Pablo Rouss and the ten love letters to his deceased mother: he releases his new album after his jump to 'OT 2023'

He left his degree when he had one month left to finish it. He then packed his bags and tried his luck in Madrid. The music prevailed over fear, and he was right. Pablo Rouss (29) has gone from making a living producing alternative music to winning two Latin Grammysrelease two studio albums and collaborate with artists of the stature of Sebastián Yatra, Belén Aguilera, Lola Índigo or Cruz Cafuné, projects to which he added a new challenge: becoming part of the jury of Operation Triunfo 2023.

Now, after the last edition of the contest, he is releasing his second album, Asymptomatic (Warner Music), a work that comes two years after the death of his mother and is made up of ten songs that, like letters, express those messages that were once contained. Bittersweet words about a grief that has taken another form over time. The Navarrese musician has learned that wounds do not disappear, but that you have to (learn to) live with the scar.

Do you have energy left for this start of the year?

The truth is that I am happy, and I haven't had time to assimilate everything. Between OT, my work as a producer, my project as an artist… it has been difficult to combine. After Ciclos I wanted to create a new concept that was more solid as an artist and without collaborations. I did about three quarters of the album in a week and the other songs I did over the rest of the year. I finished about eight months ago, and the process was quite slow, nothing rushed. It also has a delicate subject matter that should not be approached too aggressively.

In fact, you had never been so vulnerable before.

The main difference of this album with respect to the other projects is that they were much more participatory. I had to adapt to the artists I collaborated with, very different people ranging from Recycled J to Álvaro de Luna. It was hard to adapt the themes to the artists, but with Asymptomatic it was different. I took a more personal trip.

Tell me about that trip.

Let's say that I made this album for myself, without thinking about the industry. I didn't want something commercial. Death is still a taboo, but we live with it, and that is why I have tried to make the album as natural as possible, both for better and for worse. Many more people live it than we think, but it is so hidden that it seems like it doesn't exist. I think it is important to talk openly and naturally about it, above all, so that people feel supported. Music is a very special refuge for many people. At least, for me it is.

Your relationship with pain transforms between the first and last song. First you run away from him. Then you hug him. Does this album have some catharsis?

Completely. In fact, I have always experienced pain in a very unreal way, which is why the album is called Asymptomatic. It's like having a disease that can't be seen or felt. With the loss of my mother I channeled the pain so much towards the non-existent that I had the box locked with eight keys. And I didn't want to open it, because I felt like I didn't have the need. But, over the years and after a long time of work stress, this album has helped me stop, understand myself, and forgive myself. For me it has been a therapy album, of vomiting onto paper everything that I would have liked to say to my mother.

Was work your patch?

I think so, although it was a bit unconscious. It has also helped me get through these two years to say 'look, life goes on'. I am a very positive person and that helps me move forward.

Is being optimistic at odds with allowing yourself to be sad?

The stigmas that revolve around emotions have been diluted over time and society has evolved a lot. The men cry. And, when it comes to death, many times what people should do is accompany, and that can be achieved in many ways. Sometimes silence is best.

In fact, the album not only contains messages to your mother. You also ask your environment for understanding. There are phrases like “If it takes me too long to answer, wait for me.”

Yes, because your circle often has the need to help you, and that's okay, I'm grateful for that. But you also need your own space and time, and that from the outside is sometimes difficult to understand. We think we are helping, but we are not. There are times when it is not necessary to ask “how are you?” If you know I'm in shit.

Should we learn more to listen and not so much to give an opinion?

Totally, what happens is that one thing is very linked to the other. I am the first to sin. People tell you something and you think that you are obliged to respond to complete what they have told you. But sometimes someone is telling you something sad and what you have to do is listen and say “I understand” or “I'm here for whatever you need.” It doesn't help that they tell you to turn the tables, because sometimes you don't have the strength to do that. There are times when I don't want to push myself, I can't. I just want you to give me a hug.

Speaking of effort: you announced a while ago that you had decided to stop working weekends and dedicate them fully to rest.

And it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Everyone around me told me that I couldn't work from Monday to Sunday at the pace I did. It's true that I enjoy my work, but mental fatigue sets in over the years. That load never passes the gap. If you grind for four years, you're going to get all that energy later, so I decided that Saturdays were going to be for my girlfriend and Sundays for my nephew and my family. Now I touch more land. I am more linked to the present moment, although sometimes it still costs me.

