Daniel Perez

March Meet-the-Artist

Daniel Perez

Danny is a musician and member of the band 'Reverso', along with his two brothers and other talented musicians. oh and on the side he's mastering music psychology.

Where are you from?
Quito, Ecuador

What brought you to London?
A combination of things, like the idea of moving to some English speaking place to learn the language. Also, I guess I simply wanted a change in my life, without really knowing what I wanted, just something different you know?

You are in a band, Reverso, with your two brothers. Did you grow up making music together?

You could say so, music was always such an important part of our lives. From being taken to piano lessons together when we were kids, to dancing to my dad playing the guitar in our living room. Eventually Abner (my older brother) started writing and him and me would sit and put simple harmonies together which we would then teach Jonnathan (my younger brother) and then that developed into actually getting some of that stuff recorded. For the most part it was Abner and me being very involved, I was 14 when we recorded our very first album as a duo. It wasn't like having a band, it was me and my brother making music, which is totally different, but it worked and I liked it. After moving to London and reuniting with my brothers, even though we had changed, the music was still a major force and decided to form Reverso.

If you could collaborate with any artist, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

Cafe Tacuba, they are my favourite band and I wish I could be able to share and experience some of the creativity and energy they have

What inspires you?
That's a difficult question! In terms of writing and creating music, everything inspires. I always like to take small things like having a coffee somewhere and make it seem bigger or take something quiet complex like politics and make it seem silly… Having said that, I think that at some point it stops being 'something' that inspires you to do music. It just becomes so natural that music becomes your inspiration for the rest of things in your life instead of the other way around. I cannot imagine my life doing something that didn't have anything to do with music.

It has been said that all great artists are either born too early or too late. Do you feel like you were born too early or too late - or just at the right time? If too early or too late - what would be your chosen era to live and create?
I haven't heard that before. I'm not sure I agree with that; if they were born too early or too late then they wouldn't have been considered great artists. I like the era I'm living in, with the internet and all the technology around is so much easier to get stuff done by yourself rather than needing a big studio and fancy stuff. The challenge is always to reach more people, but that is mostly a 'right place right time' issue I guess…

Desert Island Disc time - what 5 CDs would you take with you to a deserted island?
Cafe Tacuba - Cuatro Caminos
Robi Draco Rosa - Como me acuerdo
Bon Iver - For Emma
Macaco - Puerto Presente
Silvio Rodriguez - Al final de este viaje

Who has had the most influence on you as a musician and as a person?
As a musician I would probably say Gustavo Santaolalla, who is the creator of the contemporary Tango collective 'Bajofondo Tango Club' and produced (among many others) a few Cafe Tacuba albums. If you ask me the same question another day I might pick a different name!
As a person, my older brother.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In the middle of a tour, so I don't know about the place, but I know what I want to be doing!

one thing that even the people who know you would be surprised to learn:
this one i have to think about!

best advice you've ever been given:
Dream! fight for your dream and if you achieve your dream, dream again!

Many thanks to Danny! Keep a lookout for Reverso - a band surely on it's way to making a mark on the world.