Pigeon Opinion Featuring an Interview with Yo

“Coágulo de un instante” has the feel of an emotional boundary crossing into the album Carmina Alegría, and from the first note, it has the feel of a track that is meant to open up the sonic possibilities of the project. The way it is structured is very cinematic: ambient textures are introduced slowly, neoclassical elements convey a sense of emotional control, and post-rock elements burst forth with that pent-up energy in a very narrative way.

The aspect of the single Coágulo de un instante that impresses the most is its relationship to time and pacing. Rather than trying to create a sense of urgency or impact, it is a track that leads the listener through a natural build towards a crescendo where each element seems to “coagulate” into a moment of suspended tension between intimacy and epicness.

As the final preview before the album, the track embodies a sense of closure and artistic fulfillment. It not only distills the sonic essence of the project but also reflects a sense of compositional maturity and artistic ambition – immersive, intense, and contemplative, and thus leaves one with a genuine sense of anticipation for the album.

Interview with Yo

(•)> What was the inspiration behind “Coágulo de un instante” and how does it set the tone for Carmina Alegría?

I’d say life is full of empty time, but also of moments so intense that an entire lifetime seems to fit inside them. “Coágulo de un instante” means exactly that: the clot of a single moment. Specifically, the moment I realized it would be the last time I would see my grandmother alive. The song dissects everything that was contained in that instant.

(•)> The single combines ambient textures, post-rock dynamics, and neoclassical tension. How did you approach blending these elements?

Sometimes it feels like there’s too much monogamy between artists and their genres. Before deciding how I want to sound, I need to know what I want to say. That’s my compass. Style isn’t the starting point — it’s the consequence.

(•)> Carmina Alegría closes a two-month journey of rapid growth. What were the most surprising moments during this period?

I made Carmina Alegría as a tribute to my grandmother after she passed away. It was something intimate — from me to her — so I didn’t think it would leave much room for anyone else. But I was wrong. Recently, a friend lost her grandfather, and I know she listens to Carmina Alegría every day, almost like therapy. It still surprises me that something born from such a private loss can reach out and hold someone else’s hand.

(•)> How does this last single reflect the most intense and cinematic side of Yo as a project?

I’m not interested in making albums that are just collections of unrelated songs. I compose when I need to tell something. In this case, it was about grieving my grandmother, so Carmina Alegría works almost like a soundtrack. And “Coágulo de un instante” is one of the climactic moments in that film that doesn’t exist.

(•)> Your work spans music, poetry, and literature. How do these disciplines inform each other in your creative process?

Sometimes I think music and literature are simply different languages for expressing the same impulse. When I read a book, I often imagine its sonic equivalent; when I compose, there’s always a narrative element present. They constantly feed into each other.

As a teenager, I struggled with insomnia. I felt the need to listen to all the music and read all the books. Sometimes, with my mind exhausted, everything would blend together. I remember spending twenty minutes searching through my CDs for a Borges album. Maybe that’s where it all began.

(•)> Can you explain the philosophical and theatrical concepts behind the name Yo and how they manifest in your music?

Let’s stay with my teenage years. Back then, I would watch a musical and want to compose musicals. I’d read philosophy and want to become a philosopher. And a poet. And a rockstar. I wanted everything — and the idea of choosing one path and renouncing the rest made me dizzy.

At some point, I realized I would turn that refusal into my identity. That’s condensed in “Yo” (which literally means “I” in Spanish): the most generic signature possible, almost liquid. Everything fits inside it. Saying only “Yo” is one step away from saying “Nobody.” Sorry for the digression — but you did ask!

(•)> How do you see Yo’s refusal to be confined by genre influencing the sound of Carmina Alegría?

Yo is exactly that: my commitment to dancing outside of fixed codes. Carmina Alegría could only be made from that kind of freedom — the freedom to surround myself with symphonic, electronic, or rock elements depending on the colour I need in each moment.

(•)> How do you balance experimentation with accessibility in tracks like “Coágulo de un instante”?

Great question. As a musician, I’m deeply attracted to experimentation. If the path is too clear, I lose interest in walking it. But my north is communication. Otherwise, it’s easy to get lost in the exoticism of the laboratory. I try to stay in that fragile balance: taking risks without losing what I want to say.

(•)> What emotions or experiences do you hope listeners take away from this single and the full album?

I’ve heard “Coágulo de un instante” described in completely opposite ways — relaxing and intense, sad and life-affirming, an abyss and fullness. Honestly, I think it works like a mirror: each listener finds in it what they already carry inside.

The album was born as an elegy to my grandmother, but in each person it seems to take on a new shape. Some have even described Carmina Alegría as “oxygen”, which is exactly what I felt I was lacking when I made it.

(•)> Looking ahead, what comes next for Yo after the release of Carmina Alegría?

I’m currently working on an audiovisual adaptation of my book Poetiza como puedas, and musically, I’m preparing my next album: Del presente inmediato (y lo que Alicia encontró allí). It will be radically different — another step in that refusal of identity. Apparently, I’m consistent in my inconsistency…

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out Yo on the Pigeon Opinion Playlist