There’s something profoundly unsettling about the fact that Ariel Pink has titled his new single «Everyone’s Wrong» just when musical culture has completely surrendered to algorithmic pastiche. Ever since he released Underground in 1999 – and even before – Ariel Marcus Rosenberg has operated as an archaeologist of the future, unearthing the scattered fragments of a pop culture that never quite finished dying.

His return with With You Every Night (LAC Records) after years of independent releases isn’t just a commercial decision, but an acknowledgment that even resistance needs structures to function. At a moment where nostalgia has been reduced to algorithms that predict trends, Pink remains pure perpetual reinvention, an eclecticism impossible to predict, resisting any attempt at domestication. If everyone’s wrong, maybe ARIEL PINK continues to be one of the few things that’s right. We spoke with him and this was the result.

Facundo Guadagno: «Everyone’s Wrong» feels like both a statement of principles and a question at the same time – are you commenting on the current cultural moment, or is this more about personal relationships and misunderstandings? I mean: «who the fuck is wrong?» (laughs)

Ariel Pink: It’s a comment on people. Lucky for us, not one person in all of history has succeeded in ending ALL human life, everywhere, ALL at once, for good. It has likely happened at many points throughout history, but never completely. 99% dead only means 1% will survive and thrive eventually. We can’t even figure out how to not kill each other – but we’re supposed to see past our differences when it comes to saving the climate? Come on.

FG: The video art is wonderful. Who are those two directors behind it? They seem like independent filmmakers, but very underground.

AP: Fran is great. She did the Faerybabyy video for «Orange Soda», which turned me into a mega fan for life. I see a very bright future for Fran – she has a very intuitive sense of the zeitgeist.

FG: You’re back on a label with LAC Records after being independent. How did that decision shape the sound and approach of With You Every Night, and what specifically drew you to this collaboration?

AP: The record existed prior to my signing to LAC Records – in fact, one might even say the album itself was the inspiration for LAC to exist! Given how few options I had (for reasons I won’t go into), it’s a miracle we found each other at all. There’s a long thank you list.

FG: The sound you pioneered has influenced an entire generation of artists. As you create new material in 2025, do you consider that you’re staying true to an aesthetic while venturing into new territory? I know you don’t care about labeling your music, but there’s a certain pattern in your work.

AP: The only certainty in this life is change, yet I remain. This album is me spinning my gears for the 1000th time, mind-fracking the cracks and fissures of coronal Tartarian velsprung.

FG: Your work has always existed in this space, between some kind of sonic nostalgia and futurism, between lo-fi and polished. For example, there are marked contrasts in Dedicated to Bobby Jameson (2017) and Never Made a Demo, Ever (2023) – both brilliant records, by the way. On this new album, where do you find yourself on that spectrum, and what’s driving those decisions?

AP: Well, Never Made a Demo IS a glorified ‘demo,’ while Dedicated to Bobby Jameson and With You Every Night are full-fledged albums, with material sourced largely from prior demos of lesser audio quality. Lots of people prefer the demos, myself included. But I think it’s silly to be precious about that sort of stuff – you could always make it lo-fi after the fact, just gotta record to cassette tape and dub it 20 times.

FG: After the Argentine show in 2024, we had a conversation about a collaboration you were about to have with a Mexican artist. How’s that project going?

AP: You mean my cumbia project with Cam from PERIOD BOMB? It’s on the shelf. Will come back to that eventually. It’s definitely good stuff.»

Facundo Guadagno

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