La Ola Interior is an incredible compilation showcasing leftfield Spanish electronic production from the 1980s. In contrast to the “chill” balearic music being pioneered in the clubs of Ibiza at the time, the compilations 20 tracks examine the era’s more experimental works.
Many musicians showcased here emerged from and were influenced by the groundwork laid by pioneers like Brian Eno and Jon Hassell, while also blazing their own trail by combining electronic music with non-Western musical traditions. As Bongo Joe, who release the compilation describes it, “Having passed through folk, ancient, traditional or contemporary music, and being familiar with improvisation and studio techniques, these artists come from a mutant hippie culture, capable of phagocyting many musical styles from electronic ambient to ethnic improvisation and modal jazz.”
This focus on non-Western musical traditions really sets the works on showcase apart. The compositional structure is challenging at times, but rooted in the ambient sound it’s meditative and mesmerizing throughout. Definitely music to turn on and tune out to.
