Vargas & Lagola are the musical alter egos belonging to Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare (two of Sweden's most successful songwriters and producers). Today they releases their debut album 'The Butterfly Effect' and the 11-track project serves as Vargas & Lagola’s biggest musical moment yet.
Furthermore, 'The Butterfly Effect' invites listeners to a fascinating musical world where no creative rules exist. Also, the diverse yet coherent collection originated from many years of high-level songwriting, a shared love for retro soundscapes, and lyrics filled with Nordic melancholia.
Some of the new tracks are the bombastic, 'Darkest Before Dawn', with rough guitars, heavy drum beats and an infusion of the hopeful melancholia we know them by. 'Hurts to be Hurt' is a downtempo story about leaving someone behind. The relatable tune mixes Americana-influenced instrumentation with contemporary sounds.
'Back to You' is catchy and melodic. Also, the song possesses a liberating alternative-sounding production from echoing electric guitars, topped with a rap solo by Ghostface Killah. Finally, the delicate indie-pop track, 'Pick it Up', delivers a dreamy production where ‘70s Americana meets ‘80s disco synths and a longing to move up in life. Other standout tracks include the delicious 'Since 99' and the irresistible 'Somebody That Understands Me (featuring Ludwig Göransson).
Vargas & Lagola’s music is mainly inspired by retro influences, from Chicago and Fleetwood Mac to The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, and ‘90s hip-hop.
On 'The Butterfly Effect', they shifted their focus from computer generated beats to live instruments. Also, they recorded everything themselves, from their own drum comps to riffs on steel-string acoustic guitar.
"This first album is our attempt to give the outside world a more nuanced palette of our musical landscape. And it really means the world to us to finally share it. We try not to set any boundaries for our work. Most songs that we like are based on a similar mindset and construction. And in the end, the most important thing isn’t if they come out as hip-hop, pop, or rock." – Vargas & Lagola
On April 3rd Vargas & Lagola will do their first (sold-out) headline show at Berns in Stockholm.