No time to rest for Iberian whizz
Who?
Syd DePalma is Spanish artist Milton Castellar, a man for who the tag “multitalented” seems a bit of an understatement. Alongside playing a host of musical instruments, Castellar is an accomplished songwriter, has worked as a sound designer and engineer for big-name brands like Ford and Adidas, and if you still want more, also runs his own label, Subterranea. Currently residing in Madrid, Castellar was once a member of Barcelona electronic outfit MAD, leaving to pursue a solo career firstly as Galera and now under the nom de plume Syd DePalma.
Why Syd Depalma?
While the music he makes is often centred around glassy synthesisers and danceable beats, there are subtle hints of summery Andalusian melodies (‘Chez Montull’) and bright, reverberating post-punk basslines (‘Cuadro Fusión’) that give many Galera tracks an appealing air of ambiguity. Now operating as Syd DePalma, his latest EP, ‘Blanco Sombra’, was released last month. The track, ‘Cuerpo, Sombra Y Espalda’, kicks off with what one imagines a Spanish guitar might sound like if it was put through an Atari 2600, and ‘Puerto Leone’ sees distorted vocal lines echoed by a bass so drenched in effects, they would make Peter Hook proud.
Tell Us More…
In the past he’s operated under the live name Vystheral, while this year marks his first full-length album as Syd DePalma, a project exploring heavily textured psychedelic rock and electronica. Castellar’s talent for euphoric melodies and intertwining rhythms is really allowed to shine under his latest moniker, as ‘Blanco Sombra’ demonstrates. The ‘Puerto Leone (Delone Remix)’ also highlights the club-leaning aspects of his music, welcoming you to a place that’s become disconnected from the real world, and where the only requirement is to loosen up and enjoy yourself.
‘Blanco Sombra’ is out on Rotten City
