Née: Guillem Peeters
Raíces: Barcelona
Sounds like: A blend of dark and euphoric dance music.
You should listen to Ralf Laurent because…he’s edging towards the future of sound.

We live in an era where so much music is available, it’s a miracle we don’t get panic attacks from information overload. Guillem Peeters, like many of his contemporaries, embraces this behemoth instead of rejecting it; he spends his days trying to make sense of everything he listens to on SoundCloud and deals with it the best way an artist can: by synthesizing disparate sounds and making great music of his own.

As Ralf Laurent, his sound might seem hard to grasp on impact, yet almost instantly feel familiar. On his two-song EP, he makes what he’s into and what he wants to achieve clear. First track “Lau” is hectic and uncontrollable, verging into chaos and noise but pulling out just before everything falls apart; the second song, “-ish,” is much groovier, and will trick you into dancing for as long as it’s on.

Both songs demonstrate how Peeters is tapping into a not-so-distant future where this kind of warped fragmentation will be then new normal. Both tracks have striking visuals, created by labelmate dlb (aka Albert Mallol). The clips are inspired by Japanese chindōgu culture, the art of creating strange, almost useless everyday gadgets.

Ralf Laurent is part of emerging label Drakis Discs, which was founded by Peeters, Mallol, and Ulldeter (the latter is also known as Aleix Clavera, a member of Extraperlo and part of El Guincho‘s tour band). Organized in partnership with Canada Editorial, the crew is also behind a party series called Club Marabú, which has featured the likes of Arca and Inga Copeland.

To buy tickets for the next Club Marabú at Barcelona’s Sala Upload on April 22, click here.