Far from the superclubs of Ibiza, there’s an underground electronic music movement growing in Spain. In Madrid and Barcelona, and outposts in Valencia, Seville and A Coruña, an emerging faction of DJs, producers, record shops, venues and festivals is dancing to a different beat. Subterranean electro and astral braindance are the driving genres, with booming 808 drum machines, acid sequences, spectral synths and breakbeats coalescing in a vibrant and rapidly expanding scene.
Labels like Lapsus, Distrito 91, Masa Series, Adepta Editions, Black Quasar, Artificial Intelligence, Nebulae, Sin Hilo, Hypnotica Colectiva, Noise To Meet You, Semantica, Diffuse Reality and Withhold are pushing deeper, more unconventional forms of dance music in a country where house and techno have long reigned. One of the most important of these is Madrid’s Analogical Force; run by Sergio JM, since 2015, the label has put out an immaculate run of releases from IDM and electro champions such as D’Arcangelo, James Shinra, U-Ziq and Voiron. Delve into the catalogue and you’ll hear everything from the glitchy acidic rhythms of Istanbul’s Fluctuosa to the melodic, melancholic synths and addictive hardware bass of Brooklyn’s Patricia. Though the label primarily releases international names, it’s also provided a springboard for rising Spanish artists, such as the excellent Promising/Youngster.
Analogical Force started in 2006 as a monthly club night in Sergio’s hometown of Madrid. At the time, there were few other events of its kind, and he had to adopt a DIY approach to make something happen. “They were underground parties in clubs with reduced capacity of 200-300 people,” he remembers. “We had few means, but a lot of passion and enthusiasm to spread non-commercial electronic music, from ambient or experimental stuff to hardcore or acid and electro. It was a time in Madrid when if you wanted to schedule artists who were out of focus or far from the mainstream, you had to do it yourself. Those were very fun years, with a lot of learning. I made contact with many artists, people like Rob Hall, Bola, Monolake, Mr76ix, D’Arcangelo, Helena Hauff, Kettel, B12, Grant Wilson, Mike Paradinas, and many more… there were glorious nights. That was the germ of the label.”
