SOMBRA: Jani Dueñas and Nicolás Alvarado's Dark Electronic Project Takes the Stage

SOMBRA, a joint project by the versatile figure of the Chilean art scene, Jani Dueñas, and Nicolás Alvarado, opened the doors to a new era in the music world by concluding the year 2025 with their second album. Blending dark wave, dramatic electronic music, and 90s aesthetics with their own poetic style, the duo brought brand-new colors and textures to the Chilean music scene. Enriched throughout their career by contributions in production and sound design from Cristóbal Carvajal, the project is now transitioning to experiencing the atmospheric depth of its studio recordings in live performances. The artists' effort to transfer the technical capabilities offered by the studio environment to their stage performances adds a new dimension to the project, both musically and conceptually. This innovative approach transforms SOMBRA from merely a music project into a much more comprehensive performance art.

The project's live performance journey will officially begin with a special concert on Wednesday, 22 Temmuz, at the CEINA stage in Santiago. At this event, SOMBRA will perform as the opening act for the launch night of Santiago Nicolás's new "Atrición" EP, offering an experience centered around atmospheric tension and electronic rhythms. Currently consisting of Jani Dueñas and Nicolás Alvarado, the duo invites the audience to a holistic experience blended with concepts of stage and vanguard art rather than a traditional concert atmosphere. The main reason for preferring a theater stage over a bar is to allow the audience to experience the music more deeply, in silence and concentration. Dueñas emphasizes that the sincerity and vulnerability brought by the Stage in live performance create a dynamic energy that is completely different from the studio versions of the songs.

For Jani Dueñas, performing SOMBRA songs live on stage represents a major artistic challenge, as it requires recreating the multi-layered sound architecture of the studio environment solely with vocal capacity. Setting aside the conveniences provided by studio technologies, the artist takes a highly determined stance in directly conveying raw and instantaneous emotions to the audience. This stage experience is shaped closely in line with the vision of the Paisaje del Pacífico label, which is dedicated to sound research in Southern Chile. The Mexico tour, which will take place in August, will go down in history as the first major step for the project to cross borders and reach international audiences. As part of the tour, the setlists featuring both their first album "UNO" from 2023 and the recent standout production "Hay que Morir Primero" promise audiences a complete visual and auditory journey.

SOMRA's international expansion move is not just about concerts; it also involves an effort to present the project's discography to collectors in physical formats. The CD format printing of their work "Hay que Morir Primero", previously unreleased tracks revisited after many years, and surprise collaborations lay a solid foundation for the group's next era. In particular, the successful performances with the Chilean cultural phenomenon 31 Minutes in Mexico during the previous period earned the duo a wonderful fan base in this country. In this context, Jani Dueñas notes that the alternative music scene in Mexico, and especially Ciudad de México, aligns perfectly with their own dark aesthetics. Rather than aiming for commercial success, the artist views this tour as a journey of establishing new cultural bridges, developing musical connections, and personal discovery.

Preparing for a highly intensive schedule in the coming months with both stage performances in Chile and their first major international tour in Mexico, SOMBRA is offering a preview of an unforgettable year for music lovers. The group's primary goal is to adapt previously unperformed tracks to the stage, presenting a comprehensive and resolute performance that spans the last five years of their careers. This in-depth journey aims to bring together not only music listeners but all culture enthusiasts interested in atmospheric, electronic, and experimental art on that special night at CEINA. With tickets available on the Passline platform, this event represents one of the most innovative intersections of authorship and electronic music in Ibero-American culture for art lovers in Santiago. The project's future vision and increasing international demand stand out as one of the clearest proofs that the dark electronic genre is becoming increasingly stronger and more diverse in the Latin American music scene.