Estrato Aurora has made a record that draws on a number of influences without adhering to one. There are futuristic touches, sci-fi subtleties, and industrial echoes on Atan. This able artist doesn’t just tie these sounds together, he bonds them with an ease that will leave listeners happily rooted in welcome awe.
Futuristic touches, sci-fi subtleties, and industrial echoes
There are certain movements and scenes that were pivotal in the forming of electronic music in Spain. The 1980s saw a surge of creativity as forty years of ultra-conservative thinking crumbled beneath the hopes of a new youthful generation. European imports began to flood in, italo and wave as well as industrial merged in scenes such as La Ruta De Bacalao and La Movida and. The latter was centred around Madrid and to this day the city is still at the forefront of machine music on the Iberian peninsula.
One label that draws on these traditions, while keeping an ear firmly planted on the pulse of the present, is NNY of No Name Yet based in the Spanish capital. Since 2017 the label, alongside its tape wing Industrial Possession, has explored spatial electro, smooth techno and IDM abstractions. Their new 12”, care of Estrato Aurora, calls on all these influences in his fifth EP.
A haze introduces “Ob,” swells of sound rising and falling before a crisp beat arrives. The track is set somewhere in the canon of dub techno, echo and delay conjuring up industrial images while the Valencian artist explores his sound. “Og” is cast in the same ever-moving mould. Drum patterns are firm yet flexible, swirls of understated melody arc and fade as the listener enters into a space of ambient techno. Siarem, of HC Records fame, opens the flip with his remix of “Om.” The original isn’t included, meaning comparisons are difficult. What is certain is the beautiful job Siarem does. A lancing drum cuts through gentle strings as the track unfolds. Reflective and pensive, the offering is a wonderfully immersive and multi-layered piece. The finale comes in the form of “Avol.” Although percussion may be beefed up, at its core this closer is elegant and fragile.
Estrato Aurora has made a record that draws on a number of influences without adhering to one. There are futuristic touches, sci-fi subtleties, and industrial echoes on Atan. This able artist doesn’t just tie these sounds together, he bonds them with an ease that will leave listeners happily rooted in welcome awe.
Atan is available on NNY.
