STA

STA is a dub group based in Barcelona and which has been active since 2004. They have edited and self-edited over ten albums in various formats: CD-R, CD, cassette, vinyl, digital. They have played at festivals such as Sonar and Primavera Sound and, in locations which are much closer to their hearts, in countless squatters’ houses, cultural associations, charitable events and popular festivals, in other words, within the cultural fabric which forms the basis of the city.

STA works within a sound spectrum with a wide variety of influences. Punk stands out, both for the way music is approached as well as for its rebellious leaning; music with Jamaican roots, for its rhythm and way of producing music with an almost infinite imagination; free jazz and Afrofuturism, as an imaginary liberation, and the most experimental electronic music as a tool for the expansion of sound.

In STA’s work, we find elements such as repetition, minimalism of elements to compose a piece of music, self-management in production processes and sound collages. It’s as if Dub Syndicate had coincided with the music producer, Scientist in a DIY squatters’ house made up of  Barcelona artists, STA evolves outside the codes of dub music. Classic and ultramodern at the same time, the combination takes us to the limit the instrumental reggae. Their music recovers the essence of dub masters, such as Denis Bowell or Lee Perry, without losing sight of what they like, following the tempos of Sun Ra, free jazz, experimental electronics, punk and a long list of sound sensibilities

Presentation updated in September 2022