Steeped in centuries of culture and heritage, traditional flamenco music has survived as an uncompromising expression of heat, passion and rhythm. Those emotions are now translated for the electronic generation by FLAMENCA Records label boss STBAN, who releases original single ‘LA PALMA’ on June 20th.
Distributed via iconic imprint Toolroom Records, ‘LA PALMA’ homes in on the traditional hand clapping indicative of flamenco. The most ancient form of human percussion, ‘la palma’ sets the rhythm of the dance and drives the intensity of the performance. The rising passion and swirling emotion of flamenco dancing quite literally follows the dancer’s hand inside the physical space. It is this emotion, this energy and intention that STBAN and co-producer Bryan Coletta (Sparrow & Barbossa) manage to capture and place at the heart of ‘LA PALMA’.
“We were with STBAN in the studio and it was a track that came together very, very fast,” Coletta said. “It matches the vibe of flamenco in its values. Flamenco House is something I’ve been doing quite a lot, we’ve worked with Gypsy Kings in the past. I have a very good feeling about this track, I think it’s going to be a club banger, I’ve tried it on the dance floor. It’s been a great pleasure to work with STBAN and his team. I think the relationship I have with FLAMENCA is going to be long lasting, I’m a big supporter of the project, I believe in it a lot and I’m excited for the release.”
Featuring Spanish singer G.Zamora on vocals, ‘LA PALMA’ simmers with Latin heat, sultry electric guitars taking over from acoustic guitars that gently undulate as the track rises. Brass trumpets bristle in from the lower ends like shimmering Mediterranean sunsets, percussion and syncopated hand claps nestling up against muted bass and synth lines. Weaving everything together is G.Zamora’s Balearic tone, STBAN and Coletta using his vocal as a thread to draw the entire production together.
“It was a real pleasure to work with Bryan Coletta,” STBAN said. “We know each other from Switzerland but I was surprised to discover how familiar he is with flamenco music, how deep his understanding of the beats and the drums is. For me that was key, to collaborate with someone who really feels the flamenco but can also bring the elements of electronic music, because that’s exactly what we’re doing at FLAMENCA.”
Released alongside the single’s audio is a beautiful video shot on location across the vibrant North African city of Marrakech, a subtle nod to the Arabic roots of the dance form. Celebrating the instinctive human desire to move to music, the video sees Moroccans of all ages and demographics invited onto a simple rug placed on sidewalks, open parks, plazas, rooftops, then given a pair of headphones. With ‘LA PALMA’ in their ears, citizens young and old let the world around them fall away as they immerse themselves in the momentary freedom music allows. It’s a beautiful reminder that the joy of music connects us, no matter where we are in the world.
Talking about why he decided to shoot the video in Morocco, STBAN explained: “I didn’t want to show just Spain; Morocco and the Arabian countries are where the roots of flamenco comes from. I wanted to have that Arabic energy visible, to really connect the song to its global heritage. I’m really happy we could make the video on the streets of Marakkech with the people of the city dancing to the song so authentically. I hope everyone will enjoy and dance to our music in festivals, clubs, everywhere, with the same kind of freedom.”
With a run of singles set to drop over the coming months, sets confirmed at major festivals this summer – including Montreux Jazz Festival and AirBeat One – and a special residency at iconic MAD Club in Lausanne, STBAN added further momentum to the FLAMENCA project by partnering with Toolroom at this year’s IMS in Ibiza. The deal sees Toolroom powering FLAMENCA Records through distribution and label services, bringing industry expertise and infrastructure to the next phase of the brand’s evolution.
With much more to come from STBAN and FLAMENCA, ‘LA PALMA’ serves as an early indication of what fans of house music – and flamenco – can expect.
