photos by Alejandro Held
Buenos Aires, Argentina-based experimental guitarist JAVIER AREAL VÉLEZ is preparing for the release of his debut solo album, rrrrrrrrrr tKtK, to be issued through Nefarious Industries. With the record on the verge of release next week, a new 3D/interactive video for the albums succinct “poonG” has been premiered through New Noise Magazine.
The seven songs on rrrrrrrrrr tKtK were performed entirely by JAVIER AREAL VÉLEZ solo on prepared electric guitar. All pieces are improvised; there are no overdubs. The record was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Carlos Quebrada in Buenos Aires in 2019 and 2020, and completed with artwork by AREAL VÉLEZ.
The first full videoclip for rrrrrrrrrr tKtK features an evolving 3D VR landscape, animated by renowned Argentinian artist Gabriel Rud. Organic almost shapeless entities are born, flow in the void and disappear before you, reacting to the dry bouncing sound of JAVIER AREAL VÉLEZ‘ prepared guitar. Check it out on your phone, move around to wander through this immersive microworld!
Of the “poonG” single, JAVIER AREAL VÉLEZ offers, “This is probably the shortest track of the album and the most eerie and ‘swingy’ one. I played mainly with a very tightly gated sound, which makes my rusty attack sounds and volume swells stand out quite dry against a quiet background.”
He continues about the immersive video for the song, “Gabriel Rud is a kickass video artist who also happens to live three blocks from my house. We’ve collaborated in music videos a couple of times in the past. He’s developed a super personal technique of live 3D sculpting in 360 VR environments, so I just gave him carte blanche to work on the track in any way he wanted to. The visual result I think it’s a great fit (or counterpoint) to the music. Very organic-like entities are moving around in the void, going back and forward, left and right, in the infinity. Interesting sync with the gated nature of my track, even though we never even talked about any of this.”
Watch JAVIER AREAL VÉLEZ’ “poonG” 3D/360 video first at new Noise Magazine RIGHT HERE.
Nefarious Industries will release rrrrrrrrrr tKtK digitally and in a limited run of CDs next Friday, August 27th. Find preorders including merch bundles and all digital points RIGHT HERE.
Watch for additional videos and more to be issued surrounding the release of rrrrrrrrrr tKtK.
JAVIER AREAL VÉLEZ is a composer, improviser, and curator who performs mostly on electric guitar, with or without objects stuffed among its strings. He’s part of Calato, a loud (free and scored) noise improv outfit, and bizarre electronic experimental pop duo Kyse. Past commitments include post-punk trio Coso and weird songs band El Helicoptero. As an improviser, AREAL VÉLEZ has collaborated with countless artists from different parts of the world such as Audrey Chen, Nicola Hein, Shayna Dunkelman, Axel Dörner, Brian Chase, Violeta GarcÃa, Chris Pitsiokos, Jorge Espinal, Andrew Drury, Paal Nilssen-Love, and Jack Wright. Over the last decade, he has toured intensively across South and North America, Europe, and Japan.
His musical approach relies heavily on a primal technique that emphasizes timbre and rhythm and avoids traditional forms in favor of intensity and dynamic contrast. The physicality of his interactions with the guitar creates estranged and unstable sonic entities that evolve haphazardly, free of preexisting genres, blurring the edges of his instrument, playing from a standing position while moving around and using just a few objects or preparations (pieces of wood, metal, rocks) to attack and alter the guitar’s sound. His sound goes through a pair of pedals to a large amplifier at max volume. This setup allows him to exploit the sonic spectrum to its limits, spontaneously recycling errors and unexpected sounds.
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