Clér Letiv: Breaching Hope

Theatrical and compelling in equal meassure, the elusive Argentine producer/vocalist opens up about his two narrative-driven cuts that feel sensually intimate as he explores the inner worlds of his own device.

Allowing us to take an exclusive peek beyond the veil of mystery that shrouds his newfound persona, Cler links up with Type < / 01 to talk in-depth about the moments that inspired his new EP on ICONYC, his intricate workflow, his ability to translate complex experiences into music, and more.

Hi Clér! How are you doing? How have you been? Thank you for joining us today.

Fantastic. Thank you for having me, I’m very happy to do this, especially with my new Breach EP around the corner. Sorry for being a bit on the spot. I had a long night, and stayed up late working around a production…I had a good idea and couldn’t just let it hang there.

Yeah, we can imagine the excitement must be high! Congratulations on the release of your ICONYC EP, Breach. So, how are you feeling about this one?

Well, by now, all I want is to share these new cuts with everyone, haha. I don’t tend to get anxious, because I’ve had them for months, so that tends to deflate as time goes by. But I am excited, as these tracks represent a new direction for me, sonically speaking. It’s more about the club now.

Speaking about the record, we really enjoyed the darkness present in both cuts, which also seem to be cut from the same fabric. What’s the emotional trigger to these new tracks?

Thank you! I do love the idea of them working as a “couple”, or in tandem. I was done writing “Breach”, and I had one of those revelatory moments. “That’s the sound I want, this is the direction I’m going to pursue.” After that, I played it at a club, and I just loved the reaction. So I went back home and immediately got started on “The Surface”.

And yes, just as you say…there is a sense of darkness in them, but it works to validate a notion of hope. I think the contrasts help us better appreciate the components. Regarding “The Surface”, this one’s about “letting go”, but as a conscious decision…d’you know? Without the hurt and the pain.

Obviously, they do feel highly personal. Yet, at the same time, it's these sort of “universal” feelings that almost everybody goes through, eventually. Was this something that you felt aware of during these sessions?

I think I always try to be transparent in that sense and express myself from my point of view. But, beyond the lyrics having a highly personal component, I think that it’s the overall production that elevates the message. And, when you factor in the “club setting” component, then the experience becomes a sort of “larger than life” kind of thing. That itself then becomes hope.

By the way, your release catalog seems to be closely curated, as if each step is meticulously planned. Is this something that you’re conscious of?

When it comes down to making music, I definitely don’t operate on a conscious level. It’s just pure bliss. But, regarding the “design” of the catalog itself, yes. I did release music before under different names, and I have learned from that experience, so to speak. Now, I have so much faith in this project that I want to do it consciously. I have invested everything in this, and I understand it as something necessary to sustain my development. Whenever this comes up in a conversation with colleagues, I always try to tell them, “Plan out what you’re about to do”.

So, how do you feel about starting from scratch?

Obviously, I understand that, for many, the blank canvas might be daunting…but, in all honesty, it gives me hope. And I have no problem with navigating that parallel feeling of uncertainty. I mean, we’re kind of used to that already…whenever we finish a piece, we never know where it's going to end up…the process itself is a bit of a drag, but the experience helps a lot with taming anxiety.

And are you making the music that you thought you’d be making when you first started?

Haha…Oh, boy…Well, I’m not going to lie to you. Just know that I’m not proud about this, haha…So, thing is…I started music production at the age of 15, so that’s like 7 years now. And, like many others, I started out listening to EDM and producing on FL Studio. Full disclosure, I just made the jump to Ableton like a year ago. In fact, Breach is my first EP on Ableton. And I did sense an “improvement”, the workflow is much better. But yeah, I started out with EDM.

I like to think so, that I have found my own voice. And I would like to dive even deeper into experimental stuff. As time went by, I started listening to a lot of rock, both in Spanish and in English. So, I would like to try my hand at something like that, eventually. I’m already working on something there…but that’s as much as you’ll get today. But yeah, I like where I’m at right now, and where I’m going.

By the way…you’re from a small town in Cordoba, Argentina…right? So, how do you come across electronic dance music?

Santa Rosa de Calamuchita, actually. In Cordoba. But the big bright lights aren’t that far away.

The first contacts came through friends of mine who would purchase CDs by Skrillex. “Bangarang” was the shit. But there is a club here in my town which actually has an electronic dancefloor. So, by the time I could, I would start going by myself. Illegally, obviously. My friends all started clubbing a bit later, but today we can all go together, and that is something that makes me very happy. In fact, that is how I got acquainted with the underground.

So…Having gone over the recent past and the present, what’s next for Clér Letiv? What new milestones are you looking forward to?

I just want to keep working in order to grow. And I’ve got a ton of new music ready. I’ve got a lot of releases, some stuff already signed, and enough material on the way, so it won’t be long until you guys hear from me again.

Thank you for your time Clér! Best of luck with Breach. Catch you soon!

Thank you. I had a blast doing this one. Wishing you all the best, and see you soon!

Clér Letiv’s Breach EP is out now via ICONYC. Buy or stream here.