Probing Brain’s brain as he releases his debut album

Shining a light on Prisma

The best music often comes from the hardest of times. When Juan Aguilar set out to write his debut album as Brain three years ago he had no idea just how hard some of those times were going to be…

From a break-up and mental health challenges to selling every worldly belonging and moving thousands of miles across the world without a penny to his name… Prisma was created during one of the most hectic and humbling periods of flux the Bogota artist has ever lived though.

And you can feel it in every blast of textured ice cold pads, every creeped out, high-tension lull and every timeless exfoliating breakbeat thunderstorm. From technoid inspired neuro mutations to moody, snarling dubstep, Prisma is an honest, brutal and thorough reflection of a young Colombian who’s put everything on the line for his art.

With Prisma now out in the universe adding its own stark, beguiling textures to the Dispatch legacy we tracked Brain down in London to find out more. This is how it went down…

 

 

Yes, Juan. How are you, and what have we interrupted you doing today?

Hey, Dave. I just started learning how to edit videos on Premiere and reading a book my flatmate recommended. It’s about the creative workflow as an artist.

Nice! Where are you in the world right now? I know you’re from Bogotá, but your says you’re now in London. How is it treating you?

Yes, I’m now in London. I’m still in the process of applying for a talent visa. To be honest, I don’t feel it’s too different from home. I’m used to living in a big, rainy, chaotic city with tons of culture and people from different heritages. I’ve met people in the last nine months that I can really call friends, and I’m very thankful for that, as well as for having a place to sleep and eat.

Amen to that! I need to ask, where does the name Brain come from?

When I started in music, experimenting with psychedelics, I always thought that the sounds I made were expanding the consciousness and minds of people.

I love that!

I think that’s still the main idea behind why I do music. I feel that people need to be able to feel something behind the drums and basslines—something that makes them think about how and why. The beautiful thing about electronic music is that everyone has their own unique perception. I love when people are at a rave, close their eyes, and you can feel how they blend into the music. When I play, I feel like I’m the brain sending impulses to the people.

 

 

Go on. That’s definitely the cosmic connection isn’t it? Tell us about Prisma, your debut album! This is a big moment, right?

Yes, it’s my biggest work to date. After 12 years of producing, it has always been a dream to release my first full album on a label that shaped my sound and is iconic in the scene.


Yes! How about the concept?

The album is a sonic journey that explores the interplay of light and darkness, breaking down the many shades of drum and bass into a vibrant palette of transformative sound. Inspired by the way a prism disperses light, each track unveils a distinct dimension, from bursts of high energy to more introspective soundscapes.

On a spiritual level, Prisma symbolizes clarity, balance, and personal transformation. Just as a prism transforms white light into a multicolored spectrum, this album seeks to transform the listener’s emotions and experiences into a deep immersion, covering all the colors of the soul. Driving basslines and immersive atmospheres guide the listener through a journey of purification, balance, and connection, creating a harmonious space where the divine and the earthly meet.

Each track reflects the diversity of sound and the ability of music to convey both light and shadow, always maintaining a perfect balance between the ethereal and the raw, the melodic and the visceral.

All the right elements! What is your relationship like with albums anyway?

I think the album format is really important, especially nowadays when people don’t want to listen; they just hear music, and there’s a huge difference. I grew up listening mostly to rock, grunge, metal, and hardcore. I always loved listening to albums from Colombian bands like Balas de Bebe (La Derecha), Ultrageno (Ultrageno), Evolución Bogotá Hardcore (VA), The Neo Box (V.A.), El Dorado (Aterciopelados), and La 22 (1280 Almas).

I listened from the first track on my old AIWA player and just let myself go with the flow, always paying attention to the lyrics and being interested in how they made the music. I used to see the lyrics on my uncle’s CDs and listen to his tapes in the Walkman, too. I also had the privilege of listening to lots of rip metal and hardcore tapes from my dad, which influenced me a lot. I listened to bands like Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Madball, Rage Against the Machine, and many more. So, albums are really important to make a statement as an artist, to say something, and to remain timeless for people. 

