One of 12k’s most endearing artists is back with a new album. From Argentina, Federico Durand presents La Manzana Mágica, an album in signature Federico style inspired by his collection of Cinderlla stamps, in a way only Federico could do. Named after the folk-tale heroine, Cinderellas, throughout the last century, were considered inferior to official postage stamps, but became a sought-after collector’s item. There are some pieces whose origin, circulation context, or illustrator’s name are unknown. Many Cinderellas have designs that seem taken from oral tradition and are oftenbeautifully crafted; even those that were made to promote products, like books. They are echoes of a world gone by. 

One of his most gentle, open and fragile albums to date, La Manzana Mágica is for sure an exercise in restraint, in letting the listener’s imagination wander around the space in between his sounds. His pure synthesizer tones and tape machine maniuplations take on an ethereal, almost haunting quality, perhaps feeling a bit darker than some of his other work. The inspiration and relation to the often-mysterious nature of the Cinderlla stamps is apt.

In Federico’s words: The initial ideas for this album date back at least seven years. I always wanted to translate the simple magic of these very special stamps through sound. I know of musical works dedicated to great paintings, magnificent works of abstract art. In my case, I always felt close to the humble, almost unknown beauty of these stamps that I’ve been collecting. To create this album, I used a very limited palette of sounds, few sonic elements, seeking to capture the small and precious character of the Cinderellas and their quiet, small stories. Few instruments, carefully chosen. Small sounds. A path to the essential. Like a stone polished by the flow of a river. Like the sung verses of a children’s song.