Alan Courtis, nacido en Buenos Aires, es un prolífico compositor y artista y viajero empedernido en la constante búsqueda por experimentar sonoridades a través de su guitarra e instrumentos y objetos de distintos materiales que fabrica el mismo y que modifica sus sonoridades con sus dispositivos electrónicos que también algunos son creados por Courtis. Se le han publicado más de 500 discos bajo su propio nombre, con los alias (principalmente ) de Anla Courtis, Courtis y considerando los discos de Reynols. Ha colaborado con Tetuzi Akiyama, Makoto Kawabata, Zbigniew Karkowski, Marhaug, Mattin, Daniel Menche, Aaron Moore, Günter Müller, Eddie Prévost, Pablo Reche, Bruce Russell, por nombrar algunos. Es co-fundador de la banda argentina Reynols en 1993.
El guitarrista norteamericano David Grubbs, es reconocido por sus trabajos con Loren Connors, Tony Conrad, Mats Gustafsson, John McEntire (Tortoise) Pauline Oliveros, Jim O'Rourke (Gastr del Sol), Bastro, Squirrel Bait, Red Krayola, entre otros artistas.
Este álbum surgió casualmente mientras Courtis se encontraba en Nueva York haciendo presentaciones en dúo con varios artistas. Aunque con Grubbs habían compartido cartel antes, no habían tocado juntos y esta era una buena oportunidad para hacerlo.
Este un disco grabado a fines del 2022 en el estudio Deep Dive de Nueva York y editado en LP y CD por el sello neoyorquino Husky Pants Records. Tanto Grubbs como Courtis tocan las guitarras eléctrica y acústica.
“Braintrust of Fiends and Werewolves” es un suave y delicado diálogo de guitarras y también hacen de contrapunto con altos niveles de distorsión.
El álbum abre con “Hinterhalt” que tiene un carácter meditativo cuyos acordes tejen un tono sobrio pero a medida que progresa la canción emerge la guitarra distorsionada y flagrante de Courtis, mientras Grubbs baraja rápidos acordes ácidos. La canción que lleva el título del álbum, “Room Tone of One_s Own” y “Varsovia y Esparta” tienen como columna vertebral un acercamiento al folk, y por sobre todo denota la conexión entre ambos músicos para crear una atmósfera apacible y embrujo hipnótico. “Song of a Fence Grown through a Tree” muestra la habilidad de Grubbs con sus finos punteos, en tanto que Courtis comienza a explorar ruidos con sus pedales. “Airborne Particles of the California Central Valley” que cierra este disco despliega las cuerdas deshilachadas de Courtis que vacilan desafinadamente y por su parte, Grubbs con sus rápidos punteos a la guitarra hacen un contrapunto más discreto, en tanto la guitarra delirante de Courtis comienza a templarse lentamente.
Courtis y Grubbs improvisan con tanta facilidad que pareciera que hubieran tocado muchas veces, logrando mantener los acordes cristalinos y el ambiente sosegado, así como transgredirlo con fuerza y vehemencia cuando el momento clama por un in crecendo para hacer volar la imaginación.
https://huskypantsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/braintrust-of-fiends-and-werewolves
https://davidgrubbs.bandcamp.com/album/rings-of-saturn
https://bandcamp.com/tag/anla-courtis
https://bandcamp.com/tag/alan-courtis
Guillermo Escudero
Septiembre 2023
|
|
Alan Courtis, born in Buenos Aires, is a prolific composer and artist and inveterate traveler in the constant search to experience sounds through his guitar and instruments and objects made of different materials that he crafts and that modifies their sounds with his electronic devices that also some are created by Courtis. Over 500 releases have been published under his own name, the aliases (mainly) Anla Courtis, Courtis and including Reynols' records. He has collaborated with Tetuzi Akiyama, Makoto Kawabata, Zbigniew Karkowski, Marhaug, Mattin, Daniel Menche, Aaron Moore, Günter Müller, Eddie Prévost, Pablo Reche, Bruce Russell, to name a few. He co-founded the Argentinian band Reynols in 1993.
The American guitarist David Grubbs is recognized for his works with Loren Connors, Tony Conrad, Mats Gustafsson, John McEntire (Tortoise), Pauline Oliveros, Jim O'Rourke (Gastr del Sol), Bastro, Squirrel Bait, Red Krayola, among other artists.
This album arose coincidentally while Courtis was in New York doing duo presentations with various artists. Although they had shared the bill with Grubbs before, they had not played together, and this was a good chance to do so.
This is an album recorded at the end of 2022 at the Deep Dive studio in New York and released on LP and CD by the New York label Husky Pants Records. Both Grubbs and Courtis play electric and acoustic guitars each.
“Braintrust of Fiends and Werewolves” is a soft and delicate guitar dialogue and also acts as a counterpoint with high levels of distortion.
The album opens with “Hinterhalt” which has a meditative character whose chords weave a sober tone but as the song progresses Courtis' blatant distorted guitar emerges, while Grubbs shuffles fast acid chords.
The song that bears the album's title, “Room Tone of One_s Own” and “Warsaw and Sparta” have an approach to folk as their backbone, but above all denotes the connection between both musicians to create a peaceful atmosphere with a hypnotic spell. “Song of a Fence Grown through a Tree” showcases Grubbs' skill with his fine plucking, while Courtis begins to explore noises with his pedals. “Airborne Particles of the California Central Valley,” which closes this album, displays Courtis's frayed strings that waver out of tune, and for its part, Grubbs, with his fast guitar picking, creates a more discreet counterpoint, while Courtis's delirious guitar begins to play. warm up slowly.
Courtis and Grubbs improvise with such ease that it seems as if they had played many times, managing to maintain the crystalline chords and the calm atmosphere, as well as transgressing it with force and vehemence when the moment cries out for a growing goal to make the imagination fly.
Guillermo Escudero
September 2023
|
Reviews 
