Emerge-Me

Emerge-Me! is a musical side project conducted by André Lazarra. It was born when Amor De Mãe severely failed to obtain commercial success. Lazarra was upset and stated he never "believed in Amor De Mãe". The project's first single "Esventraras-Me" was released 11 days after Amor De Mãe's release. The 100-second track did not chart nor was it widely distributed or noticed. Nevertheless the Liguistic Consultant said that "this was just the beginning". His first, self-titled, album "Emerge-Me!" was released on February 2015.

Emerge-Me!'s name can either be written with or without an exclamation mark at the end, being the one without it a request and the one with it an order, according to Lazarra.

Creative Process
Lazarra chooses to improvise many of his songs at the time of recording and, if proven worthy, a second planned layer of music is recorded afterwards. When Lazarra finds "an interesting pattern" he bases his improvisation on it, being said core the song's cornerstone, that is, if another pattern isn't discovered mid-recording and gains preeminence that way. Some songs are, interestingly enough, done the other way, with a planned and thought about background, which Lazarra uses as a basis to improvise. Lazarra many times chooses to leave minor mistakes on his songs, for "they represent well the human condition". Also, when a song is deemed record-worthy, re-recording it would be impossible, given it was improvised. Many improvisations are not officially released. Still, a B-Sides Album contains many of these songs, Itens Obscuros: Uma Colecção de Inseguranças.

André Lazarra could be called an improvising musician, in genre-wise.

Means And Recording
To release and widely distribute the single and future album, César Editoras backed André Lazarra's creation of a Bancamp account. Thus begun what César Editora's CEO still considers to this day "The Plan B".

The recordings took 3 months to finish, mainly because when the intention of releasing his record was announced along with Emerge-Me's first single, André Lazarra had roughly 5 songs ready. An EP was not on the cards.

Once again, Beco Do Julião served as a recording, mixing and producing place, although the first five songs were nor recorded nor mixed/produced in said place.

Album Link

Release
On the 25th of February of 2015 Emerge-Me's first album, "Emerge-Me!" was released digitally on Bandcamp. The date was fairly polemic, given that o Gomes had commited suicide the day before. The 9 Track album was made available for download for 10 euros being, nevertheless, each song available for 1 euro only and free streaming. The album runs for half an hour, being filled with some very short songs (i.e. "Suspiro Maligno", "Carrega-Me") and some very long tracks (i.e. 13 Minutos de Misericórdia e Compaixão, being allegedly ironically named). Two-Minute songs were Lazarra's formula. The album is fully instrumental but "every song has a theme and thus a mood", and the album's genre "hard to define, but «experimental» would be an acceptable term". These themes vary from the most daily situations such as a postcard sending to the most sentimental such as deceit caused by love. The genre can also be difficult to take, for it's alternativeness makes songs seem non-shaped and badly constructed. Also, many songs were either improvised or didn't "deserve a second take". According to Lazarra, this attitude makes the tracks sound "rawer and more human". According to Lazarra "Fails also transmit an idea of the persona's suffering whose human condition allows him to feel the worst emotions available on earth".

Track Listing
All Songs Written By Lazarra
 * 1) Odisseia Por Entre As Talhas Do Teu Coração (1:24)                                                                       This very direct and "messy" song is paul-stretch filled and introduces the listener to the very unstable mood of the record. It is     described by André Lazarra as "An Odissea of a Broken Heart".
 * 2) Esventraras-Me (1:20) 
 * 3) Boas Festas, do Lazarra ( 1:09) "A song about a wrongfully adressed Christmas Postcard".
 * 4) Carrega-Me (0:41) "When my leg is broken, someone will have to carry me".
 * 5) Vigaristas Do Coração (3:14) "A song about treason and deceit. Love shows no mercy to these impostors".
 * 6) A Filha Do Pastor (1:51) "A tune usually played whilst watching the Shepherd´s daughter taking control of their sheep".
 * 7) Recebi Informações No Balcão 2 (4:48) "Someone was lost but soon enough the way was found".
 * 8) Suspiro Maligno (A Voz Interior) (0:12) "An inner voice".
 * 9) 13 Minutos De Misericórdia E Compaixão (13:29) "Mercy rewards the brave, so does empathy".

Concerts
André Lazarra refused to perform live, for he "was not able to perform unless the subjects of his songs were punishing or inflicting themselves upon him" and, thus, "robbing the crowd". Some say he was avoiding the lack of the crowd itself, and prefered not to be humiliated, whereas others say this was the last dig o Gomes took at Lazarra. In a statement released through the official website, Lazarra claimed he could not play any song, such as "Carrega-Me" if he was not being indeed carried. He could not play "A Filha Do Pastor" if the sight of the shepherd0s daughter was not bestowed upon him. This attitude makes the songs present in the album a bit more unique, for these represent the exact way the author wants them to be, and therefore his emotions. One fan wrote on his own social network account that this option taken by Lazarra was only a record-selling technique. Apparently it was not or if it was, it wasn't a good one, for only very few records were sold.

In his own words: "How could I perform Odisseia Por Entre As Talhas Do Teu Coração if I no longer believe in love? How will I play Esventraras-me, if I no longer feel betrayed by God, being his inexistance obvious? (...) Could I truly afirm inside Meo Arena that I had received informations on Balcon 2?"

Some say that, given his rush put into making the album and the song-making process, soon enough Lazarra forgot how to play the songs he himself created.

