Text: Ruth G. Núñez de Arenas // Images: Cristina del Barco, Abigail Empez, Luken Requerey & Sonia Hernández
Six years have passed since Ombra Festival began its journey as one of the riskiest musical bets in the city. In this sixth edition, the Ombra team and the audience said goodbye to a very special venue, the Old Mercedes Factory, a massive and inhospitable place that for three days filled with souls hungry for dark electronics and, why not, a little post-punk.
However, the opening day, a tradition reserved for a few, was held at Nau Bostik, a more intimate and much less spectacular space that nevertheless fulfilled its purpose of bringing together the “chosen ones” on the Thursday before the gathering of unusual sounds. While it is true that this opening was far from being as magical as the one held at La Modelo, the well-known prison now out of use, converted by SlideMedia, RipTV and La Fura dels Baus into one of the most impressive performance spaces I have ever enjoyed, Nau Bostik witnessed the moving presentation of the book that collects the 5-year history of Ombra.
Moving, not only because it collects images of all the artists who have passed through this gateway of unusual sounds, most of them by our admired collaborator Cristina del Barco, but also because alongside these masterful portraits come the musicians’ impressions of their participation in Ombra, something collected in the book by Sergi Ribó, the festival’s art director. No less impactful was the screening of the documentary Electronic Body Movie (a film that traces the origins of EBM through testimonies), as well as the masterful session by Ancient Methods as the finale of the Opening, not to mention the appearance of HD Substance in the booth or the talk by Magui (Las Lindas Pobres).
With honey on our lips we arrived at Friday, finally in the immense Old Mercedes Factory. For the first day of the festival, the Megabreakz stage became the Twilight Zone and hosted two of the most distinctive and genuine live acts of the gathering: José Puebla and Wará, plus the DJ sets by Las Lindas Pobres and J Keane, a regular at Ombra.
With three stages the choice is difficult, but what is a festival if not a conscious choice of what to see and what not to? Even though Alpha Sect and Charlie were on the Ombra Stage, my decision was to enjoy Credit 00 for several reasons: first, I had already enjoyed the Greek artist’s live set in Berlin a few months ago, and I intend to dance to her at the next Grauzone (oh yes, I will try to be there). Besides, with Credit 00, an artist who already played Ombra in the 2019 edition, if I’m not mistaken, I share a bill on January 1st at the party organized by Libertine Records, and supporting the artists with whom you have something in common, one way or another, is a must. A good call, just like combining bits and pieces of the live sets of Vema Diodes and Chris Imler. From Ombra Stage to Operator, and off I go, because it’s my turn. Great In Trance 95, a real surprise that also hosted one of the artists I liked most in the whole festival, Doric. The Greek’s live set was one of the best of Saturday, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Let’s continue with Friday.
We spent Friday jumping from one stage to another. Yes, I write in the plural because that night I spent it with two great artists and friends who played in the previous edition of Ombra, leaving their little mark on this Barcelona event: JG. Outsider and Annechoic. A little bit of En Direct, a little bit of Adam Tristar, until reaching what for me was the live set of Friday, Nightcrawler.
The act from Lleida “competed” with Jäger 90, EBM legends, and although I could enjoy them for a few seconds, I preferred to support the homegrown talent of this good friend. And Nightcrawler is not only one of the pioneers of the synthwave sound but also a prolific artist, among the best in our country. You can’t be everywhere, so I missed some live sets like those of En Direct and The Bandit (another time… and I’m a Multitasker).
Saturday began early and strong. Cold Colors, one of the acts I most wanted to see at the festival, kicked off the round of live sets on the Ombra Stage. The French artist was followed by Low Blows, perhaps the most guitar-driven band of the festival (this year there has been a lot of electro and little guitar, a pity, balance is always wonderful), before giving way to one of the most powerful and industrial performances of Saturday, that of the duo formed by Maurizio (Clock DVA) and Saverio (Esplendor Geométrico): Most Significant Beat. Yes, I’m on the industrial team and yes, it was well worth it, even though they played a bit early, from my point of view.
And I stayed at the Ombra Stage to dance and delight in Doric. God! What a man! His live set was impeccable, regal, powerful and, why not, sublime. One of the most remarkable performances of this sixth edition, without any doubt, not only for his magic on stage but also for the company (joined by Israel Padilla – boss of Banshees Records, with whom I am pleased to collaborate from time to time – and Ruben Montesco – a DJ who also had his place on Saturday at Ombra and a classic of Stardust in the early 2000s, currently the mastermind of the label Industrias Mekánicas).
After this Greek god, I danced a little to Kalte Nacht, a duo that has burst strongly into this dark-sounds scene. But my body wanted more BPMs, so after a while I decided to listen to myself and hit the mark with Schulverweis. In this duo I also recognized a face already familiar at Ombra, that of L.F.T., who on Sunday would repeat, masterfully closing the Operator Stage.
Blood and body well warmed up (fighting the cold that was already showing its face in the industrial venue), I rushed to the live set of one of the headliners of this edition, A Split-Second. What can I say about these classics? They simply did not disappoint, and there at the Ombra Stage I continued with the next 80s band still active, In Srtict Confidence.
And with the basic classics came the end of Saturday. Obviously, I skipped the night events in favor of the live sets and to save strength for a freezing but electro-drenched Sunday. One might think it is not cold in Barcelona, being so close to the Mediterranean, but nothing could be further from reality. The last day of Ombra was very hard, and not only because of the tiredness, but rather because of the cold – I did not take off my jacket or gloves, despite dancing as if the world were about to end. I really enjoyed, especially, the very young 80% Baul, one of the most impressive talents born in Hospitalet de Llobregat. Impressive is an understatement: with or without a band, Raúl devours the stage. Bravo!
Before the Barcelonan, I warmed up engine, body and soul with Interviews at the Operator Stage, practically my home on Sunday. There I revelled in EBM and electro bases and rhythms from Mvtant and N4S. The latter, the tandem of Ed Warner and Dj Web, delighted and surprised me in equal measure. One of the pleasant surprises of this sixth edition of Ombra.
In between I was able to watch a little of the live set of Bound by Endogamy and Puerta Negra; the former one of the great discoveries of this Ombra, the latter a winning horse or a winning lottery ticket from the start.
Another winning bet was the live set of L.F.T. who, although had already played Ombra before, delighted the audience hungry for dark electronics, which danced skin to skin at the Operator Stage. I honestly believe that the real closing of the musical gathering was this one, since High Functioning Flesh did not sound as I expected for such a responsibility (far from the spectacular live set of the American band Spike Hellis last year).
In any case, the best of Ombra is not only the music but the reunion of souls, of the family. Seeing artists such as Swesor Bhrater (who deserves a spot at this festival before, now and always, honestly, because he is a first-class artist), and his Hidden Cript Records stand at the Market, or Ximo Noguera (Industrial Complexxx) himself, as well as my beloved and admired Spamerheads (what a fantastic record that mud one is, and how beautiful it is that you have been able to rescue it from the mud, danil. Hats off to you), among many other friends such as Petra Flurr or Ángel Molina, to whom I keep a little piece of my heart. I hope this chronicle has left you with that taste of wanting to return to Ombra, even though next year smells of uncertainty about the venue, but not about the love of music that can be glimpsed every time we cross this enormous gateway to the unusual sounds of which we are heart and soul.
All the images are signed by Cristina del Barco, Abigail Empez, Luken Requerey and Sonia Hernández for Mots Music and were taken during the VI Anniversary of Ombra Festival, Barcelona. Their use for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.
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