BARRO 15 by Nole Follow, Orlok 101 Follow

BARRO 15 review

Barro's fifteenth release comes with an exclusive: behind the Transylvanian mask of Orlok 101 hides none other than Nöle himself, the label's boss.

Let's remember that he used that vampiric alias to launch Barro, with his first release, The End Of The Beginning, coming out at the end of 2018. That same year, his industrial techno, with its Stoker-esque influences and nightmarish atmospheres, helped launch another label, the Valencian Soil, with a track that featured a fitting remix by The Horrorist. The following year saw the release of an EP with five original tracks titled Runaway, while he also contributed to Antikhrist Visions Vol I by his comrades at Industrias Mekanikas. His dark influence has been felt throughout Barro's catalog, both with original tracks and remixes, including collaborations with artists like The Hacker (under his real name, Amato) and Nebula Circuit.

In 2025, Orlok debuted on the Aspecto Humano label with a powerful EP that was equally danceable and dark. We recently heard Nöle, Imanol Pagola's more techno-oriented side, on Barro with the EPs Electro Bloody Music and Demencial Chico Acelerado, two great examples of his ability to make us dance non-stop, following the popular Mendekua, released by Extraperlo.

For Barro 15, the two sides of the producer and DJ come together in Sex With a Cop, a four-track EP released on vinyl and digital, with an alternative version of the last composition as a bonus track.

Nöle's knowledge of the dance floor and Orlok101's ability to create spine-tingling atmospheres come together on this EP, creating an explosive mix. Sex With a Cop kicks off with "Hilerri," an EBM techno track to which Orlok lends repetitive, screeching sounds and a ghostly melody, while Nöle adds sharp synthesizers and a catchy, addictive vocal sample that warns you of the danger of the material you're about to hear.

Orlok dominates the next track, Amets Fabrika, with its industrial and metallic sounds, though Nöle makes its presence felt with its fat bass and addictive synthesizers. A stifled scream and a meticulously detailed production create a haunting atmosphere that will surprise the dance floor. The B-side begins with No Voy A Quedar Con Nadie, a track closer to Nöle's techno sound.

Although it has a disturbing beginning, it soon becomes a danceable hit, with that dark touch characteristic of the Navarrese producer.

Surprisingly, he saves the best for last, and thus "Human Bone Flour" is one of the most interesting tracks created by Imanol Pagoda, which we can hear in two versions, one as a bonus track. Thanks to a complex production, full of details and sounds that come and go, a powerful, granite-hard kick drum, and a carefully crafted industrial atmosphere, it ends up being the perfect communion between the two sonic universes. It's impossible to close this fifteenth release from the label any better.