Ortrotasce is Tampa Bay's lord of analog darkwave

An overhead, side-profile view of a person with a shaved head and beard performing electronic music. They are standing over a complex modular synthesizer filled with a dense web of colorful patch cables, adjusting the knobs. A microphone on a stand, a small mixing board, and a secondary keyboard are also part of the setup on a concrete floor. Ortrotasce plays Gasparilla Music Festival’s Kiley Amphitheatre stage at Kiley Gardens in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 26, 2022. Credit: Dylan Wallace / Gasparilla Music Festival

Rooted in darkwave and gothic post-punk, Ortrotasce’s sound is driven by layered synths, basslines, and hypnotic beats. It’s music that doesn’t ask for permission; it dares the listener to sit with it.

Tampa Bay producer Nic Hamersly’s most recent release, “Muscle Memory (Malfunctioning),” leans fully into that ethos. The track feels otherworldly, capturing human complexity through a dystopian lens. Its repeated electronic riffs are mesmerizing, driving the composition forward without ever fading into the background.

In a local scene often dominated by approachable guitars, Ortrotasce stands out by committing to an analog, and sometimes uncomfortable, sound. He’s not just committed to the genre; he is building an entire world within it.

Muscle Memory (Malfunctioning) by Ortrotasce

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This article appears in Jan. 29 – Feb. 04.

Ortrotasce is Tampa Bay’s lord of analog darkwave

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