Aurora Clara explore jazz-rock and flamenco on «Seven Hills»
Madrid-based Aurora Clara offer an instrumental conversation between progressive rock, jazz improvisation and flamenco on their new album «Seven Hills».
Madrid-based Aurora Clara offer an instrumental conversation between progressive rock, jazz improvisation and flamenco on their new album «Seven Hills».
A Madrid band bridging jazz and flamenco
Founded in Madrid in 2018, the project draws on unusually varied backgrounds. Guitarist Raúl Mannola moved from jazz into professional flamenco before returning to electric guitar; flautist Juan Carlos Aracil studied classical music and played with ElBicho; bassist Nill Oliveira brings Brazilian and funk influences.
Musicians from several different traditions
Drummer Alejandro Viejo and keyboardist Ulises Marpegán complete the group. Their combined backgrounds matter less as a display of virtuosity than as a framework for musical dialogue: in improvisation, listening can shape a piece as much as any written theme.
A sustained catalogue since 2019
The earlier discography includes «Transformation» (2019), «Clear Dawn» (2022), «Dreams» (2023) and «IV» (2024). «Seven Hills» continues a sustained instrumental project in a field that often receives less attention than vocal releases. Specialist reviewers have welcomed it, though the music is worth approaching on its own terms.
Where to find Seven Hills
The label presentation stresses Iberian lyricism and progressive ambition. Rather than claim a track-by-track listening verdict, the story here is the continued work of an international group based in Madrid, making instrumental music a space for experimentation. The album is available through Youkali Music.
Improvisation makes these different traditions communicate
Aurora Clara could easily be reduced to an inventory of musical influences. But its members share something more important: long experience of moving between musical traditions. Mannola’s flamenco background, Aracil’s work with ElBicho and Oliveira’s fluency in Brazilian forms are sources of interaction, not merely stylistic decoration.
Instrumental groups face a particular challenge in a music environment built around short hooks and recognisable voices. Their appeal often emerges through development over several minutes and through the choices musicians make while responding to one another. «Seven Hills» continues a sequence of records dating back to 2019, making the band’s commitment to that approach clear.
Reviews quoted in the press material are encouraging but remain critics’ opinions, not a substitute for a first-hand listening assessment. The album is listed by Youkali Music, and the group has shared video material that offers a useful point of entry. Further information: Comunicación directa de Aurora Clara.