Loïc Maestracci used to live a double-life: consumer marketer by day and electronic musician at night.
All that changed when he got laid off in January from Twitter, the social media platform now called X, where he worked for six years.
He had just returned from his paternity leave, but a lot had happened in his absence: Elon Musk purchased Twitter in October and, by the time Maestracci returned, layoffs were the order of the day.
“I was like, ‘Well, you know what? I’m fine,'” Maestracci said. “I’ll go back to paternity leave for a few more months and take care of my son.”
He smiled whenever he mentioned his son, Matteo, who is now nearly a year and a half old.
But he’s doing more than spending time with his son. Maestracci just released three new songs, completing the roster of his latest album, “Remote Work.”
“It kind of synthesizes this idea of — people reevaluate their priorities,” Maestracci said, referring to the time when many stayed home to work and to take care of their families.
Maestracci says he could work anywhere: His nephew’s bedroom in Seattle, the basement, the living room, or even the kitchen table at home.
“It’s the theme,” of his new album, he says. “you know. It’s not one place at one time, it’s many places, many times.”
Maestracci works under the name Iguazúl, a combination of Iguazu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina, and azúl, Spanish for the color blue. He wants his music to create the ambience of a sunset pool party: Joyful and relaxing, at his favorite time of the day.
The new tracks, “New World,” “Flight 3440” and “Streets of Shanghai,” were inspired by the white noise on the streets in Shanghai, at the airport in Orange County, and outside the window of his living room.
Originally from Corsica, a French island south of the mainland, Maestracci has been to all over the world. Following a job with Samsung in 2012, he and his wife settled in San Francisco. But it’s not tech that he associates with the city.
“The first thing I would associate San Francisco with is the music, the culture, all the great artists that came from this area,” said Maestracci. His musical hero is Missionite Carlos Santana. He was also inspired by his musician friend, Hugo Paris, to finish his first EP, “Electro Funk Samba,” in 2016.
Maestracci co-founded the Music Expo, a music convention that started in the Chapel, at 777 Valencia St.
Maestracci gets his inspiration from travel or simply taking a walk in the Mission. Serendipity, he said, is important.
Balancing parenting and music has been a challenge. But, over time, the couple’s music has had an effect on their son Matteo.
Before Matteo was born, Maestracci was in the process of producing the song “Stay in the Moment” with Sam Haveson, a singer based in San Francisco.
When Maestracci played it this year, casually at home, Matteo stopped everything he was doing to listen to the song.
“I was producing and mixing this song when you were still in Mom,” Maestracci said, referring to his son, and filled with joy.
Maestraccis’s father is a musician who plays accordion and piano, and Maestracci wants to pass his musical heritage on to Matteo.
So far, he said, Matteo has demonstrated an interest in the drums. A set will arrive at Christmas.
“So, that’s maybe when the neighbor will complain,” Maestracci laughed, recalling that the neighbors have not yet complained about him making music at home.
Heartwarming article – thank you for highlighting the good in people