by Ana Laura Caruso
Herald staff

Buenos Aires city has been welcoming several Swedish indie musicians for the past two editions of the Nuevos Aires Folk. After José González’s visit in 2007 and Jens Lekman’s this year, now’s the time for Sarah Assbring —best known as El perro del mar.

Assbring engaged in her solo project in 2003 —it was about creating music in her own terms. She started out as an MP3 artist and, in spring 2004, the Swedish label Hybris released her first EP, Baby, I’ve Been in a Bad Place. The two following EPs, I’ve Got Good News and Holiday Special, came shortly thereafter. In late 2004 the first official EP What’s new? El Perro del mar! was released. In May 2005 the previous unofficial and official releases were compiled to form the debut album Look! It’s El perro del mar! and in 2006 she released the album El perro del mar. In early 2007, El perro del mar found a new home on Licking Fingers, the Swedish label run by the Concretes, and released From the Valley to the Stars. Her brand new album is called Love Is Not Pop and was recently released in Sweden.

Love Is Not Pop is not too distant from El Perro Del Mar’s previous heartbreaking work. The CD is the result of a breakup. The title is lifted from The Last Tango in Paris, a film by Bernardo Bertolucci about love, solitude and sexuality. Sarah Assbring expresses her loneliness and sadness through musical elements typically associated with  1960s pop exhuberance: darting guitars and baby-doll vocals. Though melancholic, the album never gets corny. Sarah instead brings out the agony of leaving or being left by someone that you still care for, without getting sentimental.
El perro del mar is currently visiting Buenos Aires and will play in La Trastienda tomorrow night. “I’ve never been to Argentina,” Assbring told the Herald, “it’s been a dream of mine for a long time and so I’m very excited to finally be here.”

What are your expectations? Are you familiar with your fans on this side of the globe?
As always, upon visiting a place for the first time, I try to just keep my mind and eyes open to everything. Expectations I find a bit dangerous. But of course, I’m very excited to finally see and experience Buenos Aires. I’ve heard so much good about it.

Why did extend your tour to South America?
I don’t really see my visit to Argentina as part of my tour. I got an offer to come and play which I simply couldn’t and did not want to turn down.

Are you familiar with South American music?
I toured in Brazil a couple of years back and got into a lot of Brazilian 60s, 70s pop, the whole Tropicalia thing, which I love a lot of course. Before that, my dad got me into tango and the whole works of Carlos Gardel and Ástor Piazzolla. A dear friend of mine who’s from Argentina has played me a lot of older Argentine music as well, but sadly I can’t remember the names of the bands or the artists. I’m going to try and find it, as well as look for new stuff, while I’m here.

What was the most memorable show you’ve played?
For some reason, having done a lot of shows, your memory tends to become very short-termed. The last good show I did is usually the one I hold as the most memorable — or at least the one I want to keep in my memory (in time for the upcoming one, I guess). But of course, when it comes to shows I recall because they were special in some way, and not because they were particularily good, I remember a show that never took place in Rio de Janeiro. I lost my hearing during the soundcheck due to a hit of feedback and had to cancel my show. I spent the whole evening and night twisting and turning in my hotel room waiting for my hearing to come back. It was a true nightmare and I’ll never forget it. I thank God I got my hearing back, though.

What have you been listening to lately? What bands would you mention as most influential to your sound today?
I’ve been into the xx and Nite Jewel lately. And the latest Taken By Trees album, of course. It’s quite special. My current sound today is very inspired by late 80s, early 90s music, I guess. I’m into cheesy yet dark and dramatic sounds. Can’t get enough of it at the moment.

Why do you call yourself El perro del mar?
A dog I met on a beach in Spain a few years back told me to call myself that. It came up to me and whispered: Hey Saritah, if you ever decide to go back making music again, call yourself El perro del mar and you will find success and happiness.

What would you say is the running theme in your lyrics?
Love, confusion and loneliness —the words of my heart.

where &
when

Tomorrow at La Trastienda Club (Balcarce 460). At 8pm. Guest artist: Ulises Hadjis (Venezuela). Tickets: $60 to $100.