Numa Mercearia Em Monção
André Lazarra had been working for some time on his second album, due to be released during the Summer, under the linguistic consultant's stage name "Emerge-Me!". On the 16th of July it was announced that Lazarra's self-titled Emerge-Me´s successor was imminent. On the 22nd of July the album was announced, the release date being the 19th of the following month. 12 songs comprise the album, the 8th bearing the its name. "O Abade" was its first single and was released, just like the whole album, via Bandcamp. Numa Mercearia em Monção was recorded throughout some months and some "intense sprees". The album picks up where the latter was left. Acoustic Guitar is the main mea, yet less distortion and effects are used, except for the last track "O Frio E Rotativo Lar De Idosos", which follows the tradition Lazarra has set for his albums of releasing an experimental tune in his musical works. The album is freely available for downloading, for an imodest cost of 4 euros.

Album Link

Theme
The album does not have a proper theme, but it feels more personal, and approaches the listener to many of Lazarra's passions, such as the countryside, fears, such as death, and possible childhood troubles. Essentially the listener is faced with the socially anxious musician who has too a-many problems, finding no answers to these.

Instrumentalization
The album is musically richer than its predecessor, not only showing some maturity as well as a bigger list of songs who, in general, are more complex. It features more lead guitar bits and it pick up where the other left off in terms of high usage of effects.

Participants
Newly hired intern lawyer Lenocínio Baptista, who has some musical knowledge, was invited by Lazarra to play some guitar bits on his record and to produce some songs. He ended up co-writing Track 12, O Frio E Rotativo Lar De Idosos.

Track Listing
All Songs Written by Lazarra except where noted
 * 1) O Desbravar Do Lameiro (3:34)                                                                                                   "Running through a meadow in Scandinavia, Lazarra often stops to recover his stamina, while looking back. He continues until he realizes that what he's running away from is never going to leave him"
 * 2) Adufe (2:13) "A folkloric-inspired song, based on a portuguese instrument, the Adufe".
 * 3) Ilustrando Sua Cara Com Minha Mão (1:16) "A song about a face that deserves to be instilled with a hand".
 * 4) O Regresso (2:03)
 * 5) Reveste-Me De Sabedoria (5:12) "Lazarra asks the Heavens for guidance. In time he finds his actions futile".
 * 6) Um Serão Atribulado (3:24) "A song about a disturbing evening in which the author's parents were heavily fighting".
 * 7) Quando Meu Pai Se Alcooliza (1:49) "The Soundtrack of a bitter and disappointing late arrival home".
 * 8) Numa Mercearia Em Monção (1:37) "The album's title track. A soft and simple melody that accompanies a visit to an old couple's grocery store".
 * 9) Este Bebé Não Tem Dono (2:08) "André Lazarra finds an abandoned baby, rapidly informing the surrounding people that the creature is not his".
 * 10) O Abade (1:37) "The 'Single' track tells us the story of a lonely abbot who struggles with his daily life of loneliness and unfulfillment. These horrendous daily events motivate him to think about whether his life is indeed supported by a God, while living in a calm and benign environment which is his town, Monção".
 * 11) Um Merecido Parabéns (E Agora?) (2:51) "After having received a deserved 'Congratulations' Lazarra finds his life hopelessly lacking meaning and direction. Suicide is taken into consideration".
 * 12) O Frio E Rotativo Lar De Idosos (4:36) (Lazarra/Baptista) "The Soundtrack of a disturbing visit to a Retirement Home's dark hallway, in which Lazarra, not walking fastly, makes brief eye contact with the elderly, who envy his youth as they slowly slip into their graves. A chilling breeze suddenly appears as Lazarra sees his future reflected in those wrinkled faces. He leaves".

Itens Obscuros: Uma Colecção De Inseguranças
Itens Obscuros was announced in March 2016. It is a B-Sides album, with many recordings that never found their way into an album. Many of these songs were recorded in Lazarra's cellphone and appear to have a bad sound-quality, but capture "moments of moderate inspiration". The collection of the best recordings, or moments, was chosen by Lazarra himself.

The album was released on the 28th of May 2016, via Bancamp as per usual. The date was announced on the 16th, as well as the setlist. The album is available to buy for 3 euros. With its release, possibly taking into account the fact that Emerge-Me! was about to end, Lazarra allowed Bancamp to make all his discography available for 8,10 euros, a 55% discount.

Album Link

Track Listing
All Songs Written by Lazarra
 * 1) Agreste e Íngreme (3:33) 
 * 2) Escutai! (1:43)
 * 3) O Auxílio (2:19)
 * 4) Submetidos À Perfídia (1:37)
 * 5) De Vento Em Popa (2:29)
 * 6) A Cobra Rateira (1:00)
 * 7) Despedida (1:31)
 * 8) Maria de Jesus e su'Casa Abandonada (1:40)
 * 9) Uma Tarde de Veraneio (2:14)

End Of Project
On the 17th of September 2016 a message was posted on the official website by Lenocínio Baptista announcing the end of Emerge-Me.

André Lazarra was quoted saying : "Have you ever wondered why I baptized my first musical project with the name «Emerge-Me!»? (...) This first project, as the name so well points out, had the goal of making my musical career «emerge», so I asked myself, the heavens and the guitar for the ability and inspiration that would put me on a level of acknowledgement and admiration capable of suataining future projects. A musical career many times is like a rolling stone. It's intensity will have to grow, if it wants to keep its course. (...) Thus I take this opportunity to announce my second project, which will use my name no less. That will be the rolling of the stone which, like everything, will end, yet will know the most glorious trajectory before hitting a Pine Tree and falling like every thing subjected to human action(...)".

In total André Lazarra's Project Emerge-Me! produced two albums and a B-Sides one.