A few years ago, Cipriano Ortega began integrating a two-string bass guitar into his music, experimenting with stripping his sounds down to the basics.
A minimalist at heart, the Denver local said that while researching blues, an African-American music genre dating back to the 1860s, he found that many players would start their music careers experimenting with a Diddley Bow, a one-string instrument.
“After I discovered that, I found an instrument that I was able to get obsessed with,” said Ortega, who began to experiment with the bare-bones sound, even constructing a few of his own.
His explorations make up the backbone of his debut album “Lo Lo House,” which was released in early April. The musician has described the 11-track record as “low-rock blues,” the minimal instrumentation combining elements of blues, jazz and rock.
“If I had an elevator pitch for anybody, it’s Morphine meets the White Stripes,” said Ortega, noting that much of the recording of the album itself was done on analog equipment to keep with the vintage, old-school vibe of the album.
“Lo Lo House” came together during an artist residency Ortega received through Breck Create, spending the summer of 2024 diving into the songwriting and recording process while living in the historic Robert Whyte house in Breckenridge.
“I found myself listening to a lot of those old-time blues records,” said the musician, nodding to his muses for the project such as Son House, Albert King and Bo Diddley. “I’ve always been enamored by these players who could create such an atmosphere and mood, just with their voice and guitar. It’s always been my goal to create that.”
Ortega said his time in the mountains was a significant inspiration for the album, with four songs coming out of being in the physical space. The title of the album “Lo Lo House” also pays homage to the historical setting along with bringing up associations to low rock as well as direct translations of “crazy” in Hawaiian and “grandfather” in Spanish.
“What I liked about the experience was it put me in this place to focus on the music and do some soul searching within that,” Ortega said. “The vibe I captured on the album will always bring me back to that place, and I loved using the unconventional recording space which became a pinnacle part of the album.”
Sonically, the album has a bit of everything from upbeat dance tunes to lofi beats. Ortega said he’s heard from listeners who enjoyed the album due to its edginess along with those who have found it relaxing. Some of the most popular tracks have been “Speakeasy” along with “Promise” and “Brighter than the Moon,” he said.
The album features Ortega on lead vocals, playing a two-string slide bass and a dobro. Doug Carmichael plays baritone and tenor saxophone with Bret Billings on harmonica and a lap steel guitar. Astin Lopez plays acoustic guitar, Courtlyn Carpenter on cello and Bret Batterman on drums. Batterman also worked as co-producer, having mixed and mastered the album.
“It’s a very experimental sound with experimental instrumentation that’s conventional, but not conventional in the way we’ve orchestrated it,” said the musician. “The number one question is how can we put all these puzzle pieces together to make a composition that still has a lot of atmospheric qualities?”
The lyrics of the album are grounded in the motifs of nightlife, solitude and making the most of what you’re given, all essential elements of blues, Ortega said. Growing up on Denver’s northside, the musician said much of the lyrics were written or inspired during night walks he would take through the city with the album’s track six, “Genie,” a direct nod to the northside.
In addition to creating an atmospheric quality in his music, Ortega said he’s enjoyed experimenting with crafting sonic worlds, embracing elements of storytelling that weave in and out of the around three-minute tracks.
“Being a man of color, Indigenous and of Latino heritage, I see the way the world perceives me in certain vignettes,” he said. “This album is about understanding who I am within those worlds but also beyond that.”
As for what’s next for the musician, playwright, actor, visual artist and poet, Ortega said he’d like to continue to refine his sound, making it accessible to a wider audience.
“Lo Lo House” is Ortega’s debut album, having released his debut EP “A Whole New Low” in 2023. “Lo Lo House” is available on all streaming platforms while hard copy CDs are available for purchase on lo-lo-house.com.
