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Nico Losada of Salt Cathedral is on a Mission to Blend Musical Genres

Music may be the first ingredient that comes to most people’s minds when trying to set a vibe. After all, “vibes” are hard to articulate; music, however, has the unique ability to fill the silence when words fail. Nico Losada is an expert in layering sounds, influences, and musical arrangements to craft a particular mood. As one half of the electronic music duo Salt Cathedral, mood-making is, quite literally, his day job. In honor of our Modern Moods issue, we caught up with Losada at Public Records in Brooklyn to discuss his international influences, personal style, and how his upbringing directly influences his creative output.

Can you please tell us about the origins of your band’s name Salt Cathedral, and how it relates to your Latin Heritage? 

Salt Cathedral is the name that Juli and I decided to put on our project when we were changing our instrumentation from full band to an electronic duo. The name comes from a salt mine in Zipaquira, Colombia. We’re originally from Bogotá (an hour from the salt mine), and we grew up going to this incredible place. We basically wanted to have a name that reflects where we come from. It’s an implicit Colombian flag.

Our Fall Fashion issue is all about modern moods, and your music definitely captures that; you seem to meld elements from all types of international music and blend it to create a unique sound. Can you explain how you developed your sound? 

It’s a mix of curiosity, context, and necessity. Growing up in Bogotá, I didn’t have a lot of access to concerts or first hand information. Every trend or new thing would come late. I decided to move to the States and soak up everything and I think that made me an avid student of music. My sound reflects that fascination for new sounds, for blends and my tourist mentality in music. I like to make music that you can trace the roots of and simultaneously sounds modern and hopefully new.

You’ve been recording new music for the past couple of months. Can you tell us about the new direction of your music and when we can expect a new album from Salt Cathedral? 

Oh man! So exciting! We have a new album coming in 2020. It’s our diary. It’s very personal and reflects our current state of mind, but also you hear sounds that we had developed in the past. Expect fusion of styles: reggaeton, merengue, bossa nova, house. Songs in Spanish, English, and Portuguese. We threw everything in this record!

Switching speeds, let’s talk about your style. Living in NYC, the seasonal weather changes are pretty drastic. How do you like to dress for the colder months of the year, and what are your must-have pieces? 

During the cold weather I always go for nice boots. Some strong Dr. Martens that are aesthetically pleasing, but also you can walk in the rain or snow without any danger of slipping or getting wet. I love Doc Marten boots because they have this rudeboy/ska legacy, and, at the same time, they are so great to blend in with any style.

At O.N.S, several of our customers are international urban transplants who roam from city to city — what are your favorite cities to visit and perform? 

My favorite city to play and visit is Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (DR). Every time I go there, I feel like home. I love the crowds, the food, the people, and the music. DR is a music mecca for me, so going there and playing is always an honor.

A lot of musicians and bands put out new music around the second half of the year. What projects from other musicians are you looking forward to for Fall?

My friends’ music! Waiting for more Empress Of music. Four Tet released three songs, so I’m good for a couple of months.

All photographs shot at Public Records (233 Butler St, Brooklyn, New York).

 

Lastly, are there any special performances or cool projects coming from your band that you want to tell our readers about?

We’re releasing a couple of singles this year. I’m also releasing my solo project! It’s under my name, Nico Losada. You can hear some unreleased music in this DJ mix I did a couple of days ago at The Lot Radio. Check it out here.

You can see more from Nico on Instagram.

And, if you liked this story, check out more in our Urban Transplants issue.


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