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spa.RK - barcelona, spain

.TAPE. PAINTINGS format: cd cat number: sp11cd First .TAPE. release in spa.RK. "Paintings" album (sp11cd) is a perfect mix of outsider toy-pop and low-budget bedroom songwriting, post-folk landscapes and electronic lullabies. CD | buy

Avilés (Asturias), 1999. Daniel Romero creates .tape. [spelled dot tape dot] in order to turn his room into a magical sound device, mixing folk guitars with bleeps,  8-bit sounds with toy instruments, cheap keyboards and laptop, pop melodies with drone experimentation. In 2002 he becomes the first artist to record for the reunion of two prestigious French labels (Optical Sound & Aspic Records), where he releases his first album, “Flying Over Bañugues. Loops & Sketches”, a delicious and chaotic tribute to a tiny town in Asturias.

 

Although he is surely the best kept secret in Spanish electronica music –if we dare to call it electronica- his work catches the ear of the more restless, and it becomes difficult to keep track of his collaborations on labels from all over the world (tar100mg in Japan, Mira Records in Germany or Mexican Soundsister), and his numerous remixes everywhere (Phasmid, Rainier Lericolais, Fibla, Lusan, Strand, mou-lips! or Propergol and Colargol).

 

In this, his first record for spa.RK, .tape. features his collection of toy instruments (guitar, xylophone, accordion, violin), and opens the doors of his universe to different guest collaborators (amongst others, Angelica Negrón, from Puerto Rico’s band Balún, on violin, David Cordero from Spanish post-rock band Úrsula, Paul Slocum from Texan duet Tree Wave and Steven Scott from the Scottish band Text Adventure) who have contributed with sounds, and even vocals, to .tape.’s own special sound treatment. Without losing one bit of freshness and luminosity, .tape. leaves behind his lo-fi productions and spins a web of sinewaves, loops, sinuous noises and crystal-clear jinglings that turn his new record into the perfect mix of electronic lullabies, post-folk landscapes, timeless pop and poignant experimentation. There is even room for an toy poptronic bizarre hit called “The Projectionist”.

 

A record full of poetry and emotional intensity, intimate and delicate, allowing us a view of the very special and private world in which .tape. organizes and reorganizes his sound universe. A nice surprise coming from the new Spanish electronica scene.

 

"Under the moniker .tape. (not to be confused with the Häpna group Tape), Spanish artist Daniel Romero alchemizes acoustic guitar, xylophone, accordion, and violin sounds into warm and crystal-clear electronic lullabies on his spa.RK debut Paintings. And that they literally are, as each of the ten pieces presents a richly coloured canvas of tiny noises, bubbly loops, and luminous toy melodies. Intricately detailed, folktronic landscapes like “With Paul” are wholly inviting, summery in spirit, and free of abrasive dissonance. “Frankly Rendered” seems a collision of two pieces, one a frantic stream of scurrying electronics, the other a peaceful intermingling of warm sine tones, xylophone, and toy percussion while “Mountain Office” offers a more crystalline take on the ambient-glitch stereotype. The addition of soft vocals (from Paul Slocum and Steven Scott), violin, and double bass (from Angélica Negrón and Luis Solis) sweetens considerably Romero's sparkling base during “The Projectionist.” Paintings is an inarguably accomplished collection that will definitely appeal to listeners seeking out an Oval-Lullatone hybrid." (Texture)

 

"No es Pascal Comelade ni The Microphones. No es Gastr del Sol ni Nobukazu Takemura, aunque bebe de todos ellos: 'Paintings' es la confirmación de una personalidad única rozando la perfección. Tres individualidades para caer rendido: el sonido líquido y juguetón de los Mouse on Mars de"Autoditacker" en "With Paul" (aunque éste salpica todo el disco), el pop pluscuamperfecto en la gloriosa "The projectionist", con la voz invitada de Steven Scott de Text Adventure (segundo corte cantado tras el "Smoke resp" de su disco del 2003, "Postcards/Snowing biciclettes", y otra diana que le debería obligar a hacerlo más a menudo) y la anteriormente citada 'You've bought a minicity free of plastic squirrels". Disco del año." (9,25/10. Avantfolk)

 

.TAPE.

discography

• tracklist
• 01. WALDEN DOS
  
• 02. DEFIGHT
• 03. LO-PENCIL
  
• 04. WITH PAUL
  
• 05. FRANKY RENDERED
• 06. MOUNTAIN OFFICE
• 07. THE PROJECTIONIST
  
• 08. LACTOC FUCK
• 09. SLOW BIRDS
• 10. YOU'VE BOUGHT A MINICITY FULL OF PLASTIC SQUIRRELS
  

• more releases (selected)
• "Little Darla Has a Treat For You v.25: Endless Summer" (Darla 2007-2008)
  "Propergol y colargol - Ode to roger" (Diesel Combustible 2007)
  "Springs, re:makes and mixes of RF" (Odd Shaped Case 2006)
  "Snowdrop" (fueradeserie 2005)
  "My Dugong Loves Your Sea Cow" 10" (Mira Records 2003)
  "Fying over Bañugues. Loops & Schetches" (Optical Sound & Aspic Records 2002)
  "Toilet Brush Reaction" CDR (Eglantine Records 2002)

• gigs
• 26/07/2008
  ateneo - madrid
  

• get it at i tunes