Silver City life: Julian Sanza and Fernando Pulichino talk to the Tiger

The talented duo look back on a bountiful career of globe-trotting musical adventure.

Silver City

Written by Rocco Universal

Musicians Julian Sanza and Fernando Pulichino have been responsible for more than their share of memorable meta-disco moments. Both as solo artists and via their combined Silver City project, the Argentine duo have been responsible for an opulent torrent of musical pearls since their work first started appearing in the early 2000s.

Over the years, their collaborative work on labels including 2020 Vision, Shaboom, King Street and Rebirth has routinely hit the mark, veering through stylistic realms while always endowed with an imaginative musical thrust. As solo artists, their output has been no-less alluring, with releases on the likes of International Feel, Futureboogie, Eskimo and Gomma just some of the many highlights to have arrived from their respective studios. The new 'Nomad EP' marks their first Silver City release since 2016, with the pair finally finding themselves in the same room after a long spell of living many miles apart. The four-track EP, arriving courtesy of Whiskey Pickle, is a fitting return to the fore, with each carefully constructed number brimming with cosmic charm. We took the opportunity to gently extract a few words from Julian and Fernando in advance of the release, with each sharing details of their roots, influences, and enduring love of subterranean soundscapes.

Hello Fernando and Julian, thanks for taking the time to do this. Where are you guys now and what have you been up to today?

J: “I'm in Barcelona chilling with my wife and son, been to the beach and I’m playing a gig tomorrow in Madrid.”

F: “I'm in Buenos Aires, taking it easy today after three gigs and long travel on the weekend.”

Where are you guys living now?

J: “I'm currently based in Bogota, Colombia.”

F: “Living in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the moment.”

What can you tell us about the process of composing the ‘Nomad EP’, did you record it together in person or remotely, and how long did it take to complete?

F: “We recorded it together in my studio in Buenos Aires, starting from a quick jam, as we often do. Then it took a few months of editing to complete the final versions.”

Does the title refer to your own transient natures?

J: “For sure, we are both from Mar del Plata in Argentina – a city that we love and we try to go back as much as possible – but we also like travelling and we lived in different cities and countries since we left our hometown in the early 2000s.”

F: “Totally, we lived in many places over the years. And the moving continues.”

We were thrilled to see the new release as we’ve not seen much new music from Silver City in the last few years, what inspired the resumption of the project?

J: “We need to be in the same room to hit off with music and jam, since we are living in different countries for almost 10 years we slowed making new music together but we manage to get studio time when either of us goes for a visit.”

F: “We have been living far away from each other for many years now and it is difficult to produce music at the distance. That's the main reason why there haven't been many tracks out in the past years.”

Over the years you’ve released some wonderfully varied material. How would you describe the Silver City sound?

J: “We have a live jam approach to making music mostly inspired by the more eclectic and organic side of electronic genres and we use a wide variety of instruments rather than doing it 'in the box'.”

F: “It would be hard to put a label on it. But I do recognize that there is a trademark to our sound.”

How would you say the music scenes compare in Argentina and, your previously adopted home, the UK?

F: “I've lived in Buenos Aires for the past 10 years. There is a vibrant scene for certain styles of music. It's very different to the UK though, not as diverse.”

When and where did you first meet?

J: “We met back in our hometown back around 1992 I think, we coincided with Fernando at a recording studio, then we got together to form our first moniker, Ciudad Feliz, together with other musician friends.”

What are some of your earliest musical memories, and when did each of you begin pursuing production?

J: “We had a piano at home that my mum and sister used to play, I got started around 6 years old to play by ear, then in the 90s I got a job producing original and cover version backing tracks for singers on Ensoniq workstations.”

F: “My dad had a record shop so I have very early memories of being around records and asking for certain songs from a very early age. I started playing bass at 14, but when I turned 20 I went to live in Ibiza for a summer and started playing bass with DJs in clubs. There is when I knew that I wanted to produce house music.”

You’ve both been active on the musical underground for many years, something that can be hard to maintain. Are there any secrets to your longevity? And, how do you feel the scene has changed since you first began releasing and performing?

J: “The only secret is that we enjoy making and playing music, everything has changed since, from tools to play out to venues policies, but I would say it’s for the better for the most part.”

F: “No real secrets, just the joy of keep making music. I guess the key is feeling very passionate about the sound you are exploring, so you can keep the excitement going. The scene has changed a lot, I would say there is a massive drift in the general attention due to social media. Not a great thing for art in general, in my opinion.”

What were the first records each of you bought?

J: “I used to be into Argentinian rock music in my teenage years, I copied or bought tapes then. My first CD was Prince 'Diamonds and Pearls'. In the late 90s, I got into French and Deep house mostly.”

F: “Something from a local artist called Charly Garcia.”

Have you been performing much since the pandemic began to settle down? If yes, how have the shows been?

J: “I've been playing regularly at a local club called Kaputt since June 2021 when they allowed venues to gradually open. I’ve gladly noticed that people appreciate more being out and raving behaviour has improved, less messy nights than before.”

F: “It was very bad at the beginning of the pandemic obviously, but now I'm gigging more than before, which is good. The music scene is re-energized I think, people are excited to be able to enjoy live music again.”

What’s next for Silver City?

J: “We are meeting in December if not before for gigs and studio time.”

Thanks again for your time fellas, and good luck with the release.

Silver City ‘Nomad EP’ is out September 30 via Whiskey Pickle, you can order it here or via the player above

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