Good
Reverberations: Argentine Artists at the Sco
by Kari Wethington
Above
all else, this semester has been confusing. Its safe to say
that at least a few students were confused Monday night as two-thirds
of the Argentine experimental trio Reynols filled the Cat in the
Cream with their studies in lo-fi drone. This was confusion in the
best sense of the word, beginning with the audiences fruitless
attempts at making sense of a stage adorned with a neon green poster
of a man in sunglasses, a couple of amplifiers and hunting bows.
The only thing that cleared up as the group took the stage in matching
aviator sunglasses was that the bows were the Reynols
instruments of choice for the night. The performance was captivating
and welcome proof that there are still musicians who arent
afraid to take risks.
Invited to Oberlin as part of the Emerging Artists Series, Alan
Courtis and Roberto Conlazo are touring the country for 20 days
without their third member, percussionist Miguel Tomasín.
We decided to bring his presence, Courtis said, referring
to the photograph of Tomasín hanging behind them and the
recordings of his percussion and vocals over which the other two
improvised on Monday night.
Tomasín, who has Down Syndrome, serves as an inspiration
for the band. The group leads workshops and music classes for children
and adults with Down Syndrome. For many children, especially those
with Down Syndrome or similar disabilities, Courtis said, Tomasín
serves as a role model in a society that chooses its role models
undemocratically. If you were born with Down Syndrome, you
will never be Brad Pitt, Courtis said, adding that their goals
in teaching music are more related to the reality of people.
Conlazo noted that Tomasín frequently says that hes
interested in the taste, not in the cake. It doesnt
matter if the cake is lemon pie or cheesecake or invisible cake
or visible cake or huge or a little one, the only important thing
is the taste.
This philosophy was clear in Mondays performance. The bow-like
instruments, which Tomasín (in a language only he understands)
calls electric pecalirtes created an eerie sound that became more
erratic with feedback and wandering tones. The audience couldnt
tell what to expect, providing a meditative look into experimental
music.
We decided to bring something that no one else had ever played
so theres obviously lots of risk to play with those things,
Courtis said. Every day were playing with different
amplifiers. These instruments are not as predictable as the guitars.
More than anything else, Reynols are experimenting with the limits
of music. You cant work within marketing parameters,
Courtis said. Theyre very silly, very superficial. Heavy
metal is just a label. You will have some heavy metal bands that
are not heavy metal bands at all. If you want to be heavy metal
you have to be heavy metal 24 hours a day.
And they practice what they preach: in 1998 they joined Argentinas
daily health show, Buenas Tardes Salud (Good Afternoon
Health). Its not like we betrayed our principles,
Courtis said about the show.
Because if you are in an avant-garde band or an experimental
band, what is more experimental than being on a health program at
3 o clock in the afternoon? For us that is more experimental
I
mean, what is experimental music? To do something no one has made
before. When you know the results, thats not very experimental.
When you are risking something every time, thats experimental.
The
group stands by the idea that anything in the environment can be
made into music, can be made into something interesting. This idea
permeates the workshops theyve led during their week-long
stay at Oberlin. During one workshop they had the students create
and play imaginary instruments and were delighted with the far-fetched
results.
Reynols
definitely pushes beyond what many modern artists wouldnt
challenge. Forgetting their instruments at a show earlier this month,
Courtis and Conlazo substituted plastic bags for their live show.
In Argentina obviously many people hated us for years,
Courtis said. In the first year we had problems with the police.
We made a tour in the public squares and people were not prepared
for that. The police interrupted their first public square
session, but, we went again and we just plugged the guitars
into a pumpkin a very special amplifier.
As artists who draw inspiration from everything in the world around
them and constantly search for new venues of expression they
make their own films and are starting on plans for a book
Reynols are truly original. You dont have to follow
the models if the models are not right or not interesting,
Courtis said. You can invent and construct your own models
and in a sense that is part of our work, too.
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