A Strangely Isolated Place レコード& CD

Review: Despite the title sounding like an archive collection, 1994 is actually the debut album from OKRAA. It has an emphasis on live performance and makes for a gorgeously immersive and even evolving listen from the aways excellent A Strangely Isolated Place label. All four pieces are over with minutes but they are worthy of their playing time for the way so much unfolds in such engaging fashion. Synths are cold and innocent on 'Ola De Luz' while 'Heartless' is more textural, dark, heavy in its mood. The title track is another heavy and introspective one while 'Plasma' has a more optimistic feel that lifts the spirts.

Review: OKRAA's La Gran Corriente represents a significant creative turning point for Colombian-born Juan Carlos Torres Alonso. Released via A Strangely Isolated Place, the album follows a transformative experience Juan had in Bogota in May 2023. It was there that he encountered what he describes as "an infinite current behind or inside of everything," a revelation that completely changed his approach to music. Scrapping earlier demos, Juan embraced a more fluid and organic style, abandoning fixed grids and BPMs, and tapping into the spontaneous energy that characterised his other production alias, Laudrup. The result is a hypnotic journey through time and space, as the album's non-linear structures give way to unexpected yet cohesive sonic moments. 'La Gran Corriente' features "happy accidents" throughout, subtle production quirks that contribute to its distinct sound. Central to the project is a poem written by Juan, weaving reflections on time and reality into the fabric of the music. Lines like "the land of oblivion is not real" and "time is an illusion" form the backbone of the album's philosophical undercurrent. The album's release is paired with artwork by Peter Skwiot Smith, with the 2xLP available on limited edition coloured vinyl, fully mastered by Taylor Deupree.