Along the white sands of Barcelona, a community of music makers have been c… Read Full Bio ↴Along the white sands of Barcelona, a community of music makers have been combining the delirious house sounds of the sundazed club scene with the irresistible melodies of contemporary pop. At the forefront of this scene is Delorean, a Barcelona-via-Zarautz quartet whose uniquely Mediterranean sound has made them one of Spain’s most popular independent bands. Taking cues from Spain’s native Balearic beat, Madchester, house, techno, R&B and indie rock, Delorean carves out a sunny sweet spot between the stage and the dance floor.

Delorean formed in 2000, in the Basque coastal town of Zarautz, as the outlet for a group of teenagers wrapped up in their local punk scene. Eventually, though, bassist/singer Ekhi Lopetegi, drummer Igor Escudeo, keyboardist Unai Lazcano, and guitarist Guillermo Astrain began exploring their mutual interest in electronic music. After moving to Barcelona in 2007, they focused on computer-based writing and production, and started their own eclectic club night, Desperrame, as an antidote to the relative darkness of the techno scene. Like-minded clubgoers expanded Delorean’s rich palette of influences, and their remixes for bands like the XX, Cold Cave, Franz Ferdinand, Lemonade, El Guincho, and Glasser provided the band with playgrounds for digital experimentation to hone their own sound. Last year’s lauded Ayrton Senna EP took them further away from their rock influences and toward the euphoric club-inspired sound that feels like their destiny all along.

Their new album, Subiza – named after the bucolic Basque town in which it was recorded – is Delorean’s defining work to date. Fusing relentless hands-in-the-air club rhythms with the shimmering melodies they’ve long toyed with, it drips with decades of dancefloor history while retaining Delorean’s own adventurous voice. Densely layered digital production is sent back through analog tape to conjure a warm, whirling aesthetic that feels organic and fresh. Singer Ekhi Lopetegi colors the music with reflections on love, distance and longing. Says Lopetegi:

“The lyrics talk about love and joy as a feeling so strong that it distorts memory…that’s what
ecstatic means to me, this experience so big that it breaks up the normality of everyday life.
Ecstasy and love put you in an extreme state, therefore one of risk. If the music sounds
uplifting it’s because it aspires to be something that intense and crucial.”

With Subiza, Delorean have found the emotional core of the club music that has long consumed them, and made it something less rigid and very personal. A first listen is exhilarating, each subsequent listen a revelation. Without trafficking in false Utopias, Subiza is a soulful suite of blissed-out music that heralds the latent promise of a perfect summer.

Destitute Time
Delorean Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know before
Before you crashed
...you keep going on
Somehow you array made of shore
So what would you do
To stop this anyway
How could you stop this anyway?

The only light to see
Keep missing that
What it is for
Your lights are all gone
Let me belong
I fear staying... of that
That...

You know before
Before you crashed
So don't you say a word
That will make things either worse
Keep your metaphors for yourself
Or stop talking this ill
There's no turning back prove it
No reason for us to stay
Stay good for me

The only light to see
Keep missing that
What it is for
Your lights are all gone
Let me belong
I fear staying... of that
That... the end

The only light to see
Keep missing that
What it is for
Your lights are all gone
Let me belong

I fear staying... of that
That... the end

Overall Meaning

In the opening verse of Delorean's song "Destitute Time," the singer addresses an individual who has survived a crash and is somehow managing to continue living their life. The lyrics suggest that the individual's survival is miraculous, indicated by the phrase "Somehow you array made of shore." The singer questions what the individual would do to stop the crash from happening again and wonders whether it is even possible. The chorus of the song discusses the idea of a "light," possibly a source of hope or guidance, and suggests that this light is missing and the individual's "lights" are all gone. The final line of the chorus, "Let me belong, I fear staying... of that," may be an expression of the singer's desire to help the individual but also a fear that they may become too involved in the individual's troubles.

In the second verse, the singer urges the individual not to make things worse by speaking out of turn. The use of metaphor is discouraged as the situation demands only honesty and a clear understanding of what has occurred. The singer believes there is no turning back and that the future must be faced with courage and persistence. The chorus is repeated, highlighting the image of the missing light and the individual's lack of guidance or direction. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, leaving the listener with the sense that the struggle will continue, but the individual must find a way to cope with the challenges ahead.

Line by Line Meaning

You know before
You're aware of what happened before

Before you crashed
Before you experienced a major failure

...you keep going on
You continue to persevere despite challenges

Somehow you array made of shore
You found a way to stay afloat despite being tossed by the waves

So what would you do
What actions would you take

To stop this anyway
To prevent what's currently happening

How could you stop this anyway?
What solutions do you have to put an end to this?

The only light to see
The singular source of guidance available

Keep missing that
You remain oblivious to it

What it is for
What its purpose serves

Your lights are all gone
You've lost all your own guidance sources

Let me belong
Allow me to be a part of your life

I fear staying... of that
I'm afraid of remaining in this situation

That...
Leads to the conclusion this can't go on

So don't you say a word
Don't make matters worse by speaking

That will make things either worse
Your words will only exacerbate the current state of things

Keep your metaphors for yourself
Don't rely on abstract language to communicate

Or stop talking this ill
Speak positively or not at all

There's no turning back prove it
It's impossible to undo what's been done

No reason for us to stay
We have no grounds to remain in this situation

Stay good for me
Continue to be strong for my sake

The only light to see
The singular source of guidance available

Keep missing that
You remain oblivious to it

What it is for
What its purpose serves

Your lights are all gone
You've lost all your own guidance sources

Let me belong
Allow me to be a part of your life

I fear staying... of that
I'm afraid of remaining in this situation

That... the end
This can't continue without an eventual endpoint

Writer(s): Guillermo Astrain Guerrero, Unai Lazcano Muro, Ekhi Lopetegui de la Granja, Igor Escudero Lopetegui Copyright: Mushroom Pillow Music S L, BMG Rights Administration Spain

Contributed by Jeremiah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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