We present a kind of missing link in the prehistory of the Argentine psychedelic rock group El Festival de los Viajes: Frentzmoon, and their first LP Old Trash Jazz.

 

Why a "missing link"? Because, somehow, Frentzmoon (1995-2002) was one of the musical experiences that, years later and with new ingredients, led to the project El Festival de los Viajes (2005-2014).

 

Briefly about Frentzmoon: it could be said that it was a rarity within the local underground scene of the early millennium.

 

It was a rarity because, despite the frenetic activity that the group developed in its years of existence, it never published material or made itself known outside the limits of its base of operations (El Galpón, a dark and colorful space inspired by the adventures of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters, and the Furthur bus they were riding on).

 

And it was a rarity also because, in the midst of an era that looked to brit pop and post grunge, Frentzmoon was inspired by the dark garage and progressive psychedelic bands of 65-68 (13th Floor Elevators, The Red Krayola, Second Hand, The Deviants, to name a few), the Grateful Dead from 68-69, the Pink Floyd from Saucerful of Secrets, the Miles Davis output from 69-72, and the Beatles from Revolution 9.

 

Back to Old Trash Jazz, it could be labeled as Freakodelia Lo Fi: it is a compilation of sequences, put together from the material that the band accumulated after many hours and many live music recording sessions, totally improvised at the moment, without much filter, never repeating or looking to repeat what had been played in previous sessions.

 

Without raising their heads to see what their partners were playing, the members of the group shared a ritual of immersion in sound, establishing telepathic dialogues through vibrations, notes and cadences; a dialogue that was sometimes felt, sometimes hesitant, sometimes powerful and with direction, sometimes adrift and crossed by feelings of frustration.

 

About the sound of the LP, it's worth stopping by: for better or worse, the recording ways at El Galpón give Old Trash Jazz part of its singular identity.

 

During all those years, the band spent a lot of money to equip themselves (a Fender Bassman, a Twin Reverb, an Ampeg V4, a Rhodes electric piano), but they never spent much on microphones and consoles: everything was recorded on ordinary cassettes, in a 4-channel Tascam Postastudio, with cheap Phillips microphones (with all the fury, maybe there was some Shure 58 sneaking around). The mics went through a Ross brand powered console, and from there they went directly to the Tascam.

 

Control over sound was always fragile, relative. Nobody in the band had much idea about professional audio and recording techniques. They never worked with sound engineers, nor did they ever think about how to achieve specific sonorities. They never recorded for broadcast purposes. Although Old Trash Jazz reveals that Frentzmoon worked hard in its peculiar search, imagination and enjoyment always seemed to prevail, rather than calculation and technical precision.

 

Old Trash Jazz reflects the intense exploratory desire of the group members during those years; get carried away by long improvisations, dive deep and dark waters, walk off cliffs, watch universes disappear, watch stars rise, and access that incredible experience over and over again: feeling a strange connection that moved the band in unexpected directions, despite (or driven by) the talents, limitations, and musical influences of its members.

 

The Old Trash Jazz music was recorded between 2000 and 2002, but the sequences that make up the LP were arranged between June and July 2020.

 

The LP introduces one of the many line ups of Frentzmoon:

 

Marcelo Carmona (bass, guitars, sound and general engineering). 

Javier Aguirre (voices, Rhodes, keyboards). 

Mathias Harbek (guitars). 

Adrián Felcman (drums, keyboards, voices, arrangement and artistic production).

 

Illustrations: Adrián Felcman. 

Graphic Design: Mathias Harbek. 

Mastering: Sebastián Lombroni.

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10/2/2020 Make Noise Not War Records. Los Angeles, CA. #MakeArtNotWar