🎵 IT056: Ahorra En Mi Corazon, Mi Corazon Azul
✏️ Mary Ocaña
🗓 27.02.20

Mary is an artist and interior designer from Los Angeles currently based in Cardiff, UK.

Hi Mary! Can you tell us a little bit about your tape and your song selections?

Hello, for this playlist I tried to imagine what it would feel to be walking down a road, or in the park. It’s an exploration of how your perception of surroundings changes which each song, like flickering scenes. It becomes a different world - one of your imagination. I appreciate songs that transport you into other worlds, and I like the feeling that I could be anywhere but where I am, but in a kind of magical way.

For this reason, there are a lot of experimental songs, and a few with lyrics. It begins with Croatian Amor; it’s one of their tamer songs. The playlist then casually jumps into a sea of all kinds of meddling worlds, with each song allowing the listener to take a step into different places, creating bits of waves as they step into each world. It’s best enjoyed while walking, through a park, or meandering through the aisles of a grocery store. Anywhere as long as you’re on the move!

What direction did you take with your cover art, and what was your process?

I tried to imagine a kind of world that is a bit like ours and yet subtly different. There are purple and black trees and blue bushes. The pathway is coral instead of a brown dirt path. I wanted to play around with colours that already exist in nature but don’t naturally sit next to each other. Similarly, it plays with the idea that the worlds that you create in your mind whilst listening to music are altered by our current reality - or the world we know.

For my process I usually start off with numerous sketches, each with additions and variations until one just “makes sense”. After that, I’ll go in and begin to add colours, but sometimes I find this process difficult because there are certain colours I would like to use that don’t necessarily coexist. I’m still learning about this, but it all comes together in the end. I do find myself revisiting pieces a few times to get it “just right,” but I think this is normal.

What are your fave album covers, records with a great music and artwork combo, or musical projects with a visual component?

These are a few of lovely albums with album covers equally as lovely.

What did you listen to growing up?

Coming from a Latin-American background I listened to a lot of what my parents listened to. While my mom cleaned the house there was a lot of Maná, Los Enanitos Verdes, José José and Selena in the background. My mom would occasionally listen to U2 and Kenny Rogers. It wasn’t until I was about 14 that I started getting more into music.

My first CD was The Massacre by 50 Centfollowed by Justin Timberlake’s Cry Me a River! I know, I know.

Later on, when I got my first iPod nano, I downloaded things like Devendra Banhart, Yuck, and Talking Heads from Limewire. I would also spend a lot of time on Last.fm just scrobbling my way through new music. It’s been quite the journey!

And what’s on heavy rotation for you at the moment?

Currently, I’ve been listening to a lot of Julianna Barwick and Weyes Blood. They’re both just super precious and listening to them is very ~dreamy~ which is always appreciated. In the background of my everyday there is always some Mary Lattimore or some øjeRum. While I’m writing this I am listening to Tinpan Orange - she’s an absolute delight!

What’s happening in your creative world at the moment?

I’m just a few months away from finishing up my interior design degree; there’s a lot of re-working of projects, portfolio creating, and model building that has to get done. I’m very excited about that - other than that I draw on days that I’m not working on floor plans or have my hands covered in glue from paper modelling. There’s also a secret project in the works, which is also very exciting (it’ll come out this summer if all goes to plan!)

Where can we find you?

︎ @blushingsensitive

For my more “designy” bits you can find me on Creative Pool.

Thanks Mary.

TRACKLIST
Croatian Amor - LA Hills Burn At The Peak Of Winter / Carla dal Forno - No Trace / Tim Hecker - This life / Forest Swords - Raw Language / CTM - Red Dragon / Grouper - Alien Observer / Kölsch - Goldfisch / Domenique Dumont - Faux savage / Susumu Yokota - TOBIUME / Chihei Hatakeyama - Phantom Cats in Cathedral / Mary Lattimore - Hello from the Edge of the Earth / Susumu Yokota - blue sky and yellow sunflower / Hailu Mergia - Migibima Moltual ︎