The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Juan Alberto Tamayo of Vinnum Sabbathi, Fumata, Tamayo Amp & LSDR Records

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Well, I’m involved in different projects that deal with music as the main focus, I play guitar in Vinnum Sabbathi, I play bass in another band called Fumata, together with my brother we run a very small label called LSDR Records and I build speaker cabinets and mess around with circuits in my home shop under the name Tamayo Amp.

I really can’t pin a job title that best describes what I do, I just like to do stuff and learn a lot, fortunately I’ve been able to survive so far doing what I love, whatever that is.

Almost all those projects started simultaneously when I was a freshman in college about a decade ago. Back then I was fortunate enough to be part of a great underground collective of artists called Lxs Grises, where I met a lot of talented friends that taught me about what an “underground scene” can be, with bands like Apocalipsis, Terror Cósmico, El Ahorcado and Akuma to name a few.

By that time, I started listening to heavy bands like Ufomammut and Sleep and obviously I wanted to play through a wall of Green amps, but being a broke student did not help a bit. So, by applying the DIY approach I decided to build my own speaker cabinet and later on friends started asking me to build more for them, and that’s basically how Tamayo Amp started.

As for the label, like many other stories here, it started with the aim to release our own music since no other labels were interested at the time. But very early on we discovered a LOT of great bands all around Mexico so we focused on releasing the music we love on limited physical runs. I feel fortunate to be able to work with great bands from the underground and help spread the word about them.

Describe your first musical memory.

A very early memory probably would be my dad listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival when I was like seven (still my all-time favorite band BTW).

But the first proper musical memory for me happened in secondary school; I got a Discman as a birthday gift but I had zero idea of what to listen on it, until a friend gave me a random CD from his dad’s collection, which end up being The Wall and, oh boy I went straight into the Pink Floyd rabbit hole by the time I was 14.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Music has filled me with endless joy so far, both as a listener and as a performer. Choosing a single moment is impossible, so here are just a couple that I remember with a big smile and goosebumps:

2014 has some of the best musical memories, Apocalipsis at Lxs Grises Fest II was one of the best local shows I’ve witnessed, period. Later that year I got to play my first festival ever, Vinnum Sabbathi at Nrmal in Monterrey, that was the first time I got in a plane, stayed in a hotel, got paid a “proper” fee to play our own music and I even got a free pair of Vans. I come from a rough part of Mexico, so for me those details really made an impact, all thanks to music.

In 2017 V.S. released Gravity Works and with it one of our wildest dreams became a reality; we got to play in Europe, all DIY and with the craziest conditions, but we made it happen. We met a lot of great people that became family to us and we had the best time ever. On top of that, we managed to attend Freak Valley and play Sonic Blast, where I met some of my heroes and finally saw some of my favorite bands live. Again, all possible thanks to music.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I believe in humans, but every day there’s a fight between pessimistic and optimistic thoughts about our species.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I think you get to know yourself better, not only as an artist but also as a human being. The process of creating new art pushes you in different directions and many times frustration is one of them, but when you overcome the dead ends you find new creative paths and that helps you find who you really are and what you want to express.

How do you define success?

Success for me is to fulfil the goals we choose with aim to achieve happiness throughout our lives.

Or something like that.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Embolsados, en partes y con mensaje. For the non-Spanish readers, bagged human body parts with a message. A big “reality check” to remind me that no matter all the good things, I still live in Mexico.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’ve been gathering lots of ambient recordings from all the places I’ve been to and I’m looking forward to sit down and start writing some music with it, whenever I finally find some time. Also, I would love to design and build my own amp, I’ve been messing around with the idea from some time now but there are just not enough hours in a day for me at the moment.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I believe art can heal and liberate our minds from the physical struggles we have in our lives.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Getting my bachelor of engineering! It has been a long journey writing my thesis between shows, recordings, touring and life itself but finally it’s coming to an end after being involved in the project for almost six years.

www.facebook.com/VinnumSabbathi/
https://www.instagram.com/vinnumsabbathiband/
https://vinnumsabbathi.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/fumatabandmx/
https://www.instagram.com/fumatamx/
https://fumata.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theaddendoom/
https://www.instagram.com/tamayoamp
https://www.tamayoamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lsdrrecords/
https://lsdr.bandcamp.com/
https://www.storenvy.com/stores/823500-lsdr-records-distro

Vinnum Sabbathi, Live at El Vesubio

Fumata, Split with Torn From Earth (2019)