As ever, Kernkrach have unearthed an artist of enviable talent. El Pesado Silencio is an album that illustrates Nublo Roboten’s range and style, contemporary synth-pop that is produced with a sureness of expression and a deftness of touch.
Cold machine music that quivers with a charged emotion
Within the world of synth wave, I have a rule: don’t take your ear off Kernkrach Records. Despite setting this out firmly, I often fail and miss some truly amazing music. Thankfully, the general busyness of life was left to the side as I managed to grab Un Silencio Pesado by Nublo Roboten with both hands and have held on tightly since.
A Guatemalan artist, Nublo Roboten has the rare skill of delivering cold machine music that quivers with a charged emotion. That feeling comes from the classic shoegaze synth-lines as well as vocals that ghost between distant dirges and intimate interludes.
“Retrolistesis Cerebral” races on beats, a thick bass throbbing below strings while throaty lyrics pierce the haze. “Temible Alucinacion” follows. Brittle and delicate, a work of video-game inspired minimal pop unveils itself. Throughout, the almost spoken songs have a lost and almost indecipherable quality as they are dossed in reverb and effects. Instead, the human voice is an accompaniment to the complex and captivating compositions. “Brisa, La Brisa” is a perfect example, words echoing into snatches of story as a clean and catchy analog melody grips the listener.
A muted mood enters as clouds gather over the somber “En Otra Existencia Paralelá,” emotion injected through key changes and industrial drum patterns. Darker sounds persist into the flip, frigid electro chords of “El Mundo Es” warmed by clever and catchy melodies. All tracks are modern, but made with a sound and style steeped in the minimal synth traditions of the 1980s. Melancholy countered by the merry music of machines.
A vocoder gauze is placed over vocals in “Olvidamos, No Recordamos,” a shadowy and sinister piece of retro-futurism. Grandiose key stabs are tempered by fragile notes in the truly spectacular title piece. Twirling elements of joy and sorrow together, the track is a marvel of composition with Nublo Roboten achieving a hard-won balance. Beats have sped across the ten offerings with tempos hitting their maximum in the finale. Fast and frenetic, “Detras De La Niebla” is an energetic and elative end to the LP.
As ever, Kernkrach have unearthed an artist of enviable talent. El Pesado Silencio is an album that illustrates Nublo Roboten’s range and style, contemporary synth-pop that is produced with a sureness of expression and a deftness of touch. Lesson learned Kernkrach, I promise.
Un Silencio Pesado is available on Kernkrach. [Bandcamp]
