File N°5
I have only met MÁS ALLÁ twice, both times at night.
So, inevitably, most of what I know about him comes in fragments. A conversation about America. A saxophone. Poems. Photographs. Places he has passed through. Things he posts and then disappears from. The strange intimacy of observing someone’s taste before really knowing their life.
MÁS ALLÁ is a poet, a musician, a model, and probably a few other things that resist being reduced to a title. There is something raw about the way he presents himself and, from what I have seen, something equally direct about the way he speaks.
He is Chilean, Irish. He is from New York, but for the past few years, home seems to have been something much more fluid. Since 2023, he has moved every few months, living between New York, Paris, London, Berlin and Mexico City, with periods in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bulgaria and Italy, among many other places.
I wanted to understand what connects all these fragments. What he notices. What he listens to. What he reads. What beauty means to someone who is surrounded by it professionally but also seems interested in its stranger forms. What happens to a place after you leave it. What makes someone write a poem rather than simply have a thought.
You seem to exist across several different worlds: poetry, music, modelling, travel. I’m always suspicious of reducing someone to what they “do.” If you had to introduce yourself without mentioning your work, where you live, or where you’re from, what would you say?
me llaman MÁS ALLÁ
no soy de aquí, no soy de allá
i do mostly what i think is right. i live everywhere i go. i was born in New York, hecho en Chile. i hope one day to be nothing.
I generally avoid cookie-cutter introductions when i meet people. I often end up in conversations where I know about how they’re traumatized before I know a name. I’ve always been like this.
The first time we spoke, I remember you talking about your relationship with America. It stayed with me because belonging to a place is rarely as simple as being “from” it. What does America mean to you now?
The United States of America is an idea. The bastard child of the world. In many ways, “I am America.” The son of new and old immigrants, 1st and 3rd generation, and three generations of single mothers. Chileno and Irish, the blood of colonizers, natives, radicals, refugees: diaspora and conquest. My mother raised me as a citizen of the world. I feel a sense of responsibility to redefine what it means to be American, domestically and internationally. Even if the American dream was a lie. Even if the hand that wrote “all men are created equal” punished slaves… I think there’s a twisted beauty in that irony. I see the essence of being American as that capacity to dream even if it’s seen as delusion. I’m relentlessly optimistic. I won’t wash my hands and act like it’s not up to us (the next generation) to hold ourselves and the government accountable. It’s so easy to give up or deflect blame; almost nothing worthwhile is easy.
What feels American about you? What doesn’t? And where does Chile exist in you?
Es mi sangre. I was raised without my father, then reconnected with him and my culture. Aprendiendo español por mí mismo, con mis amigos, viajes, libros, y la música. I’ve learned I’m very much my father’s son and extremely chileno, even though growing up it was tough feeling a disconnect from that side of me. I see this in a lot of American Latinos who grow up with a similar hole in their chest. I noticed, learning most of my Spanish in Mexico and Spain, that it can be an uphill battle learning in America. There’s a different trauma associated with race in America. If you’re not a native speaker, trying to practice in public can feel like una guerra. It isolates a lot of mixed people, and I think it’s tragic — something I want to contribute to healing just by being un shameless mezcla de todo. I’m chileno (español y nativo), I’m Irish, I’m American, pero en realidad no soy ninguna de estas cosas. These labels drive division. I think we need to identify less with nations and more with the cosmos. Todo es una máscara. We’re all dirt and stardust.
I know that you write poetry, but I’m more interested in what makes someone need poetry. When did you realise that writing could do something for you that speaking couldn’t?
hahahah i’m chileno and Irish (my explanation). it’s just something i’ve loved and done since i was a kid. poetry is the ashtray of my life. I don’t think about it like that. Speaking is one of the worst forms of communication. I recently discovered Ludwig Wittgenstein, who ironically went in depth on this. Ancient Buddhists and Hindus were way ahead of him, though.
What usually comes first: an image, a sentence, a person, a feeling?
i’m not creating anything when i write. It feels more like reporting what i’ve experienced. I’m not thinking or imagining; it’s just fragments of my story through the lens of my senses.
