Intuitive Music

Lethargy are a Spanish duo formed by Mayte Cruz and Julio Tomé which has earned an international reputation as one of the top electro pop European acts. With two albums and a couple of remixes EPs out, Lethargy have recently released their latest work “Electric Cabaret”, an EP including new studio material. The new tracks are powerful cocktail of vocal synth pop and EBM, influenced by the classical German electro sound and the strength of alternative punk rock.

Mayte and Julio talked to Intuitive Music about their recommendations.

- My first musical influence:
Mayte: My older brothers used to fill up the house with vinyl, LPs and singles. At home, the musical taste was more open than in the typical Spanish families because we were living in Germany for about five years, that’s were I was born. So I would remark the Pink Floyd albums from my brothers, but my first influence from anybody else was Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”.

Julio: Living in the Basque Country it’s very determinative. The first thing I remember is to listen to local rock bands, so I would mention Itoiz as one of the first influences, just because at home it used to be played all of the time.

- The album that changed my life:
Mayte: There’s more than one, but there’s a particular song that made me move to London to finish my schooling when I was a teenager: The Clash “London Calling”. There were many other songs throughout the time.

Julio: Without a doubt The Cramps “Psychodelic Jungle”. I liked the songs from their former albums but with this one they became my favorite band.

- The album I fell in love listening to:

Mayte: Ultravox “Vienna”, but the truth is that I just fell in love with the song.

Julio: The Cramps “Human Fly”

- My last music discovery:
Mayte: She Wants Revenge, a completely recommendable Californian duo. The release on Perfect Kiss records.

Julio: The British band The Horrors. They’re nothing new to me but the stuff they’re trying to resurface it’s perfect for these times. The funny thing is that they haven’t even released any album and they have lots of fans, including myself.

- My best experience with another musician:
Mayte and Julio: Apart from the complicity and connection working with my partner Julio, we have had a lot of great experiences with other bands: with Miguel from Digital 21 while writing a guitar part sitting at our bed; David Kano from Cycle singing a duet with me en the ultimate version of “Koolthing”; with Luki from Side Effects; with Femme Fatale at her old studio, having a thousand beers…

- Recommended album of my career:
Mayte: That’s a hard question. Talking about other people’s music is easier for me. Each stage has it’s own charm and each album reflects a lived moment, so I like them all because is just part of my life and my creation. But I always feel identified the most with the latest work. Sometimes when I listen to an old work I think: ‘This was really good’. So it’s better to have them all so you can choose.

Julio: I’m never 100% happy about the finished work. Anyhow, I’m usually most interested in whatever I’m doing in this moment.

- Recommended track remixed by me:
Mayte and Julio: We are very happy with the versions we did of The Cure’s “Pictures of You” and Airboforcen’s “Not Unique”.

- Recommended remix of my song:
Mayte: David Kano “You May Be”.

Julio: Ruben Montesco “Insomniac’s Red Room”

- Recommended album that influenced me while doing “Electric Cabaret”:
Mayte: When we’re working in new songs we don’t listen to much music. And I’m personally so eclectic that my influences can include things as different as Grace Jones remixed by DJ Hell, X Lover, Ella Fitzgerald and Chavela Vargas. Quite a mix!

Julio: I think nothing at all. I don’t listen to any music lately and whenever I do it it doesn’t have much to do with the music I write.

- Recommended Myspace band:
Mayte: Equitant, to whom I knew throughout Intuitive Music and now we are good friends.

Julio: Ulterior, without a doubt. I visit their Myspace page every once in a while to listen to their music. Mayte was lucky enough to see one of their concerts in London last December. I’m so jealous!