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May 12, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Rhianna Hajduch

Heartgaze is the musical project of Argentine artist Clemente Calandra. Now based out of Chicago, they debuted under the Heartgaze moniker with their 2020 EP, Beauty Adorns Virtue, followed by a steady string of new singles in the years since. These early tracks gave enticing tastes of Calandra’s fusion of hyper pop, shoegaze, reggaeton, and techno, a blend they explore deep into on their forthcoming debut album, CASI ANGELES <3, out everywhere now.

Following the record’s release, Calandra is back today with a new video for one of the album’s highlights, “ESMALTE D UÑAS,” premiering with Under the Radar.

With “ESMALTE,” Calandra leans into the sweet and sunlit side of their sound while still retaining a jagged experimental edge, enlacing crooned harmonies and nostalgic chord progressions into skittering electronic beats. The track is loaded with beat switches and aesthetic shifts, culminating in an ambient spoken-word passage and a distorted noise-laden climax. Yet amidst it all, the track consistently returns to a blissful piano line, offering a warm emotional center to its careening ups and downs.

Calandra explains of the track, “’ESMALTE’ is one of the most special songs on the project because to me it felt like a moment of bliss in between the turbulences that are a part of the project. I wrote it centered on memories and a familiar nostalgia that helped me create this sort of absurd bliss, which I also tried to put into the production. Through sound, the song attempts to channel those emotions in the middle of so much chaos. That is why the song has so many small switches and moments. Some non-harmonic moments too which contrast the pure energy of the song.”

They continue, saying of the video, “The video was shot in Argentina whilst I was there and was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had with the project. I showed my friend and artist, Joaquin Dolera, the whole project in January and we immediately decided to do a video the next day. With just a single day of preparation and brainstorming, the video was shot and we had so much fun with our friends creating a fake camping trip inside an apartment.”

Check out the song and video below. CASI ANGELES <3 is out everywhere now via Chilean label ERROR DE MODA.