SOUND ADVICE
Chilean Pop Star Alex Anwandter Plays “Fuck, Marry, Kill” With Pop Anthems
Alex Anwandter.
This is SOUND ADVICE, a weekly destination for playlists curated by Interview’s friends, enemies, and lovers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gathered playlists by Daniel Fisher, a.k.a. Physical Therapy, The Papi Juice Collective, and Miya Folick. This week, we’re venturing out to Brooklyn for a chat with the provocative Chilean artist and producer Alex Anwandter. The 40-year-old Latin Grammy-nominated hottie is celebrating the release of his new album El Diablo En El Cuerpo (which translates to “the devil inside the body”), an 80s-tinted dance-pop album with lyrics that celebrate the euphoric experience of queer nightlife and explore the complexities of falling in love within machismo culture. His latest single, “Ahora Somos Dos,” takes inspiration from the gay cinematic canon with nods to Brokeback Mountain and Call Me By Your Name. For Interview, Anwandter crafted a playlist that pays homage to gay dance culture and answered our questionnaire, in which he answers a real Sophie’s Choice (Prince or Freddy Mercury?) and solicits help finding the best gay bar in Brooklyn.
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Where do you dance? My living room.
What’s on your bedroom playlist? After Dark compilation by Italians Do It Better.
Fuck, Marry, Kill: Born This Way, I’m Coming Out, Vogue? Fuck: “Vogue,” Marry: “I’m Coming Out,” Kill: “Born This Way.”
What’s the song of the summer? I literally have no idea.
Fort Tilden or Riis Beach? What do you listen to there? I’m a Riis type of guy, I like chaos. So I guess I’ll listen to whatever five different speakers will be blasting two feet away from me. (Hoping it’s open this year!)
Favorite on-the-road meal? Protein bar and Diet Coke.
Which musician caused your sexual awakening? Whatever was going on in “Velvet Goldmine,” probably.
Name your favorite queer artist no one knows about: I wouldn’t say “no one” but Arthur Russell is still not a household name, I guess. He’s a fave, for sure.
Do you play an instrument? I play violin, piano, guitar, and bass pretty well. Drums, I kind of suck at, but love playing them.
Where’s the afters? Reading in bed with my angel (dog) Lázaro.
What song do you have on repeat? Right now, “Guitarras, Violinos e Instrumentos de Samba” by Brazilian artist Hyldon.
What do you listen to when you’re high? I like to ride my bike listening to Donna Summer’s “Summer Fever,” lol.
What’s the gayest album cover of all time? Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones.
Who is the “mother” of pop music? I would have to say either Diana Ross or Aretha Franklin.
Would you rather write a breakup song or have one written about you? Oh, I write my own, definitely.
What’s your favorite movie needle-drop? I love how well “Easy to Be Hard” plays at the beginning of David Fincher’s Zodiac.
What’s the best gay bar in Brooklyn? I have no idea. But would love to hear about it!
Prince or Freddie Mercury? Hmm that’s tough. I’d have to go with Prince.
Photo by Bruno Nogueira.
