ISSUE 10
Luis Felber is Never Too Much
From dreamy alt-rock to Netflix scores. Attawalpa’s genreless world gets even bigger.
Attawalpa doesn’t slot easily into genre or trend. As a producer and artist, his sound is meticulous, imaginative - and wholly his own.
Words by Susan Hansen
Indie‑alternative musical artist and producer Attawalpa is no average run‑of‑the‑mill. Meticulous and imaginative, his style of writing is distinct. With melody to enthral critics and public alike, the lyrics are honest, thoughtful, evoking contemporary and past influences in delightful fashion.
It only takes another encounter with “Presence” from 2022 or the crisp “Experience”, the studio effort just landed. If there is a nuanced difference in texture, both albums are experimental soundscapes of dreamy lucidity, sounding like nothing else, yet they resonate with intent and engage the listener.
That same creative restlessness now drives Attawalpa’s first major foray into television scoring.
Luis Felber is in Soho, central London. Arriving to talk about scoring Lena Dunham’s new Netflix comedy-drama Too Much, his tone is upbeat as he walks The Blank Mag through the project’s origins. What has undoubtedly been a mind-blowing ride involving raw creativity, life and fiction.
The songwriter’s gently eccentric ways are noticeable from a mile away. Speaking in a soft, confident voice that knows where it’s going and what messages to convey, at times the chat resembles a meditation of sorts - a hypnotic talk where you forget all about time and place. His generosity as an interviewee is something else entirely, with no apparent fear of accessing the finer detail in a quest to describe. It’s charming - slightly bewildering, but inspiring.
Photos: Dan Burwood
Because, of course, he is going somewhere with all of this; there is a purpose, an ability to see the big picture. An awareness of the components of TV production, he knows they are co-dependent. Now and then, he stops for a second and looks at me, checking whether I’d like him to continue or change course. It captivates the person on the other end of the conversation.
Guitarist and producer Matt Allchin is with Luis, whilst earlier ventures into screen composition were handy, the most recent one has been more ambitious than anything before. “It’s quite crazy,” enthuses Luis. “It’s making it all very real. All this work that we’ve done, the show Lena and I have created, and all the work that Matt and I have done is going to be in this world. It’s a beautiful thing.”
Too Much is beautiful. It’s fun. With its hook of a storyline, designed to keep its viewers entertained, it asks whether true love is still possible. The story follows New York workaholic Jessica (Meg Slater), mid-thirties and reeling from a breakup. Every block in the city reminds her of her own bad behaviour, so she takes a job in London to live in self-imposed solitude. But a series of red flags can’t stop her when she meets the fascinating Felix (Will Sharpe). The connection is undeniable, even if it creates more problems than it solves.
“Seeing a demo project come to life on Netflix is surreal.”
For Attawalpa, scoring meant treating the script as sheet music. Demoing numerous ideas through Felix - through Will Sharpe, himself a musician - he realised that by delivery, they had enough cues to fill an album. “Seeing a demo project come to life on Netflix is surreal,” he reflects. “The more you can work this way, the better - just not to the point of procrastinating and never releasing.”
The show quickly becomes an outlet where genre limits vanish. Celebrating the sound of London in all its multicultural vigour, the score mirrors that diversity. “We see every taste here; it’s like seeing everything,” summarises Luis. “If there’s a second season, I want to weave in Afro-Cuban and Bangladeshi grooves - there’s so much of that around me.”
“In our world as musicians, that’s what it’s like,” Matt adds. “No one listens to just one thing. It all stems from somewhere; you go on a journey.”
Previous experience of writing for film helps, as does a shared devotion to storytelling. TV commissioning can be unpredictable, so who knows what might happen? “We have plenty of ideas,” says Luis, “but it depends on the script now. Things are established, there’s a base to build from.”
“Lena and I feel you have to treat every season as its own entity,” he says, pausing with a hint of a smile, “though if we’re recommissioned, expect more music - and definitely more five-a-side football!”
Too Much works as a stand-alone, yet leaves ample room to grow, and its score mirrors that agility, shimmering with prospect. Whether the series runs for one season or five, Attawalpa’s soundtrack ensures its heartbeat is already unforgettable.
Catch Attawalpa at The Lexington on Friday, 25th July.
Follow Attawalpa here.
Too Much is available on Netflix now.
