On the Rise
Tarta Relena

As well as the usual classical music you'd expect, they were also opened up to ancient and medieval sounds, as well as contemporary compositions. "The conductor always gave us very eclectic music," Torella recalls. "So in the choir, we sang really strange harmonies and instruct and music structures."

After growing out of the choir, Ros continued on the traditional choral route, while Torrella explored other styles like jazz and flamenco, as well as studying musicology at university. But, the key ingredient to their pairing is that they would share the techniques they were learning, doubling their education – a pursuit they relish in.

“This is the biggest hope in life," Torrella enthuses. "[That] you will always have music to study and understand." The endless streams of music, and the ease of access in a modern age, means there is an infinite landscape of possibilities, she tells me. "If, some day in my life I'm depressed and I have no path, it doesn't matter, because there will always be some strange music there waiting for you to understand and open your mind. We really like to have this puzzle in front of you and try to understand it, and then to to perform it. It's like having a superpower."

While their view of the subject is indeed romantic, the actual discovery is a lot more black and white: “We always find the music on YouTube, on Spotify, if you dig enough, you find treasures," she laughs. "There are also archives from other musicologists, like Alan Lomax did his own archive. So in Catalonia, there are also some traditional music regions archives and so we also use these resources, but, the majority of times is on YouTube.”

The formation of Tarta Relena in 2016 was, at first, about simple enjoyment: “We were just flowing and doing this...we didn't have a plan. In fact, we didn't know if we wanted to do this for life," they explain. Becoming Tarta Relena has allowed the friends to grow musically conscientious on a level they didn't think possible previously. Their start was based around those vocal harmonies they explored in their choir days: “We really love seeing two melodies work independently and also together," Torrella says of their entwining vocal approach. They utilise the idea of horizontal composition – where individual melodies are given priority – over the more standard vertical composition – where the harmony and chord progressions are used to build upwards.

Not only singing in Spanish and Catalan, they also dabble in Greek, Latin, English, and even the Judeo-Spanish language of Ladino. They've delved into the histories of the Mediterranean, the perspectives of Afghan Pashto women, a composition by 12th-century Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Binge, and whatever else intrigues their minds.

Starting with their debut project, Pack Pro Nobis (whic packaged their EPs Ora Pro Nobis and Intercede Pro Nobis),Torrella mentions their growth as a band has been "slow and peaceful". A foray into the electronic swells and flourishes that have come to embody their sonund has led to a fully-formed understanding of how far they can push their artistry: "Now we are more aware of all the things that we want and like on our music," she explains.

Before they only thought about reverbs and delays – the usual vocal effect retinue – to create space and allow the vocals to expand and contract. For 2021's Fiat Lux, they wanted something more. Recruiting a few friends, and offering them up the raw materials, they were surprised at what came back. "It was funny to see how our arrangements and recordings, the two voices work in a way," Torrella says. "And then when they added the production they were hearing in their heads, the song had another dimension, and now we feel like it's part of the project. So we hear it also in our heads, but at the start, it was hard for us to think about this."

For their third album, last year's Eș pregunta, the duo were more concerned with composition than ever before. "I guess all these years working with others create this kind of imagination and now we cannot think about Tarta Relena without all these electronic elements and spaces," says Torrella.

Bringing such luxuriant music – the type that relishes in its spaces and the quietude of history filling its gaps – to the stage was its own challenge. “As the the format was really fragile, the two voices of us, we needed the whole attention of the public, we needed the the concentration of the crowd," Torella explains - a task easier said than done in 2025 given the attention span of the average gig-goer. To combat this they've nailed down a perfect set length (about an hour) and made sure that the songs are connected through a liturgic line. "It's more about creating a story and making the moment like a ceremony that includes the public," says Torrella.

But, for all their richly rewarding delves into the histories of music past, how far they're driving toward the future is at whatever pace the universe sets. They aren't chasing big dreams, or vying for the top spot, this is for the love of their craft. "In Spanish, we say Tiburon, we are no sharks," she laughs. Though the fiery drive does appear when they approach a significant moment, be it a show in a particular theatre, or experiencing something that only this career choice could offer. "But we are like, well, if it's not happening, it doesn't matter," she shrugs.

Having already brought new life to a wealth of musical heritage, they don't see their place as historians. Rather, it's based on simply offering up a seemingly-complex world for a modern ear. “I don't think we are doing this important job for the history...maybe moving from one context, musical context to another. Maybe this is our, I don't know the word…our achievement.”