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     Esoteric is the perfect word to describe FRESco. soaps and the promotional campaign behind it. Edinburg musician Amaury Lopez, known by his stage name “Yruama,” made his own version of “jabones esotericos” (esoteric soaps) of Mexican superstition which are said to bring good luck in areas of life such as romance and finance. Beyond the supposed magical benefits of his product is a holistic experience with each soap having a corresponding artwork, song, and theme.

Before launching FRESco. on March 30, he shocked the RGV music community by announcing his sudden departure from music and his new position as a CEO of an ambiguous company in an Instagram story. He noted the financial struggle of music and the upside of entrepreneurship as his reasons. With the surprise release of his new EP, we now know it was a hoax to drive up interest for his new project.

After that, he made posts that provided little context, as well as strange meme-ish posts about living the “CEO lifestyle,” which contrasts against the humbleness of his personality and his music that the local scene has come to know. It turns out that his change in temperament was humorous anticipation for his product during a time of oversaturated music promotion. “The whole thing was a joke,” Lopez says. “The whole CEO life is just a playful thing I did. I don’t think everyone gets it yet. But no one is going to deny that releasing music today is like yelling to people that are yelling at the same time. So I thought of releasing something cool alongside the music.”

The music itself was also a deviation for Yruama. The album is full of disco grooves and pop melodies with comforting layers of atmoshpheric synths, but Yruama’s previous releases have gone through several other eclectic styles — from twee pop, to shoegaze, and math rock — but the soulful quality remains constant throughout his discography. Lopez describes this new sound as “more pop and more digestible,” and plans to change styles again for his next release.

With the help of a friend who has a visual art company “no–forma,” they began FRESco. when they made a soap mold of Lopez’s head with a 3D printer, which has been used to shape all the soaps that have been sold so far. The wordplay of the company’s name was created when Lopez shared his music with his friend who described the sound as “fresco.” The launch was intended to be last year when washing hands was being encouraged more than ever due to the pandemic, but there were delays until now.

     His first release was a soap and song called “Saturday Haze,” which has the power to drive away loneliness (“Aleje La Soledad”). The artwork is an image of two hands holding each other. The five soaps he began with sold out to friends and family before he could release it to the public. He also sold out the 10 soaps that corresponded with the album as a whole, simply titled “Yruama.” Both are coconut-scented but his upcoming product will have a patchouli fragrance, which helps you get lost in passion (pierdase en la pasiòn) and corresponds with his “Man and the Moon” song and video.

Lately, his company and online presence have become more clear and open. He reached out to bloggers and journalists to spread the word. His story was featured in IndieRocks.mx and his album has been shared in playlists and retweets from tastemakers.

Lopez is no stranger to the business world. For over a year, he has been running a film development service called “FastRGVFilm” which he boasts is faster and cheaper than the big chain services. “Some lose your rolls and take a week or two,” he says. “It only takes two or three days for me to return a roll.” His girlfriend, Lovette Mai, who is involved with FastRGVFilm, has a fashion magazine which features mostly local models. He would like to encourage other musicians to follow their entrepreneurial ideas as well, because “how they try and promote their music is like running a business.”

Each box is $20, but for an increased price, he is willing to make soap for customers who request their own custom shape. He does not have a website to purchase his products from, but takes orders from direct messages through social media. His next batch will be out soon and he hopes his customers like the products, even if they aren’t believers in the supernatural. “I’m not superstitious myself, but it’s a fun and interesting thing to put with the music.”

Listen to the FRESco. EP below or click here to listen on Apple Music.

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