Guapo (band)
Encyclopedia
Guapo is a British
experimental rock
/art rock
band formed in the mid 1990s by drummer/percussionist Dave Smith and guitarist/vocalist Matt Thompson. The current lineup consists of Smith, multi-instrumentalist/composer Daniel O'Sullivan
, guitarist Kavus Torabi
and bassist James Sedwards.
movement, after performing with bands such as Magma
and Present
at the Rock in Opposition
Festival at Carmaux
, France
in 2007.
, Matthew Thompson, and David Smith, triggered a change in course when Thompson left the band in 2005.
. O’Sullivan’s work with Æthenor (Vhf Records), Mothlite (Southern Records
), Grumbling Fur as well as moonlighting in the live line-up of Sunn O)))
has been keeping him extremely busy. Smith created a large scale, multi media installation entitled “The Other Side of the Island” for which he made a soundtrack with O’Sullivan and Antti Uusimaki under The Stargazers Assistant moniker (the recordings of which were released on Aurora Borealis last year). Smith also plays with members of Coil
, Cyclobe
and Shock Headed Peters in the Amal Gamal Ensemble. Despite these distractions, Guapo has been maintained as a primary focus and “Elixirs” has been three years in the making.
(of Cardiacs
, Knifeworld and formerly The Monsoon Bassoon
). The line-up toured the US in 2006 with synth-prog band, Zombi
. Torabi and Sedwards have not featured on any of Guapo's recorded output to date.
"Guapo have conjured a harrowingly complex and unflinchingly epic piece of work. Heady and hypnotic, driving and relentless, tumultuous and visceral, sonic and serene, the sheer odyssey that is Black Oni encompasses many paradoxes in its massively dynamic scope. Picking up where they left off from their previous Cuneiform Records
release Five Suns (2002), the band continue to expand on their palette of dexterous chamber-rock anomalies, modal transcendence, and apocalyptic death marches, and like its predecessor, Black Oni is one singular piece of music, making it the second record in a trilogy of large-scale symphonic forms. Incorporating elements of prog, avant-garde jazz, kraut-rock, minimalism and a range of folk mediums from Britain to Indonesia, Guapo take their queue from a disparate array of influences including Magma
, King Crimson
, Boredoms, Goblin
, Sun Ra
, Charlemagne Palestine
, Univers Zero
, This Heat
, Olivier Messiaen
and Popol Vuh
. The assembly of Dave Smith's explosive drum assaults, Matt Thompson's brazen and prowling bass throb, and Daniel O'Sullivan's ethereal keyboard reveries telepathically collide in an augury of rich and cinematic musical ceremony. Black Oni is Guapo's most monumentally unreserved offering to date."
with Cerberus Shoal
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
experimental rock
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
/art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
band formed in the mid 1990s by drummer/percussionist Dave Smith and guitarist/vocalist Matt Thompson. The current lineup consists of Smith, multi-instrumentalist/composer Daniel O'Sullivan
Daniel O'Sullivan
Daniel O'Sullivan is a multi-instrumentalist/composer from Manchester, England best known for playing in experimental art-rock bands Guapo, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses, Ulver, Æthenor, Miracle and Mothlite....
, guitarist Kavus Torabi
Kavus Torabi
Kavus Torabi is a British musician and composer . A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his work in the avant-garde rock field...
and bassist James Sedwards.
Music
Guapo have affiliations with the Rock in OppositionRock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition or RIO was a movement representing a collective of progressive bands in the late 1970s united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognise their music...
movement, after performing with bands such as Magma
Magma (band)
Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a...
and Present
Present (band)
Present is a Belgian progressive rock group formed by guitarist Roger Trigaux in 1979.- Biography :Trigaux was a founding member of Univers Zero and participated on the first two albums. After Heresie he left Univers Zero to concentrate on his own vision and founded Present...
at the Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition
Rock in Opposition or RIO was a movement representing a collective of progressive bands in the late 1970s united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognise their music...
