OM Gossip #11

Aftermath, Bright Future, Heat Death Of The Planet

So, OM-Fest 21 is over. Not much to say, it was as beautiful and heart-warming as it was a celebration of so many different approaches to intuitive music. As an aftermath, Buck Moon rereleased their first self-titled tape digitally, because the 17 physical copies of this gem mostly sold out at the fest. And honestly, as their performance was as lit as guitar impressionism can get, you def should get that digital copy of yours released through Econore.

Marko Martini, whom you might know from the split tape with Yann Gourdon we released a couple of years ago, made some great photos - check them out over at our insta (hugs btw to our ally Industrial Coast, whose account was blocked for no reason - if you are a fan, just like us, add him here).
I was still a mess of pure bliss when the german Bundestags elections took place the day after the fest, I guess that was wise, else I would have drowned in total desperation.

Instead of that, I seem to gravitate atm to doing more live shows. After this long, exhausting and yet necessary period of lockdowns (dear anti-vaccers, I embrace you unfollowing the OM <3), it felt so crucial to finally communicate and connect with people on a bodily, visceral level - it eases the desperation, it releases some wild excess energy that can easily be accessed. I am not a very spiritual (esoteric, religious) person, but I deeply believe in the power of bodies communicating and interacting on a non-intellectual level, and because of that: next tapes are in the making, 2022 is completely planned out, but live shows come first. Next saturday (16.10.21), I’ll put up a show for Simone Romei, Son Of Buzzi and Joost Dijkema.

Here’s what others say about the tour:

“About a year ago Marcus Obst (Dying For Bad Music) curated a magnificent collection of C, released on the American Tompkins Square label. The label’s catalogue bursts with releases old and new reminiscent of the Fingerpicking Guitar Style – a musical niche formerly known as “American Primitive”; a term criticized lately for its possible derogative implications. The academic charms of this lately debate aside, the actual music was never strictly American nor primitive. It’s surely rooted in pre-war American Folk and Country Blues but since the genre’s inception back in the late 1950’s it constantly developed, grew a small but dedicated world-wide following and inspires a younger generation of contemporary guitarists ‘til this day.

Three of these young fellows featured on the aforementioned compilation are about to hit the road to bring the old but new sounds of the acoustic fingerstyle guitar to your attention! Joost Dijkema from the Netherlands for instance, playing a rustic yet very melodic and colorful style, sometimes accompanied by his own singing and therefor reminiscent of Bert Jansch or – when not singing – Peter Walker. In comparison the Italian Simone Romei seems to be in a rather dreamy state of mind. His recorded compositions are often richly orchestrated and playing his guitar, he’s hinting at stylistic very different peers such as James Blackshaw or Daniel Bachman and when singing – which he also sometimes does – his gentle voice is close to the ever-looming Jim O’Rourke. Sebastian Bischoff, performing as Son of Buzzi, approaches the guitar from a more abstract or concrete point of view. His recordings are often embedded in Field Recordings and Drones, sometimes dark and brooding and mostly slowly unfolding – taking cues from Luc Ferrari, John Fahey or Yoshi Wada to melt it all down into his own unique brand of contemporary guitar music.”

Yep. Nothing more to add. Except this:

And watch out. In November, these two will come to town (click on pics for links):

End transmission #11.

Swing while you can,
Ambassador Kaputt