Midnight Generation Is Funk’s Best-Kept Secret

Backstage at Outside Lands, Mexico’s Midnight Generation detail the importance of prioritizing the music over labels after their irresistibly funky and hypnotizingly groovy set.

Stream: “Don’t Wait Up” – Midnight Generation

Men were dropping like flies around Midnight Generation.

It was clear that most of the Outside Lands audience had wandered into the crowd, following the danceable melodies and infectious energy wafting across the festival grounds. Soon enough, the guitar solos featured on “Oh Baby What Comes Around Goes Around” were met with choruses of “Let’s Go!” and jumping to the beat.

Tender Love - Midnight Generation — Tender Love – Midnight Generation

The group of five from Chihuahua, Mexico showed a sense of playfulness, both in their unpredictable solos and Mario and Luigi ad-libs. Each member stands upstage in their own little bubble. They are fixated on the crowd, but seem to read each other’s minds with ease. It is clear that this band – comprised of Fernando Mares, Luis Carlos “Bica” Valderrama, Carlos Amaya, Samuel Márquez, and Diego Bustillos – is a well-oiled machine, moving smoothly through progressive electronica while managing to capture a sense of soul.

Collaborations with Zimmer90 and Chromeo have catapulted them further onto the map. Their latest record, Tender Love is a project devoted to celebrating the heart of electronic and dance music: a moment of connection that feels as long as a lifetime.

Midnight Generation stay true to the main elements of funk: Looping rhythms, layered instrumentation, and syncopated beats. The magic of Midnight Generation is that they manage to harness the nostalgic nature of funk music while carving out their own space within the sound.

This band is not interested in recreating what has been done before; instead, they work together to turn up the noise, deepen the colors, and saturate the hues of a beloved sound.

Make no mistake, Midnight Generation is one to watch.

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:: stream/purchase Tender Love here ::

:: connect with Midnight Generation here ::

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A CONVERSATION WITH MIDNIGHT GENERATION

Atwood Magazine: What was it about this funk/groove scene that sparked your interest and brought the band together?

Fernando Mares: I think our childhood. We all grew up with music like the Bee Gees, Prince, Chic.

Samuel Marquez: Obviously we all have different tastes. Diego loves salsa music, he comes from that. Charlie likes progressive rock. We share the same things, like Fernando said.

Carlos Amaya: You heard it here first, new metal versions of our songs coming soon.

And these interests brought you guys together?

Samuel Marquez: Fernando started ten years ago. He invited us five years ago, he always had a very clear vision. He knew the sound of Midnight Generation.

Fernando Mares: It’s not something that is written. It is something that flows, and we don’t know what we are going to do next. But, we know what we like and we will try to stick with that.

That reminds me of your set. The bands you love are big on improvisation. How important is that element for your live shows?

Samuel Marquez: Very important. We are comfortable doing it.

Luis Carlos Valderrama: We all have our moments. Fernando does solos, and so do Sammy and Diego. Charlie has his moments on the bass.

How has it been breaking into the English language scene?

Fernando Mares: We are not really good speakers.

Samuel Marquez: Speak for yourself (laughs).

Fernando Mares: But we always try to express things in our own way.

Carlos Amaya: On tour, everyone has been very nice. I think of Chicago and California, everyone was very welcoming.

Speaking of, “Tan Cerca” is the only Spanish song on your record. Why did you decide to put that on the record?

Fernando Mares: We got inspired because Sammy’s mother passed away. It was a bittersweet moment.

Diego Bustillos: It was really important for all of us to do that tribute. We wanted to make that moment last forever because it’s very important to us, and especially to Sammy.

Do you worry that there will be a tendency for fans or the media to label you as the Mexican band that speaks English?

Fernando Mares: There is a bit of like, “They are from Mexico but they speak English.”

Sammy Marquez: People are a bit confused at times. Like “What?” you’re from Mexico but there is nothing Mexican about this music.

Diego Bustillos: You don’t have to think in nationalities.

Fernando Mares: We don’t want to win a grammy, so we don’t give a fuck. If they want to put us in Latin or Rock, it doesn’t matter. We are having fun and expressing ourselves.

Samuel Marquez: We just love to perform. We love to get up on stage.

What do you want people to take away from your set today?

Fernando Mares: Generally, I hope they take away the vibe. To share a positive energy, to share love, and to share that we all have feelings. We love to live. The rest, whatever they take away, is fine.

Luis Carlos Valderrama: We love doing this, and this is a great moment for us. Everytime we are on stage we want people to remember that it’s for them, not for us. We are just facilitating that, if that makes sense.

Samuel Marquez: We want them to share the “Tender Love.”

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