between Brazilian MPB influences and European electronic structure. How do those two worlds meet in your creative workflow?

The fact that my grandfather (Miguel) lived in Brazil, and that I spent some time there as a baby, meant that those sonic influences naturally seeped into me. I also felt that Tito was becoming a bit tired of the four-on-the-floor approach; this culture is inherently richer in syncopated rhythms. At the same time, European electronic music is part of our current social context and is impossible to ignore.

What was the role of improvisation in these sessions? Are there moments on the LP that are essentially first takes?

It depends on the track! Some were sculpted entirely with the mouse, as in the case of Dubdoutono, but improvisation certainly played a fundamental role. On Peaceful Nights, the Rhodes and the bass were recorded back-to-back in a single take without editing—even against Miguel Pinto’s wishes, as he wanted to record more bass takes. In a deliberately anti-perfectionist, almost rebellious attitude, he wasn’t allowed to redo!

As a duo, how do you navigate differences in taste or direction, especially when the music aims for such a subtle, textural space?

I think what makes this project so fluid is a kind of telepathic agreement we made, where forbidding is forbidden.

You've cited artists like Saint Germain and Sam Gendel. What qualities in their work resonate most with you right now?

Gourmet, avant-garde, and visionary taste

Many describe your music as perfect for “late-night listening.” Do you personally associate your creative process with specific times of day or states of mind?

We don’t do it on purpose, but yes, I think I can agree that this music fits better at night or at dawn than in the middle of the day.

Porto seems to be an important backdrop to your music. How does the city's energy (or quiet) seep into II?

Once again, this influence isn’t something intentional, but as I mentioned before, I think it’s impossible to completely dissociate ourselves from our environment.

You’ve played everywhere from Ferro to Malmö. Has performing these downtempo, dub-leaning tracks live changed how you think about making them?

No, the process was the other way around… we only adapted everything for the live version after composing it. But we’re realizing that we enjoy freer structures when performing live, compared to the solid structures that ended up recorded on the album.

With II out in the world, what corners of sound or collaboration are you interested in exploring next?

I think the direction will reveal itself! That has been our philosophy: music seems to slip through your fingers when you try to tame it or force it into a specific shape. We usually create without strict direction or limits, and only afterward do we go through and select what works.

If robots really could bond with humans through music, what track on this LP do you think they’d gravitate toward and why?

It’s difficult for me to make that abstraction of robots bonding with humans, but the opposite is so easy that it feels true. I feel a kind of love for the computer, for being the tool that makes this possible, and the same goes for the synthesizers we have at hand. They’re actually quite lovely robots.

Lastly, if II were a film scene, installation, or physical environment rather than an album, what would it look or feel like?

The Earth’s orbit, moving through all the seasons and the sensations experienced in a region at approximately 45° latitude.

Check out the latest release from Gaztween.