On July 6, 2017, a gathering took place at El Foro, that is, Madrid, Spain. In La Tortuga de Lavapiés, a very active social and cultural center in the neighborhood, we witnessed a four-part concert organized by Eventos Latimeria / Almudena Villar. The beautiful title of the sound recording you now hold in your hands — “Madrid Austral” — is also her creation.

Javier Piñango, Juan Antonio Nieto, and Mika Martini each offered a solo piece before coming together in a joint performance. A memorable evening, further validated by its release as a record, as it includes a sound document by the great Juan Antonio Nieto aka Pangea, who crossed the Rainbow in Madrid on February 27, 2022.

And who are they? A brief introduction…

JAVIER PIÑANGO. MADRID, 1962.

A key figure in the sonic landscape since the 1980s. Summarizing his work and career in just a few words would be impossible.

A few of his activities include:

Director of the international experimental music festival Experimentaclub and of the experimental music dissemination project of the same name. Co-director of the Ibero-American artistic exchange and cultural cooperation project Experimentaclub LIMb0. In short, nearly forty years of dedicated work within the Spanish avant-garde sound scene across many fronts: musician, cultural programmer, founder of record labels, music journalist…

As a musician, Javier Piñango‘s sonic body of work is vigorous and tactile, with the power of analog instruments such as his inseparable Korg MS-20 synthesizer.

Ode from Javier Piñango to the Korg MS-20: «A few more words for and about the Korg MS-20. I’ve always considered it, in some way, to be a punk-era synthesizer. Probably first for purely chronological reasons — Korg manufactured it in 1978 and it remained in production until 1983. Secondly, because its excellent price-to-quality ratio made it an affordable tool compared to other synthesizers, opening up access to synthetic means for many noisy, unorthodox, and transgressive musicians. Finally, because of its own special characteristics, it perfectly matched the ‘do-it-yourself’ spirit of punk: it was a two-VCO, semi-modular, patchable synthesizer whose fantastic and versatile connection panel allowed for a vast range of creative possibilities. Add to that the MS-20’s uniquely thick sound, and you have a simply fantastic synthesizer.»

JUAN ANTONIO NIETO AKA PANGEA. MADRID 1961 / MADRID 2022.

His presence lives on in us — a beautiful human being and a masterful sound artist.

Juan Antonio collaborated with great creators across the world. His works have been featured in art installations in numerous countries.

“The main idea behind my music is to explore the evocative power of sounds, outside of the conventional elements found in most musical compositions, such as rhythm or melody. The different timbres must stand on their own, and it is their interaction that brings emotional content to the work, aiming to establish a bond between the composition and the listener. These sounds — harsh, even irritating on their own — acquire an entirely different dimension when combined.”

And now, the guest of the evening, Hugo Espinosa Chellew. Written like that, many might say: All right, and…?
But everything changes when we say:

MIKA MARTINI. SANTIAGO DE CHILE, 1967.

With studies in architecture, a degree in design, and a relationship with music that began in 1996, he gave life to his alter musicus Mika Martini in 2004:

“I began my solo music work in early 2004, with a clear objective: to rescue and blend sounds from the Chilean ethnic heritage with abstract elements, drawing on techniques such as microsampling and minimalism. In parallel, I also developed work more closely tied to experimental music and electronic improvisation.”

To date, Mika Martini has released 12 albums under his name, in addition to appearing in compilations and collaborative works. On July 1, 2005, he co-founded the label Pueblo Nuevo Netlabel, which now boasts over 240 published albums and counting. He was also part of the collective Electroacoustic Community of Chile (CECh) — and the story could go on. In 2011, he gave birth to another alter musicus: Frank Benkho — music that is playful, analog-digital, and full of energy. Hyperactive? Perhaps.

“I make music according to the people I meet.”

RauLuz (@rauluzdog).
In Madrid Austral on 30.06.2024.