GIZMO VARILLAS

In the organizer's words:

At first glance, Gizmo Varillas sounds like a creative artist name or a Mexican-American border crosser. Both are far from reality: a young Spaniard who serves up radiant Mediterranean songwriter pop. Born Guillermo Varillas, he simply calls himself Gizmo.

The Peninsulan was born well protected in Santander, grew up in Bilbao, but changed the center of his life from an early age. Music did not initially play the biggest role in his life. He studied media studies in Cardiff, Wales, and was actually well on the way to becoming a documentary filmmaker. But as life goes, Varillas takes a break and wanders through the south of France as a street musician. There he came into contact with the southern European sound that would shape him.

This can be heard twice in 2016: The EP "Give A Little Love" is released in the middle of the year, on which the sunny, airy sound is captivating right from the start. In November, the Spaniard followed this up with his first longplayer"El Dorado". The debut was very well received, especially in his adopted home of Cardiff. Simon Raymonde from Amazing Radio describes him as a "thoroughly interesting young man". Tom Robinson from BBC 6 Music is also very positive and finds him "extremely talented".

Every two years, Gizmo subsequently brings his emphatically rhythmic, often guitar-based and finely produced pop songs to the people: "Dreaming Of Better Days" was released in 2018, before "Out Of The Darkness" saw the light of day in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020: The songs are about overcoming adversity in life with hope and optimism. However, Varillas is referring to personal experiences he had before coronavirus. The single "Saving Grace" was created with drummer Tony Allen. The Catalan now lives in London, later getting married and moving to Brighton.

Want to chill out? Or would you prefer a dance party? The Spaniard has both.

Gizmo Varillas impresses with his consistent lightness and instrumental variance. He often plays all the instruments himself - on "Out Of The Darkness", however, he is assisted by bassist Mike Kenna and drummer Jesper Lind in London's legendary RAK Studio. Gizmo's tracks, which already had hundreds of millions of views in the mid-2020s, provide a nice balance to the dull format radio: Varillas is one of those pop musicians whose work you respect, even if you're not otherwise into radio pop.

In 2021, Gizmo is working with Calexico's Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta and collaborating with Jack Savoretti. The Spaniard also composes for the British TV station BBC, and his songs are used in soundtracks, games and commercials. The fourth studio album "The World In Color" is released in March 2025, preceded by the EP "Into The Night" in January.