Do you write when you are happy?
yes and no. i try to always write. when i try to write, it doesn’t work as well as when i just write.
Do you edit obsessively or protect the first instinct?
i edit a tiny bit as I’m writing, but it’s a stream of consciousness. I read it out loud as I write. I love the purity of the moment. It feels like editing too much would disturb that. I am soon collecting these journals/poems and scanning/typing them out for a book, but I think a lot of my poems are meant to be read aloud in my voice. I’ve been more focused on music, and I’ve been recording more poetry over music. I’m in love with how they sound. I’m also doing a bit of writing (hopefully) for a photo book I’ve been working on with a great photographer for the last 2 years.
Then there is the saxophone, which feels almost like the opposite of writing. A poem can be revised forever. A note disappears the second you play it. What does the saxophone let you express that language doesn’t?
I recently said, improvising over a track (as I was crying), “that’s why i play saxophone… so you f**king listen to me.” lol it’s a lil dramatized but I think in some ways I’m still a fetus, a baby learning to walk and talk. I think I make music because my mom used to sing to me as I would have many nightmares. Music is a more universal and accessible language. In many ways, all these words seem to just lead to more confusion. There is a more honest and pure connection that gets lost in words. People generally don’t take time to listen to the lyrics’ meaning even when they have them memorized. I think of “In Bloom” by Nirvana. With saxophone, I can communicate with any musician (or person, really) even if we don’t speak the same language.
If you could play with any musician, living or dead, who would it be?
Mdou Moctar for sure… Burial too… Maya Angelou over techno. I want to meet Alejandro Jodorowsky and record a conversation.
And give me one track where the saxophone is absolutely perfect.
Most of John Coltrane, in my opinion, but who am I to say anything isn’t perfect from any artist? It’s all perfect. (“In a Sentimental Mood” hypnotized me as a kid, though, and A Love Supreme.) He’s really inspiring in many ways…devotion, music as an offering. He died in the hospital I was born in.
A record for walking alone at night?
depends on what street you walk, the outfit, where you’re going, where you came from.
A record for falling in love?
oof, so many. depends on the type of person. I think each person i’ve loved has their own song that i don’t want to share with the internet.
A record for having your heart broken?
“Better Off Alone” by Alice Deejay, for sure.
You model, you write, you make music. In different ways, all three worlds have strange relationships with beauty. What do you find beautiful that other people might not?
decay and garbage. i stare at garbage and photograph it on film. I think tragedy is also very beautiful, but i really don’t think i’m alone on this.
What makes someone sexy to you?
there aren’t certain things. I find different things sexy in all the people i’ve been with. many times they conflict. authenticity but performance can be sexy too, if it’s actually entertaining. sexy is not always attractive.
What instantly destroys attraction?
A bad voice. Lying to yourself or others. Being two-faced or mean to people you can’t get anything from. Poor character.
And do you think taste can make someone more attractive?
yes, very much so.
Both times I have met you, it has been at night, so perhaps unfairly, I associate you with it.
that’s a shame
Who are you at 3 a.m. that you aren’t at 3 p.m.?
these days i’m asleep at 3 a.m. when i’m out that late, i’m dancing or i’m in the studio, and i’m on a mission of liberation or exorcism.
Why do you think certain conversations can only happen at night?
because we’re more relaxed and less guarded.
What makes a party actually good?
the music and the air of freedom. I’m very interested in this, and in how to curate and cultivate a “good party.” It’s our modern ritual and I think more important than ever. I think a lot of parties suck because people get self-conscious and/or want to escape with alcohol and other drugs. It’s not like drugs haven’t had their role in ritual throughout time, but I think many parties have poor incentives/intentions.
Do you think nightlife creates intimacy, or just the illusion of it?
It can go either way. Intimacy is a sense of closeness and connection. Nightlife can encourage that in a way other venues of life generally don’t (I think some real techno dance floors, hardcore shows, or jazz/cocktail bars), but it can also be very alienating.
What song should always be played ridiculously late?
i don’t believe in always.
And when do you know it is time to go home?
i’ve been getting a lot better at this. after you’ve had fun, before you’re really tired. Probably 2nd location if it’s really giving.
