By Ron Evans
Some musicians are easy to describe—easy to classify. Terror/Cactus isn’t one such. There are traces of Latin American traditions, electronic music, psychedelia, live improvisation and cinematic atmosphere that makes you see vibrant movies in your head. It’s familiar (and hooky) enough to grab onto, but strange enough to keep surprising you, or at times…creeping you the hell out. The mysterious masks and thoughtful visual elements help pull those feelings out.
I chatted with the man behind the mask, Martín Selasco as he was half way across the globe on tour. Selasco has a fascinating history and a deep reverence for his culture so we had plenty to chat about. Argentine protest music, Seattle’s grunge-era all-ages scene, artistic personas, family record labels, and the curious path that led to Terror/Cactus.
Earlier this year, Terror/Cactus released a new LP called Colapso, which I recently picked up (thank you Cashmere Records!) and it has been on heavy rotation at Comet Headquarters all week. Once you catch its groove, it hits a note you can’t really get anywhere else. I would believe this was an album created by aliens making a record they thought humans might enjoy.
Our chat is just ahead of an upcoming Leavenworth performance with Rumbo Tumba which is going to make for a powerful and unique live experience.
Give us a little background on yourself.
My family moved to Seattle from Miami when I was about 13. It was a pretty exciting shift for me at that age, moving to the land of Nirvana and grunge. When I arrived I was really impressed with the all-ages music scene that provided an outlet for my creative energy and love of music, as well as a way to connect with others. Things like the Vera Project, Seattle Drum School, Mars Hill Church, and DIY House venues offered me some first show experiences and created a sense of community that I didn’t really have in Miami. I started listening to a lot of the indie rock of the era including Modest Mouse and Built to Spill which became a big influence for me especially when I think about some of the electric guitar sounds that I really love. There is no doubt that some of those tones work their way into my music.
You perform under the Terror/Cactus identity– do you feel like you’re becoming that persona onstage, or has the character become another extension of who you already are?
When I first started performing as Terror/Cactus I decided to start wearing a mask, inspired by some other electronic acts such as Dengue Dengue Dengue and Daft Punk. It was in many ways a nice ritual that allowed me to enter into an altered state and let go of my personal identity, stepping into a more theatrical role for channeling the music. I think of it as less of a persona or character, and more of a tool for connecting with the music in a different way. I don’t think it’s an essential part of the Terror/Cactus identity, and am also starting to perform without the mask, continuing to explore different ways of expressing and connecting with the music. It may be something that disappears or reappears depending on the context of what is being performed.
Your work hits so many notes in terms of style – are you drawn toward any particular category or genre in terms of where the record shops put you?
It might depend on the particular record or album. It’s all inspired by Latin American music traditions, but incorporates elements of different electronic subgenres and some contemporary instrumental psychedelic music as well. I could see the music in the electronic section of a record store in Mexico City, or in the Latin section of a record store in Seattle.
You certainly utilize electronic elements in your music, yet it sounds quite organic — full band, full production overall. How are you piecing your songs together? And talk about your live shows in that same regard. And this is a great place to mention other musicians you work/record/perform with.
This latest album in particular, is the most organic to date, with live drums, percussion, saxophone, bass, and electric guitar. Previous albums have leaned a bit more on drum machines and synthesizers blended with electric guitar and percussion, but for these songs I really wanted to capture a bit more of the energy from our live shows and that sense of human unpredictability that makes things feel more expressive and alive.
The songs started out as sketches, with mostly guitar, synthesizers, samples, and drum machines. I then brought these elements into the studio and worked with my touring band members and some session musicians to expand upon them and bring them into their final form. Mike Gebhart, who has been playing with Terror/Cactus since 2017, recorded drum kit and congas, which is what I think makes this record really stand out from past releases. We originally met in Seattle at a show where he yelled “cumbiaaa!” during a soundcheck and we connected over our Latin heritage and music as a point of connection. Seattle saxophonist Kate Olson also contributes heavily on this record with alto sax, clarinet, flute, and soprano sax - bringing in jazz influences and improvisation that adds another dimension to the music. Also on this record are David French on timbales, Kelsey Mines on bass, and Micheal Alfred Wagner on gaita hembra.
It’s clear that your background and culture are important elements in your art. Talk about growing up in a family where you were surrounded by not only music, but aspects of the music industry.
My grandfather and father both ran record labels which helped expose me to a lot of Latin American music - from tango, to folclore, to Andean music. I grew up fascinated by the music industry and the recording process, turning sound into physical artifacts that recreate the listening experiences, holding memories and emotions and history within them. My dad seemed to always love the recording process and had an office studio with Pro-tools, an interface, and some microphones, so he taught me at a young age how to multi-track songs and make arrangements even if I didn’t have a full band. This inevitably became an essential part of my songwriting process and gave me a head start when it came to producing music.
Of the many things I hear in your work — progressive rock from the late 70’s pops up (if only to me), were you into that shit at all?
Cool! I don’t think I was going for that intentionally, but I am definitely into some of the late 70’s progressive rock from Argentina. One of the albums I’ve always been really drawn to is La Grasa de Las Capitales (1979) by Seru Giran, which I discovered early on because it was released by my grandfather’s label. This record was released while Argentina was under a brutal military dictatorship and criticized the superficial state of Argentine society and the commercial music of the time, all at a time when this kind of self-expression was being heavily censored. Now that I think of it, this kind of rebellious spirit and societal critique definitely inspired some of the themes in the latest album, Colapso. Even though it is mostly instrumental music, I think it frames things through a certain lens which calls into question the state of the world, looking at the current systems as unstable or unsustainable, and asking what else is possible.
Another thing that occurred to me when listening to your music — it’s very cinematic. Have you done any compositions for film? Do you visualize what you are composing in any kind of way?
I definitely visualize as I compose and produce tracks. Some songs are inspired by specific moments or scenes, and might actually begin with a sample - a train ride in Buenos Aires or a vendor on the streets in Mexico City. Using that as a jumping off point, I expand on certain feelings in an abstract way, much like an impressionistic painting.
While I haven’t composed music for film directly, a few of my songs have been licensed for TV - for example Tiger King Season 2 - and other film projects, like skate and snowboard videos. It’s really fun seeing how the music works to create a certain mood and energy when connected with film.
Your upcoming show in Leavenworth will see you sharing the bill with Rumbo Tumba. Thoughts on that show? What can we expect?
Rumbo Tumba brings a really beautiful cinematic sound that is rooted in Latin American folk traditions while incorporating dynamic looping to create a hypnotic journey that is also very danceable. We have a lot of overlap in that sense - danceable instrumental music with Latin American roots. We’ve performed together several times in the past, including in Buenos Aires, Seattle, Portland, and Leavenworth, and the energy that both acts together bring is a really powerful showcase of how contemporary Latin American music can push boundaries while still celebrating roots. Expect to dance a lot while also being taken through a cinematic journey.
Any dream collaborations or projects?
I would love to keep collaborating with Latin American musicians who are interested in pushing the traditional sounds into the future.
For tropical music and cumbia, a dream collab would be Frente Cumbiero or Meridian Brothers, and for Argentine folk it would be Broke Carrey or Milo J.
Rumbo Tumba and featuring
Terror/Cactus
Meadow Stage
Icicle Creek Center for the Arts
Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 7:00PM
Tickets: icicle.org
Listen: terrorcactus.bandcamp.com