Teen Gothic

Luis Vasquez, forever.

Dear fans of the Soft Moon, I decided to share something with you. This is one of my portraits of him that I drew in 2016. There is a lot more of it, but I need to take small steps, because editing photos of all my artworks is a bit too overwhelming.

I have my own unique perspective on his music and it might add a different angle to the portrait. Perhaps, it will make it even more interesting, if I share it with you. I genuinely love to speak about how his music is making me to feel, but I’ll try to keep it cool.

There is a song that first came to my mind today, which Luis created in collaboration with John Foxx, it's called "Evidence". I remember that what impressed me most about this track was that at that time (before the Criminal album), in my opinion, most of his music had a constant, running rhythm, and for me in „Evidence” it seemed to stop and amazing things started to come out. I also can't deny that I find this arrangement so exquisite, sexy, sneaking and lurking, clearly done differently than his albums of the time (that are also great). I remember that back then I was dreaming that Luis would start modifying his characteristic trance rhythm and introduce more space there, similarly like in brilliant Deeper album, but even more. And this 'even more' happened in the subsequent albums Criminal, A Body Of Errors and Exister, and in particular, in "Sad Song". The amount of space in this piece is almost overwhelming me, which adds even more expressiveness and the impression of freeing myself from the mentioned in the lyrics "sulfur" grip.

I miss waiting so much for the next albums, the next songs, the next ideas and seeing them in the context of his development. I watched him with fascination because his sound was able to bring out things in me that no one else, no therapist, could open and work through with me. His honest lyrics struck at the heart of my existential terror and tamed it, showing that he fucking understood it too. With his passing, I feel that now my new chapter begins. I regret so much that we won't meet again after your gig. I will always respect you, Luis.

Please, enjoy the drawing! Pela Miten