The Spanish electronic music icon presents four remixes, stars in an innovative music video, and announces new projects for his followers after the summer.
By Susan Villa
Chimo Bayo, one of the most iconic figures from the golden era of Spanish electronic music, returns with a new version of Reacción en Cadena. The artist revisits a composition written years ago and gives it a second life through four remixes, created alongside producer T. Tomy — Head Horny’s — and the duo Madrid Kills Me (MKM).
The release is accompanied by an innovative music video created using generative artificial intelligence tools. The piece takes viewers on a journey through more than half a century of computer graphics evolution, featuring an avatar of Chimo Bayo as its protagonist, and pays tribute to the relationship between music, creativity, and technology.
In this interview conducted by Susan Villa, Chimo Bayo recalls his beginnings, explains the origins of this new project, and reflects on artificial intelligence, the way his music has been passed down between generations, and the upcoming projects with which he hopes to surprise his followers once again.
1. His beginnings marked a very important period in electronic music in Spain. Looking back, what do you remember most fondly about those early years, and what motivated you to devote yourself to this genre?
I think what marked me the most was when I began singing lyrics at Arsenal. Although I had already been speaking into a microphone for a long time, finding a nightclub where I could have the freedom to do whatever I wanted was very important to me. Then, when we arrived at El Templo, we recorded the voices of the people who followed me and liked what I was doing, in order to include them on the first album. That also had a significant impact on me.
2. You have just presented a new remix of Reacción en Cadena. What motivated you to revisit this song and give it a new life so many years later?
It is a song whose lyrics I wrote a very long time ago. We released it at a time when the original version did not reach the public because the music had become much faster. It was a very dark and intense song, but I think it has very appropriate lyrics, whose interpretation should be left to the audience. I really liked those lyrics and, in addition, we managed to create a good foundation. We released four versions. It is about revisiting something that, at a certain point, did not have much impact, but now it will.
3. For this project, you collaborated with T. Tomy and the duo Madrid Kills Me (MKM). What was it like working with them, and what have they brought to this new version?
To work with Head Horny, we met in person and did it together. The truth is that it is very comfortable working with him. He is a very intelligent and also very calm person, the complete opposite of me, and that is useful for balancing things out.
After that, we also had to work, of course, with the creator of the piece, Sacha. He told us that he knew other people who could also remix it. You have to have the authorization of the work’s creator in order to move forward.
In the end, we created four very different versions, and everyone can choose the one they like best.
4. The music video stands out for being created with artificial intelligence and for tracing the evolution of computer graphics. What attracted you most to this creative concept?
The first thing was working with the University of Valencia. I never went to university, except to do this kind of thing, and there I met some very interesting people. Everything came about when we were talking about the presentation of an event. I made a commitment, and they committed to carrying out this project. For me, it was something new and very different from a conventional music video.
I think this music video represents an important step in everything related to video games because it shows their evolution, and I appear as the main character. It is something I am very grateful for.
5. Artificial intelligence is transforming music and the audiovisual world. How do you think it will change the way music is created and enjoyed in the coming years?
Nowadays, there are methods that allow you to make a song in one minute. Obviously, that has to be controlled in some way. I like creating it from scratch and experiencing the evolution of the idea. When you work with another person, the project can go in one direction or another.
I always try to give the people I work with freedom because, many times, it is wonderful to encounter a surprise. If I have an idea, we develop it, but the surprise that can emerge when working with creative people is something very beautiful.
6. You have managed to remain a reference point for several generations. How do you experience the fact that your music continues to connect both with those who discovered it in the 1990s and with a much younger audience?
I think parents play a very important role. Just as I used to listen to Nino Bravo with my father in the car, my songs have also been played in cars, and that is how they have been passed down from generation to generation.
It is also important for older people at home to pass on to younger people the things they like, because that creates a very close family connection. I think I have achieved that, but I have not done it alone. It has also been thanks to the people who liked my songs, my way of being, or my shows. They have known how to pass that on to younger people.
7. Finally, what projects do you have planned for the coming months, and how would you like to surprise your followers?
The first thing is that bookings are already open for next year. In addition, there is still one song left to be released. I did not know whether we would release it during the summer or wait until September. It does not have a title yet, but I can reveal that it is a psytrance track.
Right now, we are focused on promoting Reacción en Cadena, and releasing another track during the summer would be very complicated. That said, you are going to see me everywhere because I am extremely eager to perform and present this new track.
Finally, we will release it after the summer in an attempt to give it greater exposure. At this time of year, people are busy enjoying themselves and do not pay as much attention to social media. We hope that all this work will help us in the future and that audiences will visit our links to listen to all the new material we have.
Chimo Bayo approaches this new chapter with the same energy and personality that made him a leading figure in Spanish electronic music. While Reacción en Cadena reconnects with audiences from a renewed and technological perspective, the artist is preparing new performances and a psytrance track that will be released after the summer. A look toward the future that demonstrates that his creativity remains in motion and that he still has much to offer on stage.
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