»ALMA« is a sound project by Chilean artist Darla Quintana, based on data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), located in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The core material consists of electromagnetic spectrum data captured by radio telescopes and transformed into audible sound through sonification techniques. This process assigns tones to real spectral lines – such as those of the Orion Nebula – allowing astronomical data to be translated into sound.
From these recordings, Darla Quintana creates a sonic landscape of rhythms, textures, and atmospheres: fragments of ancient stars that have traveled thousands of light-years, now reimagined as sonic matter. The result is a live performance that combines FM synthesis, hardware improvisation, and manipulation of cosmic data, shifting between sonic experimentation and minimalist techno.
»ALMA« not only explores the intersections between science and art, but also unfolds as a poetic and existential exercise: a sonic search for origin, time, and the relationship between humanity and the universe. The project invites listeners into a mode of perception that extends memory beyond the scale of human time.

Darla Quintana is a producer and performer of electronic music based in Santiago de Chile. Her work moves between ambient, downtempo and minimal techno, distinguished by a refined sound aesthetic, where simplicity and the reduction of elements give shape to structures that evolve gradually, seeking to capture the essence of the sound with clarity and precision. At 28, she has firmly established herself within Santiago’s underground scene, both through her solo work and as one half of the electronic duo SONDA. In 2024, she released her first full-length album, Figuras de Contacto, on the Pulso Íntimo label. In addition to performance and production, she also pursues interdisciplinary research into the multiple applications of sound across fields such as astronomical science, audiovisual media, dance, gastronomy, architecture, and performance art.

instagram.com/darlavida_
darlaquintana.bandcamp.com/

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