You lived in Montreuil, which gives you a slightly different relationship to Paris than someone living inside its postcard version. What did Paris look like from Montreuil?
Everything i loved about Paris, but better. I don’t really draw a line. To me, I was living in Paris when I was there. I lived in the 10th most of my time before, which was great too. Paris is small; a 25-minute bike ride out of the center is still Paris to me. I just had a lot more room, a better apartment, and better/cheaper groceries. I almost want to gatekeep Montreuil, but I want to start a studio and open-air venue out there. It was more isolating living in Flatbush, NYC, for me, but that was during COVID.
What did you love about living there?
There’s a fire culture of music and art; less posh and fewer weird looks. I had a lot of space.
What irritated you?
I believe places and cities are like different color palettes. How I feel about the city tells me nothing about the city, just a reflection of how I feel about myself.
Where did you go when you wanted to disappear?
The studio, Normandy, then Vani, Georgia.
Where did you go when you wanted to see people?
Outside, anywhere.
Your favourite bar?
Le Serpent à Plumes
Your favourite place to hear music?
my studio
Favourite cheap meal?
MASTER POULET MÁSTA POULET i wish it was everywhere. People like to talk down on the poulet roti but what fast food can match 7€ entire chicken?
I am seeing fragments of your trip through Georgia, and it seems like one of those places that’s becoming more than simply a destination for you. Why Georgia?
I wanted to go to nature to focus. I feel like these “random” places I go are just my path and they “find me.” I end up doing more in-depth research on the history of the land and always find a deeply poetic connection to my current situation and journey in hindsight. I could talk for hours about this, but… It was an easy flight from the south of France, where I was; the nature was beautiful, and the place I’m staying has deep mythological significance. It was the town with an ancient name lost in time. The setting of Jason and the Argonauts.
What surprised you there?
How many creations I’ve made in the last two years. And my first marshrutka was hilarious, I was expecting a bus station.
Was there a moment when you realised the trip was changing something in you?
Instantly, but I’ve had some prophetic dreams / nightmares the space and focus has been really wonderful.
What did you listen to while you were there?
I listen to much less music, almost none beyond the music i’m working on. I listen to birds, cicadas, stray dogs fighting, cows, chickens.
What did you read?
The Yoga Sutras by Patañjali. i’ve been doing an intense teacher training (3+ hours a day).
You post dogs enough for me to suspect this deserves investigation. Why dogs?
I love the purity in animals. I have many dog-like qualities. No reason in particular. I’ve been really “bad” about posting; there are so many amazing photos/videos/stories that I haven’t posted. I want to shift my audience to more of my music and art, to be honest. I see my body as an extension of my art, but it has distracted away from other sides of me. Social media has consumed almost zero of my mental bandwidth.
Do you always notice animals when you travel?
yes i’m particularly drawn to the different sounds of birds.
Do you think tenderness comes naturally to you?
Yes, i’m hopeless and romantic, but vulnerability is strength.
What makes you soft immediately?
the pain of others, and children.
I don’t think you can ask someone about poetry, music, cities and beauty and then politely avoid love. That would be cowardly. What does being in love feel like to you?
words do it no justice
Do you fall in love with people slowly or all at once?
i think usually it’s before i recognize it.
What makes you stay interested in someone?
a genuine connection, when we’re evolving together.
What scares you more: being abandoned or feeling trapped?
being trapped, for sure. almost to a delusional degree.
Palomita Office needs evidence. Human beings claim to have personalities and then their bedside tables expose everything. What is currently on your bedside table?
just my interface and a white lace cloth from the family i’m staying with.
What is the oldest object you own?
Selmer Mark VI from the 1950s.
Something you carry everywhere?
Selmer Mark VI from the 1950s :) mi arma. right now, the red book to write in.
An object from Chile?
mi corazón
An object from America?
mi orgullo
Something you kept from Paris?
I have a straight razor not yet sharp enough to shave with. I tried three times. I left a lot of things there. I came to Georgia with my studio, my saxophone, my guitar (which is a whole other story), and too many clothes. I tried not to buy things in Paris. I learned my lesson (kinda) two years ago when I ended up donating literally 70 lbs of clothes.