Festival at Carmaux
Carmaux
Carmaux is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.Carmaux was famous for its important coal mining and its glassworks . "In 1892, Jean Jaurès supported the miners of Carmaux when they went on strike over the dismissal of their leader, Jean Baptiste Calvignac."...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 2007.
The Trilogy
The recent Guapo album Elixirs concludes a recondite triptych of recordings initiated by Five Suns (2003) and Black Oni (2004), which has been referred to as the "Empire Strikes Back" record. Every record takes on new musical hues and offers disparate ideas and perspectives. However, an upheaval in the line-up, which of recent years had been anchored by the trio of Daniel O'SullivanDaniel O'Sullivan
Daniel O'Sullivan is a multi-instrumentalist/composer from Manchester, England best known for playing in experimental art-rock bands Guapo, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses, Ulver, Æthenor, Miracle and Mothlite....
, Matthew Thompson, and David Smith, triggered a change in course when Thompson left the band in 2005.
Other projects
In the interim O’Sullivan and Smith have been active with an abundance of other projects. Both members perform in the antique-prog band Miasma & the Carousel of Headless HorsesDaniel O'Sullivan
Daniel O'Sullivan is a multi-instrumentalist/composer from Manchester, England best known for playing in experimental art-rock bands Guapo, Miasma & the Carousel of Headless Horses, Ulver, Æthenor, Miracle and Mothlite....
. O’Sullivan’s work with Æthenor (Vhf Records), Mothlite (Southern Records
Southern Records
Southern Records is an independent record label closely associated with Crass Records, Corpus Christi Records and Dischord Records. It is based in London and previously had offices in Chicago , Le Havre and Berlin .Southern was originally a recording studio owned and operated by John Loder...
), Grumbling Fur as well as moonlighting in the live line-up of Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
has been keeping him extremely busy. Smith created a large scale, multi media installation entitled “The Other Side of the Island” for which he made a soundtrack with O’Sullivan and Antti Uusimaki under The Stargazers Assistant moniker (the recordings of which were released on Aurora Borealis last year). Smith also plays with members of Coil
Coil (band)
Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
, Cyclobe
Cyclobe
Cyclobe are a music duo based in London, formed by Stephen Thrower and Ossian Brown. They make hallucinatory electronic soundscapes by mixing sampled and heavily synthesized sounds with acoustic arrangements for strings and woodwind. Their approach draws upon diverse forms, including acousmatic,...
and Shock Headed Peters in the Amal Gamal Ensemble. Despite these distractions, Guapo has been maintained as a primary focus and “Elixirs” has been three years in the making.
Line-up
Since the departure of Thompson, O’Sullivan and Smith have added two London musicians to the fold, James Sedwards (of avant-rock band Nought) and Kavus TorabiKavus Torabi
Kavus Torabi is a British musician and composer . A multi-instrumentalist, he is known for his work in the avant-garde rock field...
(of Cardiacs
Cardiacs
Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...
, Knifeworld and formerly The Monsoon Bassoon
The Monsoon Bassoon
The Monsoon Bassoon were a British independent rock band active between 1995 and 2001, notable for their exceptionally complex and energetic music. During their lifespan, the band won the NME's Single Of The Week award three times...
). The line-up toured the US in 2006 with synth-prog band, Zombi
Zombi (band)
Zombi is a space rock duo from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, consisting of Steve Moore on bass and synthesizers and Anthony Paterra on drums. The group makes use of looping to create multi-layered compositions...
. Torabi and Sedwards have not featured on any of Guapo's recorded output to date.
