In Memory Of The Soft Moon

Essay on the premature departure of Luis Vasquez

Marking the one-year anniversary of Luis Vasquez’s untimely passing, Croatian art director and researcher Sven Harambašić reflects on the enduring legacy of The Soft Moon. As a longtime friend and collaborator, Sven shares insights into Luis’s uncompromising authenticity, cultural impact, and the transformative power of his art.

One year has passed since the premature departure of Luis Vasquez, the visionary behind The Soft Moon. This essay is not just a reflection – it is an attempt to honor his fearless self-expression, his art, and the profound impact he left on those who encountered his music and spirit. Luis didn’t just create songs; he unraveled himself, inviting us into his visceral journey of self-discovery. Writing as a friend rather than a researcher feels like the only way to truly capture the essence of someone who gave so much of himself to his art – and to those lucky enough to know him. To provide some context first, Luis Vasquez was certainly a master of intertextuality, his genre-reinventing debut, ‘The Soft Moon’ (2010) set a new standard for guitar-driven *goth* music,
shaping its trajectory for years to come. There was a certain charm in the way he elevated his Post-Punk nightmares into a disguised pop songs. It was a sonic labyrinth, where motorik- Shoegaze compositions crashed full-speed into the wall just to reveal themselves as industrial-strength Cronenbergian flesh experiments, while whispered bedroom introspections that were never supposed to be heard in the first place evolved into Gothic melodrama. Moreover, it is important to highlight that The Soft Moon was multimedia project from the start, not only with a sharp design aesthetic, but also as one of the rare acts at the time to incorporate visual element to live performance. Luis himself described The Soft Moon as a journal or a documentary, a chronological unfolding of his personal layers – ultimately a self-exploration. Each following album – ‘Zeros,’ ‘Deeper,’
‘Criminal,’ ‘A Body of Errors’ and ‘Exister’ – revealed a new shade of his inner world. It was a simultaneous peeling and rebuilding – whispers turned into melodies, metaphors turned into finger-pointing, bleak noise turned into guilty pleasures… Nevertheless, it was an existential dread with a purpose. Personally, listening to The Soft Moon’s music often felt like a limit experience. The notion of being trapped in a relentless running scene from a film where running is just a metaphor – not a physical escape, but an attempt to outpace decaying thoughts, memories, or fears. The pain within is paradoxical – it thrills and torments in equal measure, presenting itself as both a curse and a cure. Luis insinuated that his early work was perhaps a subconscious recreation of the
desert he lived in, while ‘Deeper’ and ‘Criminal’ reflected the haunting dread of Venice and Berlin. His soundscapes painted isolation in different forms: from bedroom walls to the desolation of a wasteland or the anonymity of a crowded metropolis, each reflecting a circular infinity. They revealed a truth we often avoid: we cannot escape ourselves but that is the exact
reason we can (and must) deal with it inside.

There was a certain charm in the way he elevated his Post-Punk nightmares into a disguised pop songs.

In Memory Of The Soft Moon / Luis Vasquez

Artist: The Soft Moon / @the_soft_moon
Art and Essay: Sven Harambašić / @svenharambasic
Editor: Maria Abramenko / @mariabramenko
Assistant: Annalisa Fabbrucci / @annalisa_fabbrucci

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