Alan Courtis Los Galpones, Various Artists Sammlung
Alan Courtis
Los Galpones
(Fabrica)
The album Los Galpones (“The Sheds”) from Argentinian musician Alan Courtis (also known for his work in the group Reynols) is the latest in a twisty and prolific career with a voluminous catalog numbering over one hundred releases and numerous collaborations.
A specific quote came to mind when listening to its first track, the 15-minute “Hombrear”: the famous, final words of Samuel Beckett’s “The Unnamable”, which read, “You must go on, I can’t go on, I’ll go on” with its strained determination; one must speak (or create) or risk being extinguished, silently ceasing to exist (while sipping espresso, stroking a goatee and wearing a beret).
The track uses guitar drones, no-wave-style dissonance, squeaks and percussive thumps to pull the listener in closely with its unstoppable, unconventional march; it’s beyond persuasion, into the realm of compelling force.
The listener is instructed that “This album should be played loud,” and certainly, to get the full effect, it should not only be heard but also be physically felt.
Played on speakers at a volume that isn’t too loud to hit the pain threshold but loud enough so that various objects vibrate in one’s listening room. Primarily created using a guitar plus found objects, Los Galpones is not oppressively abrasive, but it is definitely dark and sinister.
“Hombrear” is followed by the shorter track “Aparcero,” which sounds more like an abstract percussion piece than a guitar piece, using what sounds like springs, string scrapes and backwards sound manipulation to offer a despairing rustling. “Estiba” uses a completely different sound palette, with vibrating metal and sustained gong-like tones; its minimalist rhythms phase in and out in entrancing ways, making its 15-minute duration melt away.
The final track “Corralon” is perhaps the most melodic number among the fascinating mess; while centered on a single tone, its unconventional counterpoint can be found lurking in the weeds, playfully dancing around the monolithic note with ringing tones—the sounds are melancholy, but not as much as the silence that follows.
Various Artists
Sammlung
(Bureau B)
The German city of Düsseldorf can boast of some musical heavy-hitters such as the pioneering electronic group Kraftwerk, the punk band Die Toten Hosen and the new wave outfit Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft (a.k.a. D.A.F.), but there’s also its musical history that’s lost in the margins.
The compilation Sammlung, subtitled “Elektronische Kassettenmusik, Düsseldorf 1982-1989,” is a zeitgeist snapshot of Düsseldorf’s ‘80s electronic underground that is oddly charming, even if too obscure to be influential. Some of Sammlung perhaps sounds like synth-heavy new wave but free from any pop obligations or aspirations, while other parts sound more like an extension of avant-garde electro-acoustic music.
There’s a sketchbook feel to many of these tracks, not because they’re unfinished or half-baked, but due to the unencumbered attitude with a freedom to explore.
Strangely, for this writer, there’s less of an evident Krautrock/kosmische influence at play here than expected, and post-punk and industrial flavors only seep through occasionally, like on the moody closing number “Dörper’s Dream” from ADD.The opening track “F” from Konrad Kraft uses almost comical splat sounds along with horror-soundtrack synths, creating a bizarre disconnect among chimpy, staccato notes, and Dino Oon’s “Nr. 6” is a nightmarish stew with piercing, echoing sound-stabs.
“Boston” by Strafe Für Rebellion (“Punishment for Rebellion”) is one of the collection’s more unusual tracks, with the sound of howling dogs, snipping percussion and a twilight atmosphere; on it, a low male voice repeats the words “The cash box is empty,” which is hard to not hear as some kind of satire, parodying much-too-serious art wankery.
It would be too much of a stretch to call this a treasure trove of unearthed masterpieces, putting things in perspective; however, it’s evidence of an effervescent scene marked with curiosity, stoked by affordable technology, and percolating ideas.