 

 

Couldn’t agree more. With you on the elderly metal stuff, too! How long have you been working towards the release of Prisma?

Almost three years. I started playing tunes at different times and in various cities. I began in Colombia when I was living in Bogotá in 2021. I wrote the collaboration with Mad Complex, who is a great producer and a good friend. That year, I toured Europe and wrote Winter when I went to Moscow and met my friend.

Then Oaks, Changes, Point Of View, and Prisma came while I was living in Medellín, where techno and electro are predominant genres. I learned to appreciate this music there. I wrote Prisma in a masterclass I took in 2022 at a music production school in Medellín. I just loved the vibe and melody and how they could translate to a dance floor or even while riding my bike, like a video game. In 2023, I wrote Surge, Pulse, and Depression in Medellín after a breakup with my girlfriend at the time. Those tunes came from some really dark times in my head.

Later in 2023, I moved to Pereira and wrote Experiences while struggling with some mental health issues due to karma coming from mistakes I made in the past. I had some crazy months. Suddenly, around October 2023, DLR wrote to me that he wanted to have me at a Sofa Sound party in London. So I said, “Yeah, let’s do it!” I decided to leave everything behind, follow my dream, and start from zero.

Oh wow!

When I came to London, I was living in Brixton in a friend’s room that he rented to me for his holidays. I found so much inspiration in the city that I wanted to write music again. One night, I wrote N109, inspired by the London night, the lights, and the darkness. In 2024, I ran out of money and, in desperation, found a place to live for free in a farmhouse in Surrey. I had to walk a dog daily, do labor jobs, and feed the chickens. It was cold as hell, haha, but one night I wrote Kalimba using these old hi-fi speakers I bought for £20 at a charity shop. It was lots of fun. After struggling a lot with the mastering, I did it because I wanted to sound like me. After many months of trying and testing during my summer European tour, I finally made the final versions in the room I’m living in now in Tottenham. For me, it was the closing chapter, and I just let them go. I’m very satisfied with the result in terms of lo-fi quality, concept, and storytelling.

 

 

What a journey you’ve been on. I respect and admire your honesty, too. How is your mental health now? I can relate. I hope you’re feeling more balanced and positive!

I have my ups and downs. I’ve had some situations in the last couple of years that have definitely changed my life. It’s also been hard to start in a new country from scratch, sell all my belongings back home, and take the risk to come here with almost no money, unable to work legally, leaving behind family, pets, and friends to chase my dreams and inspire others to do the same. But I always stay positive and keep my head up, even in the darkest times. I try to follow the light. I’m very proud to be here representing my people, our sound, and Colombia, which is sometimes only known for drugs and violence. I’m blessed to know I always have friends and family back home who support me when I feel overwhelmed. I do this for the pure love of music, but I hope to have a sustainable career at some point.

Ah wow that’s super inspiring. Huge props. You can feel the love for the music. Especially in the drums and certain sonic elements that make it sound very timeless. This feels like a love letter to the genre with special nods towards pillars like Virus, Headz, and of course Dispatch. Especially on the drums. Would you agree?

Yeah, 100%. I love making drums sound real. I want people to be able to feel the groove, but I do certain tricks so they don’t sound like anyone else. I’ve always been a fan of Optiv & BTK, Ed Rush & Optical, Survival & Silent Witness, Bad Company, Stakka & Skynet, and Gridlok, to name a few. But it’s also a tribute to the sound of my city, which is fast, deep, dark, rolling, techy, lo-fi, dissonant, and acid—reflecting the struggle of a low/middle-class Rolo.

Inspired is another track that really grabbed me! It’s intense! Gotta ask… Who was it inspired by? Kinda sounds like you’ve been listening to a lot of techno or maybe Current Value tunes!

It’s a tribute to Bogotá raves, where I used to listen to technoid, hard DnB, techstep, and neurofunk at 7 a.m. at Casa 33 or at a Radikal Styles festival. It’s also a nod to my mentors: DJ Sebass, STH, Hypermood, Xue, Unreal Project, Submassive, Fractal Recs, RE.SET, Inbassion, Silentzcorp, ID Bogotá, and the entire Bogotá DnB family.

