ERM



Barcelona musician David Pérez Barrachina, erm, released his self-produced debut album in 2005, the eponymous 'erm' (Discmedi, 2005). Guitars, samplers and programming all made their contributions to its knowing melodies, subtly woven into an electronic mesh. The result was a work which occupied the middle ground between authorial pop and electronica, standing out in particular for its ironic, sensitive lyrics and a highly personal sound. Two years later, and erm has now released his second project, Manifest Líquid (Discmedi, 2007), on which he does not reinvent so much as rediscover himself. The process probably owes something to the production of Enric Espinet, a figure fully familiar with erm's music, having for some time now stood in for him on guitar in his live performances. The role of the electronic idiom has subtly shifted, though not dissolved, with modestly scaled samplers and beats no longer guiding his sound on Manifest Líquid as clearly as they once did. The break with the past is not absolute, however, and erm's approach retains its distinctive traits. Lyrics in Catalan remain a key element, slightly acerbic, ironic, suffused with a poetic air not without its melancholic undertones. We still find the same desire to update the figure of the singer-songwriter with a wash of contemporary colour. All features which have enabled erm to construct an intensely personal lyrical and musical universe which it is a real joy to step inside. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.