Nacho Alegre

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A great mixtape requires chill songs that make you move and Barcelona-based Delorean knows this. After releasing last year’s well-received Ayrton Senna EP, the band used the standout single “Deli” to officially wipe their slate clean of punk rock influences in exchange for a more atmospheric techno-dance vibe. It might also help that the Balearic brotherhood of bassist/singer Ekhi Lopetegi, drummer Igor Escudeo, keyboardist Unai Lazcano, and guitarist Guillermo Astrain sprouted from a Mediterranean scene enriched with siestas, electronic music and disco sunrises on the beach.

Like a fine wine, the Spanish electro-pop quartet continues to mature and get better with age. Delorean’s third full-length album Subiza was officially released earlier this summer and greeted with open arms once again by the indie blogosphere. The new album showcases a more developed and defined sound, something the band has been striving to do since 2004. Delorean’s determination to find the right mixture of house and pop music has pushed them to become one of Spain’s biggest indie bands.

Delorean’s down-to-earth vocalist / bassist Ekhi Lopetegi took some time to chat with blogdowntown about the band’s influences and his attraction to Los Angeles.

MARK FISHER: You guys started as a punk band but evolved into electronic music. Why the evolution?

EKHI LOPETEGI: I don’t know. Having grown up in the hardcore scene, most of my friends were in touch with their local hardcore punk scene. Over time, we thought hardcore was too limited. I suppose we just grew up. We wanted a project that was boundless. We just wanted to play music no matter what it was.

MF: Who would you consider your influences to be?

EL: Bad Brains, The Nation of Ulysses, European hardcore bands like Refused, and New York hardcore.

MF: Many reviewers have compared you to bands like Animal Collective. How do you guys feel about this?

EL: I think it is fine. We like Animal Collective. They have their own esthetics and happen to be well-defined. They are very contemporary and we like a lot of what they’re doing. To be honest, we listen to a lot of pop bands, but we listen to more house and techno. Our sound is honestly based on old-school house.

MF: I’d never get anything done if I lived in Barcelona. What’s life like there?

EL: Life in Barcelona is very laid back and easy. It’s very small and not as crazy as L.A. or NYC. The city has gone through many changes. You used to be able to drink in the street. You could also start a party much easier, but now there are laws. People party in different ways now. There’s a good scene with lots of good musicians. It’s active, but definitely slower than Los Angeles.

MF: Your lyrics are in English and you speak it very well. Did you grow up with a lot of American or UK culture and media?

EL: We were taught a little bit in school, but not a lot. Growing up, we would read American magazines and fanzines like Punk Planet and Maximum Rock'n'Roll. Watching movies helped too. This is how we got familiar with the language. It also helps that we’ve been touring a lot through Europe, so you pretty much always speak English there.

MF: I happened to be in Madrid when Spain beat Germany in the World Cup semifinals. I assume it’s safe to say you guys are big football fans?

EL: Certainly. I used to play soccer as a kid. We definitely follow the league. We even followed the World Cup while we were touring.

MF: What are your thoughts on Los Angeles?

EL: At first sight, L.A. comes across as not friendly or easy. It’s quite the opposite of NYC. L.A. is a driving city, so you have to drive everywhere. We are so used to being able to walk to our destination.

We like Malibu and even went surfing there. We’ve also hung out in Downtown Los Angeles. It definitely doesn’t look like the downtown of any city. I like that there is a lot of Mexican influence and the weather is great. It certainly affects the mood, which makes it very attractive.

MF: Where are some of your favorite spots to play?

EL: NYC and LA are the two biggest spots for us. I remember our show at the Echoplex in June. We felt very good about it. New York City is also always good. Playing there has always been a great experience. We feel NYC embraces us, so it feels like home. The US is definitely the country that we know best.

MF: Any particular artists you’d like to tour with?

EL: I would love to tour with Phoenix or at least play with them once. They are such a great band, especially live. I identify with how they carry themselves as a band. I would also like to tour with all the bands on TRUE PANTHER (Delorean’s label), along with a few Spanish bands.

MF: You have remixed the XX, Cold Cave, Franz Ferdinand, and Lemonade. Anyone else you’d like to remix?

EL: We’ve been asked to work on an Arthur Russell track. We’d also like to trade remixes with Air France. We just need the time.

MF: What’s up next for Delorean?

EL: We just put out a 12” with remixes for “Real Love.” We’re also going to put out a new video for “Real Love,” which was done by Focus Creeps (an LA-based video production).

We’re going to play a few remaining shows in the US and then fly back to Barcelona. We’ll then head over to China, Australia, and Japan. We’re going to tour the US and Canada starting in November. This will be our big national tour for the record.

Delorean is playing FYF Fest this Saturday, September 4th at the Los Angeles State Historic Park (1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012). VIP and General Admission tickets are still available. For more information on FYF Fest, please visit fyffest.com.

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Delorean - Stay Close (HD) from Weird Days on Vimeo.