When the sibling duo behind Sotomayor finished recording their newest album, they still didn’t have a name for it.
The title arrived later when they discovered the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, a philosophy centered on accepting imperfection and appreciating life’s imperfect paths. The idea resonated deeply with the band’s journey, and it ultimately became the name of the album.
“I just found the words when we were looking for a title for the album. And it just ... resonated with me,” Raúl Sotomayor said. “This idea of finding the perfection in imperfection, like understanding that things are not always going to be like you want them, that life isn't perfect and you have to embrace it.”
Part of why that concept resonated so strongly comes from the band’s experience releasing its 2020 album. Orígenes came out just weeks before the global pandemic shut down touring and live music.
“It was a hard period for us,” Raúl said. “I would have liked that the road in music for us to be different. I have this sense that things could have been better, but they haven't, and you have to embrace it.
"And once you understand that the road to things is not going to be perfect, then you can start doing things and enjoying them. And I see that as a beautiful thing.”
For this album, they recorded in Puerto Rico with producer Eduardo Cabra, also known as Visitante Calle 13. They said having collaborators like Cabra helped them finish songs and structure the album.
"His most important involvement in this album was deciding when things are done, because he's this external voice that is telling you when things are good, and that's the hardest thing when you make an album alone,” Raúl said.
They also worked with collaborators from previous projects, which helped shape the sound of the album in new ways.
“It is really nice to have that community,” Paulina, or Pau, Sotomayor said. “That helps a lot to have a different essence developing in all the process ... and to have another result that is maybe something you were not imagining at the beginning.”
The siblings' working relationship is easy and natural, in spite of not being particularly close while they were growing up. Raúl noted it’s only been through the process of doing interviews like this one that he realized they had a shared music experience as kids.
“These interviews sometimes are like therapy,” Raúl said. “I [have] discovered that we sort of listened to the same music growing up.”
Over time, music has become the foundation of their relationship.
“Making music together is what is keeping us together, and it's also really cool to see that there's a connection between us, and how we understand each other. Because for me, as a producer, it's not always that easy to work with other people,” Raúl said.
“With my sister, making this album was, like, really easy. It was just playing some chords and my sister was already working the lyrics. ... We were working really fast, because we already understand each other and what music we like. It was just a really easy process.”
Sotomayor is known for blending electronic music with Latin rhythms like cumbia and Afro-Caribbean percussion, giving it some grounding. For this album, they initially set out to make more dance and club-focused music, but their signature sound naturally crept back in during the recording process.
“Let's focus on making dance music, and then songs naturally started to change and started to sound more organic,” Raúl said.
That organic quality amid the electronic music tapped into what has become Sotomayor’s sound, which both Raúl and Pau find is something really special and not something they ever set out to create.
The album includes a variety of styles and influences: house, dancehall, Afrobeat, R&B and cumbia.
“It narrates everything through the influences that we have been hearing in all our history,” Pau said.
The two joined Headwaters ahead of an album release show in Mexico City, their first show in six years — something that feels especially meaningful after several years away from touring.
While thousands of miles away from each other, Raúl and Pau had notes of sheer gratitude for KAXE and listeners from across the world.
“It's really cool to see how this music translates,” Raúl said. “I think that first you make music, trying [to get] people to like them, then you go to this stage where it's like, no, now I'm going to make music for myself. We also need to get to new people. And then we need to get to new people in the U.S., and people that don't speak Spanish, and people in Europe ... just to see it grow that way organically, it's really cool.”
For Sotomayor, WABI SABI not only represents their journey as musicians, but their journey in life. It hasn't been perfect, but through that imperfection, it has beauty and meaning.
Take listen to WABI SABI on your preferred streaming platform here.
