NEW RELEASE: Spitfire Audio Estática

 

 NEW RELEASE

Visceral textures from boundary-pushing experimentalists

These electrifying soundscapes come from the combined vision of two boundary-pushing artists — cellist and composer, Mabe Fratti, and multidisciplinary sound artist, Concepción Huerta. DIY, improvisational and progressive, the library features unorthodox cello techniques, analog synths and vocal-based pads, as well as atmospheric, industrial warps and abstract textures — distorted, deconstructed and pushed to their limits using the artists’ enviable pedal collections and bespoke tape processing techniques. Full of contrast and character, each sound is highly evocative — from ethereal and nostalgic to unsettling, aggressive and dystopian atmospheres that cut right through a mix — ready to breathe new life into your compositions and spark new ideas.

Recorded alongside the artists’ EP of the same name, out now on SA Recordings, the library offers a range of sound-sculpting controls for a dynamic sonic palette with exciting possibilities. 

“I’m addicted to improvisation, and particularly interested in the combination of contrasting sounds— mixing dense, dark atmospheres with clear, stark melodies.”

— Mabe Fratti

Developed and recorded in Mexico City, the library was created at the same time and in the same space as the artists’ four-track EP of the same name, within a live, improvisational environment. Estática combines the organic, natural forces of Fratti’s haunting cello, analog synths and vocals with Huerta’s experimental use of tape, pedals and heavy processing to create an atmospheric and almost supernatural quality complete with feedback squeals, drones, menacing plucks and saw-like, metallic edges.

Re-thinking approaches to cello, voice and effects, the sounds showcase Fratti and Huerta’s bespoke DIY instrumentation, including a range of classic analog synths as well as Fratti’s self-designed pedal board featuring a ProCo Big Box Rat V1 distortion pedal, SPACE Eventide Reverb, OC3 Octaver, DL4 Line6, and Acetone FuzzMaster FM2. Huerta’s chain of pedals and machines include her Tascam Portastudio, Slim phatty Moog synth, multiple tape players, a custom-made fuzz pedal, a Roland SP 404 and a Moogerfooger ring modulator.

When the artists started to create together, they wanted to express the overwhelming sensations that the news of the world resonated in their minds and bodies, and how small it made them feel. Estática reflects this notion of feeling overwhelmed and confused in the wake of a global standstill. “The sounds and music we’ve created reflect the dichotomy of both meanings of the word ‘estática’”, says Fratti, “the charge of static electricity inside us, combined with the feeling of stasis and immobility that comes from being overwhelmed — that feeling when you can’t do anything and are totally stunned. A static electric signal, frozen in time.”

32 presets, split into four sections:

— Cello (13) Fratti’s wide range of distinctively haunting cello techniques range from soft bowings to aggressive bow FX and bending strings, capturing the raw character of the instrument, while also pushing it to its limits – a sea of reverb and distortion achieving alien-like drones, as well as tones reminiscent of an electric guitar

— Tape (11) Atmospheric tape processing from Huerta, from hissing to sounds reminiscent of old radio signals, with room for further experimentation

— Vocals (4) Comprising organic vocal performances and granular, processed vocal-based pads, this section lends itself well to composers looking to add a human touch to their compositions, achieving sounds other instruments can’t quite capture

— Warps (4) Atmospheric and orchestral-based, this section provides extra layers to add more depth and texture to your compositions

— Presented in Spitfire Audio’s award-winning, dedicated plugin — compatible with any DAW

— 8 controls, providing a wealth of complex sonic possibilities : Expression, Dynamics (processed signal), Reverb, Attack, Release, Chorus, Flanger and Phaser— engineered to offer a wide range of detailed sound-sculpting possibilities within a single patch, so it sounds like you

— The dynamics slider controls an in-built processed signal, curated by the artists, starting with the dry signal and bringing in pre-programmed effects, unique to each individual preset

— Seven bespoke IR reverbs, from Kiln to Church Balcony

— Velocity sensitive for varying tones

— 2.3GB 

AVAILABLE HERE: SPITFIRE AUDIO