Friday Mixtape: illustrator and guitarist, Gabriel Alcala

Date
27 January 2017

The It’s Nice That Friday Mixtape is back! Each week creatives, musicians and record labels will provide us with a mixtape of ten of their favourite jams. The mixtape may reflect a mood, a genre, what they’re listening to in their studio, or could even reflect a recent project – it’s up to the DJ in question. To get us back into the swing of things, illustrator and guitarist Gabriel Alcala is our first mixtape of 2017.

Gabriel Alcala is a creative with fingers in both musical and illustrational pies. As an illustrator, he creates brilliantly rich drawings, each full to the brim with a psychedelic colour palette and a humorous context.

A musical narrative runs throughout Gabriel’s work, whether it be a personal project inspired by The Velvet Underground’s Sister Ray or a proposal to name a planet after David Bowie, the bands he admires flow through his work. This influence comes from Gabriel’s role as a guitarist in Jacuzzi Boys, based in Miami, Florida. To showcase these influences, his surroundings, and his artistic and musical styles, Gabriel has created a sun-soaked rock and roll playlist for you to groove to. Here is the man himself on his musical findings…

Why have you picked these songs, what do they remind you of or make you feel?

This is a collection of some really smooth rock’n’roll jams that I love. It makes me feel like I’m floating down stream!

When or where should this mixtape be listened to?

Early in the morning, in your apartment with your dog by your side and a cup of coffee. Bonus points if you are surrounded by indoor plants.

What song or album did you listen to as a teenager?

I remember being pretty obsessed with Mos Def, Black on Both Sides. Umi Says is such a killer.

Is there a song or album that is consistently playing in your studio?

I’ve been listening to Terry Riley, A Rainbow in Curved Air a lot.

If a feature film about your life was to be made, what song would be on the trailer?

Iggy Pop, Funtime.

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About the Author

Lucy Bourton

Lucy (she/her) is the senior editor at Insights, a research-driven department with It's Nice That. Get in contact with her for potential Insights collaborations or to discuss Insights' fortnightly column, POV. Lucy has been a part of the team at It's Nice That since 2016, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication.

lb@itsnicethat.com

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