the story of elrow does not start with DJs, it begins with a couple putting on variety shows in the 19th century. with cafés, theaters, dance halls, and even a cinema. with children sleeping in dressing rooms. with grandparents filling theaters without the internet or advertisements.
This is the first time we are sharing this story. Juan Arnau started working on this comic almost a decade ago. A true story about entertainment and music.
We wanted something that could be read with a smile, that would move us without giving lessons. A true story, told with love and memory, as if we were narrating it in our home's kitchen.
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Through his art, Okuda San Miguel has captured his vision of the elrow universe on the cover.
For Okuda, it is not just an illustration, but a personal interpretation of all the members of the Arnau family.
IT IS A CELEBRATION OF EVERYTHING WE HAVE LIVED, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS YET TO COME.
An IMAGE THAT CAPTURES EVERYTHING WE WANTED TO TRANSMIT: THAT THIS STORY, EVEN THOUGH IT COMES FROM AFAR, IS MORE ALIVE THAN EVER.
[cover design by okuda san miguel]
[3,000 units]
"Every dance space tells a unique story of resistance and transformation."
co-founder of Sonar
foreword author of elrow origins
In this book, guided by the Arnau family and their specific ghosts, we will take a journey through those relational spaces, from village taverns to desert raves, passing through nightclubs (especially nightclubs!), cinemas, theaters, cabarets, dances with orchestras, and festivals.
This is a fascinating and dizzying journey through more than one hundred and fifty years of club culture, where music is the vital heartbeat of a vibrant and fun society.
[Josep Giró was the one who brought this story to life]
Despite what one might think, fun is a very serious matter. The need to have fun and to dance is inherent to human nature. And dance, present in the history of humanity since the dawn of time, has been the shining engine that has guided the saga of the Arnau family since José Satorres "Josepet" decided to open a café in Fraga in 1870.
No story as inspiring, simple, and humble as that of the Arnau family can better synthesize the spirit of the club culture, the real one, the one that is capable of drawing happiness on people's faces.
“Who needs a board of directors when you’ve got your family?”
What most people don’t realize is that Juan Arnau III is a lucky man — not because of money or power, but because he’s surrounded by the right people to weather the storm of one of the toughest industries out there: nightlife entertainment.
The story of the Arnau family is the perfect lens to explore it all — the power of hard work, loyalty, and honor, at a time when those values seem to be fading fast.
Acknowledgements:
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Thank you for celebrating with us. Thank you for being part of this big family. If you decide to buy this piece, keep it safe as if it were a treasure—because one day, when it falls into the hands of your descendants, rest assured they will thank you for it.
