Brittle melodies, fragile and ephemeral sounds bolstered by an aural richness.
Work routine is a great leveler, well unless your unemployed but ya get my drift. The day in, day out. Almost anyone can relate to it. Shower. Coffee. Oblong breakfast consumables. The commute. The commute. The commute. My own involves a metro ride (underground/subway to some) of two stops, a changeover and then an overground train. The whole affair isn’t so bad, half an hour tops. Then said journey is reversed when the clock permits. The hum-drum habit gets incredibly drummed in, and change to it can be like losing a limb. But sometimes change is the spice. It was a slight break in this routine, more a bend, that allowed me to meet Caustica Waveform’s owner. Unbeknownst to me this new addition to the Madrid electronic music scene is not in some far off “barrio” but two minutes from my workplace. With the sun shining we discussed, in my broken espanol, music, the establishment of the label and its first release, Diffuse Arc’s Messiah.
The EP starts in fine retro futuristic form. Echos of Vangelis and Tangerine Dream reverberate and swerve as “UFO” introduces the 12”. Lanterns of amber synth are sent skyward, rippling arpeggios bobbing and diving on the winds of circuitry. Measured Electro arrives with “Zygnus.” A crisp beat keeps time as layers of texture are laid down for an introspective outing. Memories of Electronica and IDM are soldered to lilting harmonies. Tempos are lowered for “Caladan.” That same spaced out dreaminess is present, warming patterns and snapping snares being employed in this shimmering curtain fall.
As we stood at Pozuelo station on the outskirts of Spain’s capital myself and Diffuse Arc, who would rather remain anonymous, chatted about this and that. One issue that came up was how the idea of “soul” seems to be leaving Techno and Electro. Soul is not a problem on Messiah. There’s lushness in the stunningly broad “UFO” and a depth to the entire EP. Brittle melodies, fragile and ephemeral sounds bolstered by an aural richness. A seriously promising first from this fledgling Madrid imprint.
Messiah is available on Caustica Waveform.
