Rhythm and Balance: In Conversation with Pepe from the band Veintiuno.

At Noirfonce, we believe that movement and creativity go hand in hand. Whether it's on a stage or on the pavement, finding your own rhythm is essential. We sat down with the drummer of the Spanish indie-pop band Veintiuno to talk about his trajectory, the connection between art and sport, and why the ASICS philosophy resonates so deeply with his lifestyle. From basement rehearsals to sold-out venues, this is his story.

Let’s start with a classic. Can you tell us a bit about your background? When did Veintiuno come about, and how did you join the group?

I started playing the drums when I was 11 or 12 years old. My father took us to his friend Juanpe's rehearsal space one day, and my brother and I left completely fascinated. That same Christmas, a drum kit and a guitar appeared at home, and from then on, we practically lived in the basement, learning and experimenting non-stop. I played in many bands of very different styles starting in 2005, and I even did drum shows in nightclubs or wherever I was called. For me, playing the drums was always the answer to many things.

Veintiuno emerged in Toledo, in a very lively local scene where bands of all kinds shared stages every weekend. At one of those concerts, I was performing with a blues group I had with my brother and some friends (The Blues Connection), and Veintiuno played that same night. I was really struck by what they were doing, and I started tracking them from then on.

The band went through several lineups in its early years, and I arrived a bit later. One night in 2014, Diego messaged me on Facebook to propose something; I couldn't imagine that message would change everything. I joined at a key moment, eager to grow and find our own path, and since then, eleven years full of stories have passed.

The early days were very "guerrilla": rehearsals in Toledo, tours in cars borrowed from our parents, concerts where we set up and tore down everything against the clock... but they were also years of great excitement and discovering who we were as a band. Later, we moved to Madrid, which allowed us to intensify tours, events, and recordings.

Today, we continue in that constant evolution. The band has grown, the projects are more ambitious, and the daily intensity has increased. But, even though everything is more complex and competitive, for me, we remain the same band from 2014 in terms of how we understand what it means to belong to a group.

If you had to divide your life into stages, which ones would you identify? How would you name them?

If I had to divide my life as a musician into stages, I would imagine it as a triptych: three distinct scenes that, together, explain quite well how I got here.

The first would be "The Revelation." It’s the moment I discovered the drums, and they became my own space. Hours playing, learning with books and teachers, and feeling that there was something there that did me good. It was a very innocent, free stage, where I simply wanted to play without thinking too much about the future.

The second would be "The Search." Years of experimenting, moving between very different projects, playing anywhere, and learning by trial and error. A very lively, slightly chaotic stage that gave me more tools than I could imagine at the time. This is also where Veintiuno appears on my path, and where I start to feel that everything I had been exploring was pointing somewhere.

The third would be "The Construction." This represents the current moment: consolidating a project, making it grow, and living with the responsibility and intensity that comes with belonging to an increasingly present band. It is a more conscious stage, where I look back and recognize the things that have shaped me as a musician and where I want to go.

Those would be my three panels: the revelation that lit the spark, the search that formed me, and the construction I continue day by day. Without one, the others wouldn't make sense.

In this current stage, do you feel you’ve reached the moment of thinking "I am where I need to be, doing what I want/have to do"?

Yes, I would say I am in a stage where I feel the path I am following makes sense. I work with people I understand and share a vision with, and that is fundamental to me. Doubts and fears don't disappear; I think they are part of the process, but now I experience them from a more conscious place, as signs that I am still moving forward.

Every step we take helps me understand myself better as a musician and feel proud of what we are building and what is being left behind. I am in a place that drives me and where I recognize myself, and that is already a lot.

The world of art and sport share many synergies. Where do you draw inspiration from?

I love sports; I need it to balance my hyperactive mind. If I don't run or train in the morning, the day starts terribly. I believe sport and art are more similar than they seem: both demand consistency, patience, and quick decision-making, whether on a stage or on a track.

Inspiration comes to me precisely from that mix. I like looking at people like Jack Johnson, who went from professional surfer to musician after an injury, turning something that could have been a setback into another form of creation. I am also inspired by places like Japan, where I traveled for the first time last year and am still digesting the calm, the aesthetics, and the way of understanding the rhythm of things. And then there are very simple moments, like winter sunrises: that cold, silent time when the day begins without noise and, for some reason, everything falls into place.

I suppose my inspiration comes from there: from movement, from what you discover when you step out of your routine, and from those moments that allow you to think without anyone speaking.

ASICS is a brand of sport and movement. What has drawn you to the brand?

What brings me close to ASICS has to do with their philosophy and something that is basic for me: understanding movement as a way to take care of your head. I have always associated running with sorting out ideas, lowering internal heart rates, and returning to a clearer place. I feel the brand works exactly from there, from the idea that body and mind go together.

I am also very attracted to their design. They have that balance between the technical and the aesthetic that not all brands achieve. I see that they are sneakers designed to perform, but also to accompany you in your day-to-day life without giving up your personality. I tend to pay a lot of attention to details, and with ASICS, you can tell that every piece fulfills a real function and isn't there just because. Apart from being a musician, I am an engineer, and those structural and material details are noticeable.

And then there is the link with running culture. I like how they connect sport with different lifestyles, how they don't just look for the "perfect" athlete, but anyone who uses running as a way to feel better. In that sense, I feel very identified: running, for me, is not an obligation; it is a tool to be well and to reset my head.

I suppose that’s why the brand fits me so well: because it doesn't just stay in the physical, but understands movement as something that completes you.

What is your vision of the future for the world of music? For sport? And yours?

I think the future of music is heading towards a point where two extremes will coexist: the hyper-digital and the very human. On one hand, there will be more technology, more creation from the computer, and new ways to reach people. But, at the same time, I notice a need to return to the essential: to honest concerts, to bands that sound like people and not so much like algorithms, to projects that seek an imperfect identity. I would like to think we are moving towards a model where authenticity regains the value it deserves.

In sport, I see something similar. There is more data, more methods, more analysis... but the essence remains the same: moving, taking care of oneself, and finding balance. I think the future involves looking at it less as a constant competition and more as a tool for well-being, both physically and mentally. At least that’s how I live it: sport is not an end; it is a resource.

And my future... I imagine it trying to maintain that balance point between what I want to do and how I want to do it. Continuing to build a path with the band, continuing to learn, and continuing to move. I don't know exactly what shape everything will take in a few years, but I am clear that I want to stay surrounded by projects that challenge me, by people with whom it makes sense to move forward, and by habits that keep me centered.

To close, I would define my vision of the future as: more intention, less noise, and always seeking a rhythm that is my own.