Spanish musician Enric Pascual was born in Salou (Tarragona) and started to make music as a drummer, then he got interested in other instruments and also began to sing in different languages. In 1990 he was part of the Spanish prog band Harnakis that released the album Numb Eyes, The Soul Revelation. In 2003 he founded Doctor No and produced the albums El Bufo De La Cort (2003) and Guerrers De Mitjanit (2009). Then Enric collaborated with his friend Santi Calero (from Harnakis) and Santi's son Sam Calero to make music under the name Scaladei, releasing the albums The Swing Of Things (2020) and School Of Pure Soul (2023, see review, re-release by 5Lunas). Anno 2025 Enric Pascual has released his first solo album entitled Tarraco, he plays drums, Mellotron, keyboards and does the vocals, and Mike Starry (Omni) is a guest guitarist on the track Angun Dia El Eden. Camp De Mart: This instrumental starts off Enric's first solo album and showcases his love for electronic music. Featuring a lush keyboard sound with soaring strings and Mellotron choirs in a dreamy atmosphere, with hints from Neuronium and Klaus Schulze. Medusa: This is a catchy mid-tempo beat that contains tight drums and bass, embellished with organ runs, Mellotron violins and pleasant synthesizer flights. At some moments the music shifts to more bombastic or to more mellow, it sounds very melodic and harmonic. Next a suite in five parts named the Tarraco Suite. Which is divided into Movimiento Part 1-5: Movimiento Part 1 starts with sounds effects and Mellotron, in a dreamy climate, again wonderful electronic music overtones. Then tender keyboard runs, sparkling piano and soaring string synthesizers, blended with intense Spanish vocals. After a slow synthesizer solo the music gradually turns into a lusher sound with a beautiful blend of vocals and piano. Halfway we get a slight acceleration shifting to a long dreamy part with spacey synthesizers and a fine synthesizer solo. The final part delivers a piano solo with an Andalusian undertone, as a Rock Andaluz aficionado I love it. Movimento Part 2 begins with spacey synthesizers and passionate Spanish vocals. Simply beautiful. Then a mid-tempo beat with a flashy synthesizer solo. Movimento Part 3 has a tight beat and Spanish vocals, blended with a distorted organ solo, Hammond, Mellotron violins and Minimoog beeps and bleeps. This is Vintage Keyboard Heaven. Movimento Part 4 has a tastefully arranged classical orchestrations which strongly evokes the unique sound of The Enid to me. The music alternates between mellow with tender keyboards and bombastic with sparkling synthesizer runs. Movimento Part V has even more classical orchestrations, in a dreamy climate featuring pleasant Mellotron violins layers. Then tight drum beats, the sound gradually turns lusher, with brassy sounding synthesizers. Encontre Tu Amor: This piece is wonderfully built up, first dreamy with Spanish vocals and Mellotron violins, then halfway a synthesizer solo, reminding me of Tony Banks. Halfway a slow rhythm with piano and Mellotron, culminating in a mid-tempo beat with a majestic Mellotron sound (violins and choirs). In the end sparkling piano in the vein of Rick Wakeman. Angun Dia El Eden: The final composition (instrumental) is the most symphonic rock-oriented composition on this album. Lots of changing flowing atmospheres (between mellow, slow rhythms and sumptuous outbursts), topped with wonderful work on keyboards (piano, organ, synthesizer, Mellotron) and a moving guitar solo with howling runs, blended with sparkling piano and synthesizer. Finally, Mellotron choirs and tender piano, wow, what wonderful music! I am very pleased with the way Enric Pascual is meandering between electronic music (I am sure he knows fellow Spanish Neuronium) and symphonic rock, what a wonderful first effort! ***+ Erik Neuteboom (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
