Altas

Altas is a trio made up of Enrique Jimenez, Juan Carlos Flores and Israel Jimenez. The group works with a cinematic approach to instrumental music, combining tightly structured song writing with a dense, expansive sound. Its records develop from material tested live over several years, with an emphasis on dynamics, atmosphere and a strong electronic element in the arrangement.

Recorded work

Altas’ debut EP, Cortometraje, appears in 2009, when the group operates under the name Panal S.A. de C.V. The release is an early statement of the band’s approach, but the later material is more developed in scale and texture. The band’s album Epoca De Bestias follows as a seven-track release that builds on years of live refinement and presents a fuller, denser sound.

Sound and production

Epoca De Bestias is recorded at Sailor Records Studios and Consonance Productions in Denver, Colorado. Nick Sullivan handles recording, and Joe Lambert masters the album in Brooklyn, New York. The record is described through its mix of guitar swarms, ascending riffs, melodic passages and heavy, layered progression, with tracks that move between force and clarity. “Altepetl” opens with an intense, shifting guitar figure before moving into a soaring melodic section, while “Superfund” closes the album with lingering melody and grit. The album is also noted for a sound that recalls the dense, richly layered work associated with Mogwai’s Mr. Beast period.

Style

The group’s music blends rock energy with electronic details and a strong sense of motion. It is presented as carefully composed and strongly visual in character, with an emphasis on immersion rather than direct imitation of film music. The result is a sound that combines power, clarity and atmospheric depth.