ListN Up is a series of artist-curated playlists that offer an intimate sonic portrait of contemporary artists by showcasing the diverse and stylistically varied music that influences their creative practice.
Natalia Merlano Gómez is a musician, singer, improviser, and researcher interested in contemporary experimental music, voice explorations, and the use of electronic devices to create sound. She has released two solo album projects, Resonancias Entrelazadas in 2020 and 2021 and CINCO in 2022 and 2023, and has collaborated with different artists worldwide.
Hello, my name is Natalia Merlano Gómez, and I am a musician based in San Diego, California. I am interested in exploring voice, improvisation, and experimental music. The playlist that you will listen to features artists from all over the world and includes different practices within experimental music, such as soundscapes, pieces based on graphical scores and improvisations, and online collaborations made during the pandemic. I would like to express my gratitude to Amanda Cook for inviting me to participate, to David Aguila for nominating me, and to everyone else involved in this project. Thank you and enjoy the music!
“IN A FLOCK” BY AKARI KOMURA
I love how soundscapes transport me to different places, and Akari did it by using sounds from the Keiō Line Train in Tokyo to create this piece. The first “birds” we hear are part of a synthetic digital signal to let people know the train is coming. The piece is a trajectory from the train platform to the railroad crossing, ending at the ticket gates and blending that final sound with recordings of real birds from Michigan.
“EMBER” BY ILANA WANIUK, PERFORMED BY DIEGO SERRANO AND NATALIA MERLANO GÓMEZ
“Ember” is a modular piece created by Ilana Waniuk in 2020. She allowed the performers to create their own pieces based on three videos and seven photos she designed as a graphical score. The performers can organize them as they wish. Diego Serrano and Natalia Merlano Gómez (NMDS) recorded this version, full of different textures and interactions, using voice, pedal effects, and an analog synthesizer in 2022.
“MALEABLE” BY RODRIGO PASCALE, PERFORMED BY TEREZA DIAZ DE COSSIO
It is a piece for flute and electronic composition from 2021. It is inspired by the way that the brain works to create memories. In the piece, the electronics perform the idea of this malleable memory. I like how Teresa inputs so much energy into each sound and how the dialog between electronics and acoustic sounds creates a malleable perception of sound.
“ALTERIDADES,” CREATED AND PERFORMED BY COLECTIVA TSUNAMI
Colectiva Tsunami is a collaborative network created in Mexico. It aims to develop activities with a gender perspective to cooperate, support, and promote the musical work made by women. In 2022, they released the album Tsunami Sonoro, which features pieces by composers from Latin America and collaborative creations. “Alteridades” is a track that evokes collectiveness and dialog, where every voice has a place and something to communicate.
“PEQUEÑO HUERTO” BY WILFRIDO TERRAZAS, PERFORMED BY FILERA, CARMINA ESCOBAR (VOICE), NATALIA PÉREZ (CELLO), WILFRIDO TERRAZAS (FLUTE)
This is a piece written as an homage to poet Yorgos Seferis, with some modules containing improvisational material for the performers to interact with. Each module has a defined musical character and brings other inspirations to the collective creation. Filera Ensemble’s input brought great energy and contrast to this version.
“SINALEFA HACIA EL SUR” BY TORTUGA ALADA AND GUESTS, PERFORMED BY TORTUGA ALADA, CAMILA NEBBIA (TENOR SAX), LIVIA MATTOS (ACORDEON), JULIANA GAONA (OBOE) AND ANA RUIZ VALENCIA (VIOLIN)
Although the members of Tortuga Alada live and come from different countries, music has brought them together. “Sinalefa hacia el sur” is part of their second album and is the only piece created during the pandemic in 2020. They invited the amazing musicians Juliana Gaona, Ana Ruiz, Camila Nebbia, and Livia Mattos to create this synalepha, which blends one sound with the next to create a poetic piece.
“GHOST TONES” BY DAVID AGUILA
It is a composition for a solo double bell trumpet in which David wants to explore and bring the microsounds that the instrument can produce to the forefront. These “ghost tones” include airy notes, feedback, and the instrument’s mechanics. I enjoy all the different timbres he explores in the piece, especially the airy, watery drone at the end and how it blends with the melodic gestures along the piece.
“MORPHIN'” BY GABRIEL MORA, PERFORMED BY NOTCH AND DIEGO SERRANO
NoTch started as an electric guitar duo many years ago. Diego Serrano, who plays analog synthesizers, joined the group after many collaborations. The sound and movement create a dynamic and synchronized piece in this video score. The beginning is kind of mysterious and playful. Then, when the drums from the synthesizer are more present, the piece becomes noisier and more energetic.
“MAIJA AWI: LA CREACIÓN” BY ÁLVARO G. DÍAZ RODRÍGUEZ
It is part of a sculpture/sound installation piece created by a collective of artists inspired by the Maija Awi myth. Álvaro recreated the sounds of magic and wisdom from the story. The sounds of the snake rattle transform into maracas, and then wind, storm, words, and chant give rise to the enchantment and mysticism in the sounds.
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