SOURCE – What made you decide to go the independent route for Analysis Paralysis?
Tote Fernandez – The record was released via Instru Dash Mental Records, an independent company of mostly instrumental music based in the USA. The owner of the label is Rodrigo Cotelo, my partner in crime on this record, helping me with the compositions and the arrangements, so it seemed very suitable to release it under his label, to also support his work. The good news is that we have total control over the material, publishing, rights and how we want to manage it.
SOURCE – What are you proud of with your latest album, Analysis Paralysis?
Tote Fernandez – I’m proud and honored first of all to have worked with world class players such as Derek Sherinian, Steve DiGiorgio, Mattias IA Eklundh, Al Joseph, Paul Logue, some of which are my heroes since my childhood. I remember listening to Dream Theater’s “Falling Into Infinity” and also Planet X in my teenage years and knowing that Derek is featured on my record is kind of full circle to me. Also Steve Di Giorgio, I used to listen to Death and Testament records in high school and having him on my album is a dream come true. The same goes for Mattias IA Eklundh who is one of my favourite guitar players ever.
Also the most important thing is that I got to make this record with a lot of amazing musicians friends from Uruguay that I met on my musical journey and that I deeply admire such as Francisco Fattoruso, Federico Navarro, Rodrigo Cotelo, Nacho Labrada, Fede Delfino, Marco Messina, Fer O-Smith, Gerardo Alonso and Pablo Fernández Villagrán. The record feels like a full team effort although my name is on the cover. Everyone was really compromised with the work as if it was their own (which it is) and that makes me really happy and fulfilled. The kind of music is also music that I used to listen mostly in my teenage years, when the influences for a musician are the most strong, so I wanted to make a Progressive Metal record with some Death Metal influences and some Fusion and Alternative Rock mixed, and play whatever we wished to play. It was really fun and having fun is what I love most in music. This is far beyond what I expected for my debut solo record.
SOURCE – What was the process like of grabbing people to do vocals for the album? How did you know what would work for a particular vocalist?
Tote Fernandez – The only vocal performance on the record is on the song “Reject Reborn (Every Time)” which features Fer O-Smith, great uruguayan singer who is also my girlfriend, and the great Paul Logue (Eden’s Curse bassist) who contributed spoken vocals. The song was originally an instrumental but we thought that it was suitable to add vocals on this one. It felt it had a little more space than the other compositions which are more instrumental oriented and the instruments are filling all the space with the melody, the riffs, the grooves and the solos. The song is also very “Evanescence” oriented, kind of an Alternative Gothic Metal tune, and Fer O-Smith vocals were very fitting to the track. And in those kinds of bands, there’s also the “Beauty and the Beast” team of vocals, featuring female melodic and powerful voices contrasting with a speaking voice or harsh male vocal. So we added Paul for the spoken part and it worked perfectly.
SOURCE – Discuss your interactions with Rodrigo Cotelo and Nacho Labrada in terms of finding your sound and moving forward.
Tote Fernandez – We started composing the record with Rodrigo Cotelo in August 2019. He is the one that made all this possible from the start. I was wanting to make a record like this for a very long time and our paths crossed. He also wanted to make a metal record because he’s more like a Jazz Fusion guitarist and composer, but he really loves Metal and plays it perfectly. And it was the perfect opportunity for both of us to join forces and make this record. I had the idea and the concept in mind but I was missing the composing skills to put it all together, and Rodrigo was fundamental in helping me with writing the tunes and we arranged and produced them together. The composition process was via Zoom, because Rodrigo lives in Indiana and I’m based in Uruguay, which made it really interesting and dynamic. Technology is an amazing tool these days.
Nacho Labrada is an incredible musician and keyboard player from Uruguay, a great friend. Rodrigo and I wanted to feature him on the record because he’s a real team player and always finds a way to enhance the music, whatever the style may be. So we recruited him to take care of the keyboards in all of the songs. We oriented him through the tunes and he understood the ideas very quickly. He delivered perfectly and with his sound he made the record a little smoother and more progressive.
And I have to mention Francisco Fattoruso, also a brother from my musical journey, an outstanding musician, who mixed the record incredibly well and helped to mold the record from the audio production standpoint giving the album that particular character and personality. It sounds processed and produced but it maintains the organic feel from the performances of the musicians, and that was what I was looking for from the beginning. So he also appears as Artistic Producer on the credits with Rodrigo Cotelo and myself.
SOURCE – Was there anyone that you contacted that you wish you could have gotten for the album?
Tote Fernandez – Not really. Everyone I contacted agreed to be on the record which is mind blowing for me. Of course I would have loved to invite more musicians in, but I needed more songs for that haha, so of course for the next record I will invite some more friends and also hope that they like the music to participate.
SOURCE – You’ve done clinics and teachings. How important is education and giving back?
Tote Fernandez – I think education is really important. I love giving lessons and doing clinics. Education became another passion of mine without realizing it. I really like the feeling when you explain something to someone and they get it, and to improve their lives in any way and help them on their journey. Motivation is really important to me, to pass on the motivation and the positive energy for other people to find their own path in music and in life. And of course to pass on information, knowledge and give back what I have learned in my musical life. I love teaching because it also helps me to know more about myself and to keep improving and learning from my students who are also my teachers in a way. It goes both ways, like a mirror.
SOURCE – What’s the future of rock music in your eyes?
Tote Fernandez – I think rock music has left the mainstream. Or maybe the mainstream has left rock music behind. Sadly nowadays it’s hard to put on some TV channels and find some good rock music. I remember when I was young and MTV used to broadcast those great music videos and bands. Today young kids have to do their research to find rock music. But I think rock is in very good health, quality wise. There are lots of incredible musicians and bands, but now you have to find them online and follow them because the mainstream media won’t show them anymore which is a shame. Let’s hope rock music makes a comeback!
SOURCE – After the release of the album, what’s ahead for 2021 with any of your bands/projects?
Tote Fernandez – The album has been released on December 18th 2020 and it’s available for everyone to listen to on all digital platforms. I’m planning to make an official presentation of the record with a live show at some big venue here in Uruguay when the pandemic goes away. In the meantime, I’m giving lessons, clinics, and doing studio recordings for artists that hire me to play on their music. Can’t complain, really grateful to do what I do for a living.
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