There are so many people to name who have shaped who I am today. Amazing producers with their unique styles include Wave, Xue, Asura, Novaglitch, Greender, Cacumen, María Zue, Perros Negros, Analyze, Bassilar Membrane, D.K., Souldier, Psycorp, and many others.
I’m truly proud of what’s happening in my country regarding DnB production. I love how people don’t seem to follow the standards of the UK; they know they need to be themselves to stand out in this industry. For us, it’s been a long-term game as we don’t do the usual stuff, and in my case, I don’t want to. But being humble, I’d say the album itself definitely has influences from classic UK DnB, jungle, breakbeat, and dubstep tunes, with my own vision.

Go on. Other tracks that really stood out to me were Changes and Oaks because I love the slower tempos. Was it important for you to include other genres on the album?

It was very natural for me to add these tracks. I write a lot of music in other tempos just to experiment, and Antc1 gave me the freedom and confidence to release those. I think it’s important because you always want to hear what’s behind the artist’s usual craft. For me, being open-minded is vital.

Yes! You mentioned metal before but are there any other genres that are big influences on the Brain sound? What inspires you when you’re not in DnB mode?

Mostly punk, hardcore, metal, and rock in general, but I love many styles of music. If I find something with vibes, I just listen to it; I’m very open-minded about that. Nowadays, funny enough, I’m more interested in digging into traditional Colombian music. I’ve developed a deep connection with my roots while living abroad and meeting some traditional instruments like the gaita and amazing musicians. I grew up in a home where my uncles only listened to rock and ’90s MTV music.

 

 

What’s your personal favorite on Prisma and why?

My favorite is Kalimba. This track is a true example of how I like to blend different styles in one tune. You can hear elements of intelligent, techstep, rolling, acid, hardcore, and deep. I also used a kalimba to create the main melody, which I love and have never heard in a DnB tune before. I wrote it last winter when I was living as a volunteer in a farmhouse, and I remember this cold night with the dog, wearing many layers because there was no heater in the house. Haha, fun times!

Wow. The things we do in pursuit of art, right? Salute. What was the most challenging track to complete?

I think N109 because I wanted the perfect drum edit! I also used one sound from a random movement sample pack that leads the melody of the tune, and I struggled a lot to make it clear and loud without badly distorting it. It just sounded good in the track, and when I tried to recreate the sound, it wasn’t the same feeling.

Did you have any really challenging moments during the process where you felt you’d never finish it?

I think the project became ready at the right time when I wrote the right tracks and tested them on many sound systems around Europe, Colombia, and the UK. The big challenge was making something meaningful for me—not just on the music side, but expressing my deep feelings and perspectives about the music I love and my own experiences.

We are here for the meaningfulness! How about epiphanies? What did you learn about yourself during the creation of Prisma?

I learned to deal with frustration, be patient, and recognize that perfectionism is your enemy. It’s tricky to know when you’re ready. I tried not to compare myself with others and to be true to myself. Also, I learned to be confident in my sound and go for it!

Yes! Absolutely love that. What’s the most important thing you’d like people to know about Prisma?

Conceptually, it’s a statement about going through life, following your dreams, and being yourself. As one of my mentors said to me, it’s all about seeing things from different perspectives. I think you should definitely listen to the album in order and take your time to close your eyes and go to places in your mind. Technically, the tunes sound a bit squashed and noisy for a reason; I wanted that grit and saturation on purpose to give them soul.

Yeah you can feel that! What happens next?

I have some amazing music lined up for next year with my label ID Bogotá. We are focused on supporting local DnB talent, but I also have some tunes for Sofa Sound and Motive Audio that really represent my sound, along with some collaborations with Gusto, Mains, Vispera, Speaker Louis, and Neuro. Hoping one day i can live only from making music hehe.

I’m thinking of touring around the UK and Europe after winter and hopefully getting the visa sorted to travel back to Colombia for holidays with my people and share my experiences.

Share Brain’s experiences – Pisma is out now

 

 

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