Angelica from Meth Math, Mexico’s Experimental Reggaeton Trio, talks artistic production & more

Words By: Andrea Susarrey

Meth Math is a musical trio from Hermosillo, Sonora made up of Angelica Ballesteros and producers Error.Error and Bonsai Babies. They recently released “Tambaleo” their first single from their upcoming EP.

There’s a discourse around Meth Math where they’re often called satanic-freaks-meet-reggaeton, but to me, they just seem like a very artistically driven musical group. Artistic in the sense that you can tell they’re really in it for the making of it. Their music has dark hints to it and they create very vivid musical soundscapes that are in many ways otherworldly (or under-worldly), which is maybe why some people go for the easy description – satan’s perreo (perreo being a branch of reggaeton that emerged in Puerto Rico). I get it, but it’s a flat description of a very multidimensional musical project. They’re sound is new and goes beyond the formula of just being “cool and experimental”. It is both of those things, but it’s a mood that you haven’t heard before listening to them. 

I spoke to Angelica from Meth Math about the recent single “Tambaleo”, and the project at large:

Tell me about Tambaleo?

The song is about the paradox that happens between twins when one travels through space-time and doesn’t age and the one that stays ages within their context of linear time.

What’s the music process like?

It’s very abstract, Error.Error is very ecclectic but he’s so good at creating. I don’t know a lot of technical things or theory but I compose intuitively by wanting to add certain sounds. Bonsai Babies is the smartest out of us, he maintains the order in the group. He’s the math and Error.Error is the meth [laughs]. I’m just the one that brings them together. The three of us make a really good team.

Tell me about your process of making music when you say you don’t know any technicalities of it, how did you find yourself in the place you are today?

At first, I was nervous about making music, I guess you could say I still am, just in a different way. You know it’s like, the less you know the better and the more you know, you begin to realize how little you actually do know. So the more I learn the more I realize just how little I know about making music, but also how unimportant that actually is. Which actually helps my sense of security. At first, everything is new and it is slightly frightening, but you don’t have to have that fear to start exploring. I think I’m more curious than I am good. And that curiosity is what drove me to just do it. That and positive feedback from Bonsai Baby and Error.Error, or someone I admire really helps me believe that something that I’ve made is actually sick.

I feel like the first time I heard “Perreando y Llorando” I immediately picked up on that boldness, it sounds like you guys try to stretch a mood so far and just see where it goes. I think it’s so rare for musicians to have that approach and to let themselves be taken by their curiosity, that’s what almost everythings sounds the same today. 

Thank you. Yes, definitely I’d say we’re more interested in exploring than creating by the formula of “this is cool and people will listen to it”. Our intention was never to be part of the industry, our label signed us and we thought it was great because we could buy more gear. What I really like about these guys is that we’re aware that we’re not super sure what we’re doing, but we do know that we’re portals. I always wanted to play with them because the three of us know that first and foremost. Our work as artists is to know that our consciousness absorbs everything and to be aware of how it’s going to digest and create a certain sound from it. The production process amongst us is really important to me.