Press
Taken from Ipecac Recordings in reference to the release of Black Oni."Guapo have conjured a harrowingly complex and unflinchingly epic piece of work. Heady and hypnotic, driving and relentless, tumultuous and visceral, sonic and serene, the sheer odyssey that is Black Oni encompasses many paradoxes in its massively dynamic scope. Picking up where they left off from their previous Cuneiform Records
Cuneiform Records
Cuneiform Records is an independent record label based in Silver Spring, Maryland.The label releases a mixture of musical styles, including progressive jazz, modern fusion music, progressive rock, the Canterbury Scene and electronic music...
release Five Suns (2002), the band continue to expand on their palette of dexterous chamber-rock anomalies, modal transcendence, and apocalyptic death marches, and like its predecessor, Black Oni is one singular piece of music, making it the second record in a trilogy of large-scale symphonic forms. Incorporating elements of prog, avant-garde jazz, kraut-rock, minimalism and a range of folk mediums from Britain to Indonesia, Guapo take their queue from a disparate array of influences including Magma
Magma (band)
Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Boredoms, Goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
, Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
, Charlemagne Palestine
Charlemagne Palestine
Charlemagne Palestine is an American minimalist composer, performer, and visual artist...
, Univers Zero
Univers Zéro
Univers Zero are an instrumental Belgian band known for playing dark music heavily influenced by 20th century chamber music. The group's name has had three variant spellings, the others being Univers Zéro and Univers-Zero....
, This Heat
This Heat
This Heat were a British experimental music group formed in early 1976 in Camberwell, London by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen , Charles Hayward and Gareth Williams .This Heat were active in the ascendancy of British progressive rock and punk rock, but stood apart...
, Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
and Popol Vuh
Popol Vuh (German band)
Popol Vuh was a German electronic avantgarde band, in the mainstream-media so called Krautrock, founded by pianist and keyboardist Florian Fricke in 1969 together with Holger Trülzsch and Frank Fiedler...
. The assembly of Dave Smith's explosive drum assaults, Matt Thompson's brazen and prowling bass throb, and Daniel O'Sullivan's ethereal keyboard reveries telepathically collide in an augury of rich and cinematic musical ceremony. Black Oni is Guapo's most monumentally unreserved offering to date."
Albums
- 1997 Towers Open Fire CD (Power Tool Records)
- 1998 Hirohito CD (Pandemonium Records)
- 2001 Great Sage, Equal of Heaven CD (Pandemonium/Tumult)
- 2004 Five Suns CD (Cuneiform RecordsCuneiform RecordsCuneiform Records is an independent record label based in Silver Spring, Maryland.The label releases a mixture of musical styles, including progressive jazz, modern fusion music, progressive rock, the Canterbury Scene and electronic music...
) - 2005 Black Oni CD (Ipecac Records) (limited-edition LP version released 2007 on Hlava Records)
- 2008 Elixirs CD (Neurot RecordingsNeurot RecordingsNeurot Recordings is an independent American record label founded by members of Neurosis and Tribes of Neurot. The label was founded to release the side projects of Neurosis and its members. It has since expanded to a fully functioning label, releasing music from artists...
)
EPs and singles
- 1995 Hell is Other People EP (Power Tool Records)
- 1996 Guapo is No More EP (Power Tool Records)
- 1997 Horse Walks Into a Bar EP (Power Tool Records)
- 1998 Guapo vs. Magma EP (Pandemonium Records)
- 2006 Twisted StemsTwisted StemsTwisted Stems is the first EP by the band Guapo. The two songs on the EP are also featured on Guapo's following full-length album Elixirs.-References:* retrieved 9-8-07* retrieved 9-8-07...
Limited Edition 7" single (Dot Dot Dot Music) - 2006 Twisted Stems CDEP (Aurora Borealis)
with Ruins and The Shock Exchange
- 2000 Death Seed CD (Freeland Records)
with Cerberus ShoalCerberus ShoalCerberus Shoal was a United States rock band formed in 1994 in Boston but largely based in Portland, Maine. They split up in the mid-2000s with some members going on to form Fire on Fire.-History:...
- 2003 The Ducks and Drakes of Guapo and Cerberus Shoal CD (North East Indie)
External links
- Official website of GUAPO
- [ Allmusic.com entry]
- The Official website of MIASMA & THE CAROUSEL OF HEADLESS HORSES