“The bass is never too bassy” – Above the Ocean’s André Bagorro on crafting deep tones

Originating from the culturally rich city of Évora, Portugal, the modern metal band Above the Ocean has recently made waves with their debut single, Love Song (For the Broken), which was self-released on May 10, 2024. Known for their dynamic compositions and emotionally charged lyrics, the band aims to challenge the conventional themes of love songs within the metal genre.

André Bagorro, the bassist, sheds light on the meticulous process behind selecting his primary instrument: “In the world of guitars and basses, the Epiphone brand has always been a benchmark for me. Honestly, I believe that within the price range, I cannot find better. Epiphone manages, in my opinion, to ensure quality of material, durability, and good sound quality, which are the pillars I look for when acquiring an instrument. Regarding what I am using, an Epiphone Les Paul Special, I confess that it has surprised me with its quality, given its price range. I can obtain full and clear bass notes that fill the music, which is primarily what I look for in a bass.”

Transitioning from drums to bass was a choice driven by his passion for exploring new musical territories. “As I am originally a drummer and this has been my comfort zone and passion since childhood, the choice of bass fell mainly on my taste for challenging myself and the need to explore other approaches in music, to step out of my comfort zone. I confess that adapting has been a challenge but I believe I have adapted relatively well, as I had previously had contact with a guitar. I have tried to incorporate into each song the groove and rhythm of the drums, while mainly incorporating the guitar notes, which in itself, in my view, has its complexity for a first experience on a bass, but this is what I like, to challenge myself and therefore I decided to accept a new experience, which I am enjoying immensely and hope above all to evolve more and more and contribute in the best way to the project.”

André’s pursuit of the “perfect tone” involves a combination of plugins and amp sims, particularly Bias FX 2, which he uses to achieve a distinctive modern metal sound. “The search for the ‘perfect tone’ is the eternal quest in the world of modern metal and the bass is no exception. In terms of live sound, I am still in a phase of exploring the equipment in which I intend to invest deeply, but in the studio, and as we are an independent project where much of the production is done internally by the band, I mainly use plugins and amp sims to achieve the desired sound. The plugin I have explored is Bias FX 2, which besides the endless amount of options of amplifiers, speakers, and effects, indeed offers quite high sound quality. For me, the essentials are a subtle drive that gives some distortion to the bass, a boost in the mids to bring out some extra articulation, and a noise gate followed by slight compression right at the start of the signal to achieve that characteristic sound of modern metal played in low tunings. We do, however, have some future singles already planned where flangers and perhaps even some pitch shifting will not be out of place… The bass is never too bassy.”

Love Song (For the Broken) emerges as a powerful anthem of self-love, a response to the lack of self-appreciation observed in society today. André notes, “Looking around, one increasingly notices the lack of self-love in society, a theme we felt necessary to express in our music through an aggressive and alert shout. Currently, songs frequently discuss love, disappointments, and passionate experiences. However, we thought it appropriate to redefine this narrative and assert that not everything is as it seems. When everything falls apart, whether in love or life in general, we must elevate our self-love, appreciate ourselves individually above all, and recognise our flaws as well as our virtues—qualities each of us possesses but sometimes fails to acknowledge. With this attitude, it is possible to combat all life’s adversities and sorrows and bring out our best version.”

The music video, featuring actress Catarina Escobar, was filmed at the iconic Sociedade Harmonia Eborense in Évora, adding a mystical and historic backdrop to the visual narrative. “We primarily needed a place that was mystical and naturally charming, especially since our resources were limited for producing something that would require expensive post-production,” he notes. “Therefore, the choice of location was easy, as it is a place all band members are well familiar with and hold in high esteem and affection. In this way, we wanted to honour this venue by making it the main stage in the production of our first clip, where the whole story unfolds. Regarding Catarina, she did an excellent job. We already knew her and were aware of her taste and talent for the performing arts, so she was our first choice. Overall, the production was a great experience, from developing the storyboard to the final take, and we thank again all those involved and all the people who collaborated with us.”

Discussing his role further, André explains how the bass lines are crafted to complement the drum grooves while following the guitar’s tonality. “When we are composing music, with the bass being an instrument that accompanies the drums, I try to maximise the necessary groove in the way I play so that this accompaniment between the bass and drums is as harmonious as possible, which ultimately reflects my love for rhythm and groove in the bass lines, while I also follow the tonality of the guitar lines. This process, in my view, creates the desired symbiosis, the harmony among all the involved instruments. Looking ahead, I plan to acquire pedals that will enhance this symbiosis and thus contribute even more to the musical identity of the band.”

Love Song (For the Broken) by Above the Ocean is now available for streaming.