Come on, disconnecting is also productive.

Yes, because creativity also comes from rest and being good with yourself. Many times I have spent eight hours wasting time because I was exhausted. And you also learn from those situations, but you have to regulate.

You are from Pamplona, ​​but you went to Madrid to make a living from music. How much risk was there in that decision?

I left my degree a month before finishing it, so I had no option not to study in Madrid. When I told my parents that I was going to leave Graphic Design because I had to take advantage of the opportunity that had come my way in music, they were very understanding, but their heads exploded and they told me that they didn't have a penny to help me, that I should find a life. . And so I went to Madrid: with one hand in front and one behind. But I don't think big cities have great opportunities either. You create that as a person, because of the sensations you generate in others. We know of cases of talented people who have come to make a living and have not succeeded. It is not a lack of talent, but there are things more important than that, such as the ability you have to communicate with others.

Do you move a lot on impulse?

I think sometimes yes, but I also observe things a lot. I analyze situations before getting into them. I'm trying to understand how I can get in. Each person has a safety range and, if it is exceeded, the good vibes are cut off. So I try to analyze people a lot, know what their living space is and always respect it.

How did you react when you were asked to be a jury? Triumph operation?

I remember my manager, Gorka, called me and told me that he had to see me in person to tell me something good. At first I was a little scratched, because I come from another world. I suddenly saw a range of opportunities and the opportunity for people to connect my name with my face. And the truth is that I am very happy. I found it to be a super nice experience and I learned a lot from the program. I have reconnected with that genuine talent of people who fight for a dream.

Naiara is the winner of this latest edition. Did she deserve it?

She has shown a brutal evolution, she is a fair winner. At gala 0 she already showed a lot of poise and a big voice, but I think she needed to create her identity, perhaps because she had worked in orchestras and so on. And now she has managed to build a super clear imaginary around her.

Did you have any favorites?

I had a few names in my head. At gala 0, Paul really amazed me, as did Violeta. But throughout the program my preferences changed to the point that I stopped having favorites. In the end I am 29 years old and I feel very close to them. I take Naiara three years. I felt like an older brother. They were all fair winners and had the talent to do great things outside.

Did you follow what was happening at the academy or did you limit yourself to watching the bus passes so as not to influence your verdict?

I followed what my job allowed me 24 hours a day. Luckily TikTok and Instagram helped a lot. But the bus passes did help to have a verdict, because they allowed you to check the evolution of the week. It helped you have a constructive criterion to give a one-minute verdict at the gala.

Is it difficult to condense everything that has to be said in such a short time?

It is very difficult. We watch the rehearsals, take our notes and then at the gala… party. While they perform you must deliberate what you should say to each contestant, who you save, who you nominate… It is such a short time that it is very stressful. Being on the jury is a complicated role.

Does the public understand the jury? Is understanding?

I have read some atrocities, although it has helped me do shock therapy. I had two options: either I pretended it didn't exist or I read what people said and put it into perspective, because living in uncertainty is not cool. People are free to give their opinion what they want and I stick with constructive opinions. Furthermore, people have to know you to give a deep opinion about you. You compare how I speak on set with how I'm speaking now and I don't sound like the same person. On set you have very little time to be you.

How has it affected you that there are those who have only been left with that mask?

It made me sad. You couldn't see 100% of me. I looked at myself from the outside and thought I was cold and distant. I would have liked to show myself more because people would have been able to connect more with me, with my essence. I believe that I am pure love and that I win at short distances. But I keep all the positive comments. The people are super nice and super grateful.

At some point Noemí Galera said that the teachers and the jury did not always agree. What can you tell me about those conversations that were out of the public eye?

The relationship with the teachers was super good. We have had differences because, obviously, the jury and the teachers have never agreed. The teachers, when living with the contestants, give their opinion from that most intimate and personal part. We, on the other hand, limit ourselves to what we see at the gala. Right in the pit, backstage we were always chatting. I love Abril Zamora, for example. They are stars and teachers who are priceless.

Ends OT and a new stage begins for you. When you present Asymptomatic On stage, what will your audience see?

On March 29 I present in Madrid. Band format, as always, respecting my rock essence. We will touch on topics of Cycles and there will be guests. And, obviously, we will also play the songs from the new album to cry all together and drown our sorrows. I'm very excited to hear the songs live. This stage, despite having its sad part, is also an opportunity to heal.