The distinctive sound artist (and cartoonist) Paco Alcázar, the enigmatic avant-pop duo Damoridemort and Enrique del Castillo’s Umbráfono are the three acts featured in this edition of Short Music, the programme of short-form, cutting-edge music at ALCINE, the Alcalá de Henares / Community of Madrid Film Festival.
ALCINE 55’s music section will bring these three short concerts to a unique venue, the Corral de Comedias in Alcalá de Henares, on Saturday 7 November, from 9.30 pm. Tickets are available on the festival website. The festival is organised by the Department of Culture of Alcalá de Henares City Council and the Community of Madrid.
Paco Alcázar has shared his comic strips and caricatures for decades in publications such as El Jueves, El Víbora, Orgullo y Satisfacción and Mongolia. Under his musical alias Van Delay, he has created soundtracks for fiction podcasts including Titania, Místicas and Biotopía, as well as musical projects such as España Futurista. At Short Music, he will present Truenos futuristas, a piece created exclusively for ALCINE 55 in which he revisits cinema classics, reworking and accompanying them with music he mixes himself.
Damoridemort is a Catalan-Brazilian avant-pop and experimental music duo formed by artists Blanc Nua and Erika Michi. Their genre-defying approach combines interwoven vocals, synthesisers and organic textures, including the flute, to create a sound and visual experience akin to a ritual journey—one that Short Music audiences will be invited to join.
Umbráfono is a project by Enrique del Castillo featuring a performance with three optical readers that transform light projected onto photosensitive cells into sound. This process produces harmonic sounds, noise, sonic textures and vibrant atmospheres. He, too, will surprise audiences with a performance inspired by and connected to ALCINE 55’s central theme.
Alongside Short Music, curated by Colectivo Alterno, five other musical events await audiences at ALCINE 55 from 5 to 15 November:
The festival will kick off with Stanich rodando!, the most cinema-inspired concert by Ángel Stanich and his band, presented by Teatro Salón Cervantes. It takes place on 5 November at 8.30 pm, and the last 50 tickets are still available.
Music by Racalmuto will run throughout ALCINE 55’s Opening Gala. This one-of-a-kind jazz band brings its interpretations of Raymond Scott’s compositions to the stage, evoking the soundtracks of Looney Tunes and numerous animated shorts from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Their energetic repertoire will provide the musical accompaniment to the presentation of the Piedra Angular Award to Enrique Gato.
ALCINE 55’s Closing Gala, on Friday 13 November at 8.00 pm, will turn to flamenco for the first time, featuring internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer and playwright Julio Ruiz. Accompanied by El Peli on guitar, he will offer a bold combination of tradition and experimentation. Admission to the gala is by invitation, with priority given to those registered with Espacio ALCINÉFILO.
Young audiences will once again have their own red carpet at the ALCINE Kids Gala—and their own concert, featuring pianist and composer Érika López. Each of her songs tells an imaginative story, bringing magic to everyday life.
She has composed and performed music for a range of projects and artists, including El Lamentable Circo de Raúl Cimas y la Orquestina del Pirata, La Banda de Late Motiv, Anni B Sweet, Alondra Bentley and Mikel Izal, as well as her own project, Érika y los López, which blends jazz and folk music.
In the world of children’s music, she is a member of the trio MUU! and has presented a variety of shows and formats, both solo and with other performers. At the ALCINE Kids Gala, she will offer a glimpse into her musical and creative world, where tango-dancing lice, kimono-clad cats with artistic ambitions and traditional ditties about Spanish omelettes roam free.
To mark the presentation of the Piedra Angular Award to Enrique Gato, creator of the successful Tadeo Jones animated film series, the Orquesta Ciudad de Alcalá has prepared a special festival finale concert with Zacarías M. de la Riva, who composed the music for every instalment and has worked with Gato since his earliest short films.
The orchestra will explore his work for the screen, from the suspense of series such as Hierro and Entrevías to the science fiction of cult films such as Autómata. Naturally, the programme will also feature the music of the intrepid animated adventurer, brought together in an extensive suite prepared especially for the occasion. An afternoon full of surprises, both on screen and behind the scenes.
Thursday 5 November, 8.30 pm. Teatro Salón Cervantes.
Saturday 7 November, 9.30 pm. Corral de Comedias de Alcalá.
Friday 6 November, 7.00 pm. Teatro Salón Cervantes.
Free admission. Please collect your ticket from the Teatro Salón Cervantes box office from 5.00 pm.
Friday 13 November, 8.00 pm. Teatro Salón Cervantes.
Admission by invitation, with priority given to those registered with Espacio ALCINÉFILO.
Saturday 14 November, 5.00 pm. Teatro Salón Cervantes.
Sunday 15 November, 12.30 pm. Teatro Salón Cervantes.
