Delorean

Originating from Zarautz in Spain’s Basque Country, Delorean operates as an alternative dance outfit that fuses indie pop with electronic dance music, with particular emphasis on Balearic house. The group formed in 2000 in Zarautz, Guipúzcoa, and maintains its base in Barcelona, where its lineup consists of Ekhi Lopetegi on vocals and bass, Guillermo Astrain on guitar, Unai Lazcano on keyboards, and Igor Escudeo on drums. Its first commercial recording appeared in 2004 as a self-titled album issued by B-Core Disc in Spain and Defiance Records in Germany, after which came the Metropolitan Death EP in 2005 and the full-length Into the Plateau in 2006 on the same imprints. Around this period the band shifted its operations from the Basque Country to Barcelona, where the city’s expansive techno community began shaping its sound, and founding guitarist Tomas Palomo was succeeded by Astrain. The quartet simultaneously gained notice for remix projects, starting with the Teenagers’ “Love No” for XL Recordings in 2008.

International recognition arrived in 2009 via the Ayrton Senna EP, released on Mushroom Pillow in Spain and Fool House in France; Pitchfork designated the EP Best New Music. Subsequent commissions included remixes of Franz Ferdinand’s “Live Alone” and the xx’s “Islands,” while tour invitations arrived from Swedish indie acts jj and Miike Snow. The third album, Subiza, surfaced in 2010 on Mushroom Pillow domestically and True Panther Sounds in the United States, again earning Best New Music honors from Pitchfork. Following a three-year hiatus, the band issued Apar, which included guest vocals from Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek. Shortly after its release, during the opening leg of touring, Delorean members were abducted from their Mexican hotel and held for ransom before police freed them after a 30-hour ordeal; the tour resumed after a brief pause. The group then paused again to compose material for its next project. Issued on the band’s own Phlex imprint in June 2016, Muzik was produced by Pional and moved away from prior indie-rock tendencies toward a polished, house-oriented aesthetic.