Bryan Phillips: Interview with the Galambo Selectah

So tell us a bit about Galambo. Which areas of South American folk music have you been investigating these last couple of years?

I've been investigating the ritualistic sounds of the indigenous peoples of Chile and South America. A sound that goes beyond music; a sonic ritual. Especially in what concerns the sounds of the 'green north', where I was residing in Chile. So most of the research has been based on the 'Bailes Chinos', the ritual dances of the indigenous peoples of the valleys of Copiapo, Coquimbo and Aconcagua. I also got heavily into the Mapuche music / poetry thanks to meeting 'Uñümche' Lorenzo Aillapan 'The Birdman' and collecting mapuche instruments. One of the first projects that came out of this investigation was an audiovisual performance piece called XINO, that explored the dynamics of the 'Bailes Chinos' dances and sounds via digital sound and visual processing.

Some of those instruments in your teaser clip looked quite exotic. What's that big downward flute instrument?

Most of the instruments in the teaser are indigenous to the peoples of Chile and South America. From a mapuche trutruka (a rustic trumpet made out of a cow’s horn) to the 25 string 'Guitarrón Chileno'. Other instruments are adaptations or reinterpretations of traditional ones. The big flute is called a moseño, and it's primarily used by the people of the highlands in Bolivia and as most instruments from the Andes, it needs to be played in a troop with many people, fulfilling the concept of reciprocity and call / response from the Andes culture.

In the Andes, music is a community affair and the different kinds of music depend on the cycles of nature. For example some instruments are played during the winter cycle and others are used during summer. The Siku (similar to the European panflute) is divided into two instruments that need to be played by at least two people. The Siku Ira (a six tube flute) is the male flute and the Siku Arka (seven tubes) is the female. To achieve melodies the players need to agree on what they play in a give / receive manner that is known in quechua as 'jjaktasiña irampi arcampi' (loosely interpreted as 'producing something new') which is the basic unit of their world vision. The concept is that for life to proliferate you need at least two elements. So a person as an individual is helpless, the community is the strength. This is something I find very interesting, since it goes against the individualistic principles of our post-modern global society.

Do you think it's important to preserve folk traditions, and the instruments of our heritage? 

I think it’s absolutely necessary to preserve the traditions and discover the possibilities of our 'essential sounds', but in a context that is open to dialogue with contemporary life. Not in a museum, not in a purist mindset of how things should be 'in the tradition'. This local identity is in my opinion the basis for creating new sounds.

How did you come to collaborate with some of these folk musicians?

I moved to La Serena, a small coastal town in the green north of Chile, a couple of years ago. There I activated an old friendship with popular poet / musician Talo Pinto, from Coquimbo (in Chile, a popular poet is in fact also a musician). He's a very generous and talented soul, who taught me about the popular rhythms and improvised poetry of the region of Coquimbo. I invited him to experiment with electronics. He’s a very modern artist and would let me sample him while he was playing, process the sound etc, and he really started to dig it, so we started working together. He's collaborated deeply on a record I’m putting out in October 31st called 'Andakoyo'. We recorded some poems and songs, along with instruments he plays, like a bandoneón, a button accordion commonly used in tango.

Then there is Jimmy Campillay who has been investigating from the archaeomusicology field, the sounds produced by the stone instruments of the diaguita peoples. These are basically flutes and whistles carved in rock that make very special sounds resembling birds and other animals. He contributed with some of the sounds of his stone instruments on the 'Andakoyo' record. 

How was the recording process of Andakoyo?

The process was very organic. The tracks were written, recorded and produced in one week in an apartment on the beach in La Serena. There’s a lot of ambient textures and the sound of the sea that bled throughout the recordings. The setting was perfect for the execution of the natural sounds from the various instruments, it was very comfortable and productive. But most of all it was a very inspiring place and time to make a record. The spirit of the elements of nature were very present during the process.

There's something deeply trance-like to some of the folk music that features in your tracks. Is that something that was there already, or is it a result of the fusion with club sonics?

I think it’s a mix of both. On one hand, the native sounds are basically binary, call / response, on and off, which is the fibre of electronic music. The deep-trance quality is inherent to the sonic rituals. For example in the 'Bailes Chinos' the dancers enter trance via hyperventilation, blowing their flutes and dancing for many hours and days. The same happens to the people that are exposed to the sound and dances. It is such a potent sonic ritual, that no psychoactive substances are required, only sound and movement. To an outsider there is no musical quality to this form of expression, but the truth of the matter is that it is not music. Sound becomes a medium for connecting with the divinity. These elements make it (in my opinion) a cornerstone of what we call today electronic music. If you stand in the town square in Andacollo during a celebration and listen, you will find all the elements that were later exploited by modern composers in electronic music. People like John Cage and Stockhausen clearly took from the 'essential sounds' in their compositions. But clearly on the other hand it is music to be played in a dance floor environment, in a techno / house context. Music that is perceived through dancing and club sonics. Our sonic ritual takes place in the club and our sounds are electronic. I think participating in RBMA made me more aware and sensible to electronic dance music, especially house and techno.

A big part of the club sound is thanks to Argentinian producer The Peronists. It’s the first time I work on a Galambo project with somebody other than myself in the production side of things. His contribution to making this record more dance-oriented than my usual 'noise' approach has been very healthy. He’s very keen on creating dance beats and very clever in building up tension and club music dynamics. The other interesting thing about the making of this record is that all the sounds were played and recorded and the only samples used are a couple of kick drums. This is something that we really wanted to do since it is a music very rich in timbres.

Where does the name Galambo come from? And what does Andakoyo mean?

Galambo is the mix between the Native American rhythms and 'western music', between folklore and electronics. It is also the title of a song by the extraordinary Violeta Parra 'Galambito Temucano'.

Andakoyo is a phonetic approach to the word 'Andacollo'. Andacollo is a place in the green north where some of the biggest rituals of the 'Bailes Chinos' take place. It´s a very special place that complies perfectly with the concept of the Andes people of 'Apu' or spirit of the mountain, the highest altar. It is also a place where the syncretism between indigenous and western culture can be clearly appreciated. For example the figure of the 'Pachamama' (mother earth) has been changed for the Virgin Mary, creating a new form of adoration which is a mixture between the indigenous ritual and Catholicism.

What made you move to Melbourne? How are you enjoying the city?

I really like Melbourne and Australia. I think part of the reason moving here, was discovering the city during the RBMA ‘06. Another reason is definitely the healthy music and arts scene here. Lots of things happening and very talented artists and producers. Every night there is great music and art being displayed. A very multicultural city and very tolerant of the different expressions of the peoples. I really enjoy the people and the city. I like how everybody is an immigrant at some level. I am also very interested in the indigenous sounds and expressions of the Australian territory and how they relate to the 'essential wisdom'.

Do you have any shows coming up, or any other plans for this year and next year?

First on the list is putting out the 'Andakoyo' record through our independent label laSorra! Records. It will be out on digital on 31st October, and we'll be releasing a 7” version with a couple of singles especially edited for the dance floor by the end of February. There´s a couple of one-man Galambo shows coming up in Melbourne and I'm expecting to play some shows in Sydney and other Australian cities. As for next year we’re planning a European tour starting in July with the participation of The Peronist and Talo Pinto.