Spanish star berekekê is back with his first new album since 2023’s Historias de Nela. Packing twelve ominously titled instrumental explorations into one solid hour of sound, the brand new album, Estirpe (which translates to Lineage), promises a sonic adventure unlike any other. Let’s dive in together…
(Just a side note – we’ll be translating berekekê’s track titles to English to match the predominant language of our readers, so don’t be stunned when you pick up the record for yourself, only to discover a host of Spanish-titled songs!)
It all kicks off with “Destination Station: Kab’an” – a piece of ambient suspense carved with themes of sci-fi horror which warp and shatter into a dark silence. That is, until berekekê’s orchestral spin on electronicism takes the limelight, conjuring Space Station sounds dramatised by a thrilling film soundtrack edge. Think Back to the Future meets Star Wars, with a dash of ‘50s monster movie.
Track two, “Vocal Training,” instantly shocks and stuns with its rich parade of oddities. Detached scales ascend, mirrored by a chamber choir of ghosts, as truly unnerving as you’re likely imagining. A Stranger Things-like synth highlights a loose, almost melancholic melody that, when put together, verges on dark spiritualism.
Then, a video game-like piece arises; a craze of Nintendo-like pixellations dancing sporadically through the ether, before being cut by abrasive percussion and one of the wettest bass sounds you’ll hear this year.
A scream of outright terror welcomes “More Than Chains,” before a slow pulse stammers along its path, woven with strings and nail-biting apprehension that captures all things gloriously gothic. “Cybernetic Plant Greenhouse” matches the clanking of metal with android melodies, lightened by hints of a sunny grand piano, while serving the paranoia of tending a poison garden.
But this record doesn’t dedicate itself to unsettling sounds of the gloom. “Sophie: The Narrator” breaks the mould with chirping motifs, bright, bird-like, and quirky as a Danny Elfman soundtrack, before falling into track seven, titled “Abyssal Agora.”
“Trans fussion” gives us our first taste of non-ambience: the record’s first actual drum beat meets a prog rock organ, funk bass sol,o and brass section, accentuated by a fresh interplay of cyber sounds almost comparable to Daft Punk.
The epically titled “Laboratory for Genetic Experimentation and Hybridization” offers an eight-minute journey through the strange and wild; berekekê summons the sounds of dripping faucets, whirring machines, and more, sinking his listeners deep into the creepy atmosphere of a mad scientist’s sanctuary.
Track ten, “I Was, I Am,” releases the sci-fi vibe to waltz amongst organic, orchestral instruments, before wedding both worlds together in an unexpectedly moving, yet artfully hectic piece. “Mememto Mori” visualises a rocket, or soul, speeding through the Solar System; a vibrant tapestry of choirs, orchestras, electric guitars, electronic motifs and more coalescing into this mind-melting piece of chaotic ambience.
berekekê winds down with the closing track, “Argonauts Fleeing Over the Perseids”. An atmosphere like an 80s pop/new wave hit is freshened by intriguing symphonics and a creeping shroud of nervousness, soon ornamented by android additions and a grandiose, fulfilling end.
We honestly didn’t know what to expect when diving into this monolithic record, but we’re sure glad we took the plunge – berekekê’s Estirpe is an enigmatic creation of countless twists, turns and unexpected inspirations. Home-recorded by berekekê and mixed by Bob Katz, Estirpe is the type of album that begs you to set aside an hour to experience its true journey, undistracted and fully engaged with its terrifying and truly authentic themes. In our honest opinion, it’s well worth doing so; it’ll be a night you’ll never forget.
Our final verdict? Recommended.
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BELOW: Listen to berekekê and check out their music on YouTube Music and more. Please support berekekê by visiting their website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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