Manizales artist and producer Aeondelit who challenges conservative approaches to DJing and electronic music production.

20-02-2022
Interview by S(GBA)

In Manizales, the capital of one of the smallest departments in central Colombia, the Departamento Caldas, lives and works the electronic, experimental producer and artist Aeondelit. Although he has never been as involved in the club scene as his peers, he challenges "conservative approaches to DJing and electronic music production" under his stage name. With his label and collective Nvrclose, he gives new local artists the opportunity to develop their own voice, as he does, releasing his exquisite and unique sound on labels such as Insurgentes, Sadan, a label based in Tel Aviv and Unguarded in Berlin. With his latest project, Signs of Xultaif, Aeondelit has created a collection of 3D models with a myth "and seeks to give them a "spiritual conception" by co-creating them with Monster Mash's emergent AI and sharing the creative exercise with a different kind of consciousness." We spoke with the artist to learn more about his project.

Where does your name come from?

It means something timeless. I think that over the years it has been internalized into a more mature concept for me.

What was your path to music and how did you get into making electronic music.... and how are you involved in it, living in a small town in Colombia between Medellin and Bogota.

When I was twelve, a friend bought a Sony Ericsson C702 with a music DJ program that allowed you to sequence different types of rhythms and melodies. I think that was my first exposure to electronic music, but my life has always been about music in some way, going to clubs as a teenager or listening to music with my cousin. Aeondelit is a combination of all these experiences. However, I've always had a strange relationship with the music scene in Manizales, never been quite as involved as other pals. Nowadays I prefer to spend my time making music from home and am not that interested in club life.


What is the infrastructure of the electronic music scene in Manizales and what other artists, labels, etc. are there?


Since Manizales is a small town, there are a few places dedicated to electronic music, but apart from the club scene, there aren't too many places that seem interested in the kind of music I make. However, there are some collectives, labels and artists that are making a difference here, starting with Nvrclose, a label and collective I belong to. The group consists of four members: Acrimony, Mórbido, Malher and myself, each bringing their experimental touch with unique sounds and aesthetics. Together we felt the need to challenge conservative approaches to DJing and electronic music production and give new artists the opportunity to develop their own voice.


There are other labels and artists we have collaborated with, to name a few: Seis Records, XPRSSNS Collective, and artists like: Monster Cyclone, Josho, Aixa, Nize, Alex Üll, Sergio Florez, Macnius, Receptor, Korbeat and Dante.


I would like to talk about the "Signs of Xultaif" which seem very interesting to me. Especially because it is a NFT based on a person who lived in 1592.


I started researching Robert Fludd after seeing his work analyzed in a YouTube video that theorized about his relationship to the hidden symbolism in Shadow of the Colossus (SOTC). These circular symbols, mandalas, are cross-cultural artworks meant to illustrate the structure of the universe and our place in it. Robert Fludd was a scholar of mathematics, medicine and chemistry. He sought to find truth in religious scriptures and connected them to the early principles of science. Being a big fan of SOTC, I was intrigued by the connection between a video game and Robert Fludd's work.




What paths led you to Robert Fludd and what do you find interesting about him? Where does the name come from, is it a Spanish word Xultaif?

Xultaif is a reference to the Latin word "Fiat Lux," which literally means "Let there be light," and it is one of Fludd's mandalas in his book: The Worlds Great and Small.

“En la concepción espiritual del lore en SOTC con la división de las almas de Dormin” What is the artistic or meaning you found for yourself in that? Which thought is behind this idea in the spiritual conception of the lore in SOTC with the division of the souls of Dormin. What is SOTC and who is Dormin?

SOTC is a cult game that was released 16 years ago and tells the story of Wander, a young man with an unstoppable goal - to revive a girl named Mono. The story begins with the protagonist entering the Forbidden Land to talk to the strange being Dormin. Dormin agrees to be resurrected on the condition that Wander kills 16 colossi, each of which has a unique weakness and fighting style. Dormin is introduced as a spiritual being with a voice that sounds as if many people are speaking at once. He was once a very powerful collection of spirits, now fragmented and encased in sixteen massive statues (the Colossi).

I found it quite interesting to apply these concepts to the creation of a collection of 3D models and try to give them some "spiritual conception" by co-creating them with Monster Mash's emergent AI and sharing the creative exercise with another kind of consciousness.


Why did you choose restaurandofuturo or what is your connection to it?

Restaurando Futuro is a non-profit organization created with the aim of designing and implementing social intervention projects that provide innovative solutions to mitigate the negative effects of vulnerability in the communities of the Colombian territory by promoting the application of art, culture and new technologies.

We contacted them a few months ago as Nvrclose and saw the possibility of developing different types of collaborative projects, starting with the NFT Gallery.


How is your studio set up and how do you start working on new pieces, like the ones that are coming out now? Do they come from the archives that you kind of rework, do you pick a theme that you try to put into music, or is there something from the outside that inspires you, moves you, and then you turn that into music?  


I think it's a little bit of everything, all the time. I get inspired by a lot of things, both visually and sonically. I've been very involved with some philosophical themes that I want to translate into music and then hopefully manifest in the form of an emotional piece. Over time I have learned that this is the most honest way for me to approach music, because ultimately music is about what it is able to convey through the emotions it evokes in the listener.

Beyond that, all I have is my computer, headphones and monitors. I might start with a chord progression that I like, or I might record some samples. In general, I do it pretty randomly.


You are going to release some new works on different labels around the world. Can you tell me something about them, like where they will be released, what are the influences, how was the process of contacting people or have you known each other for some time?

I have two new releases this year, an EP on Sadan, a label from Tel Aviv, and an album on Unguarded from Berlin. I just started researching labels that caught my attention and that I feel connected to in some way.  I already heard some releases from Sadan that I liked a lot, and also felt a connection because I see some similarities with my country in socio-political terms, like our history full of violence and pain. With "Unguarded" we built a special relationship based on a long accompaniment for the construction of the album. They encouraged me and gave me complete freedom to develop it. I'm really excited about it, and like I said, I've been dealing with some philosophical concepts and going through processes of growth and change in my life that are embodied in the narrative of these two releases. Anyway, I hope to publish them very soon.

Aeondelit will release an album on Unguarded Berlin this year aas well as a 4 Track EP on Sadan.

Find out more about Aeondelit on Instagram
More abou Signs of Xultaif here

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Relisten to Aeondelit’s Dublab mix for CIRCA: