15-3-11/ Qa’a “Chi’en” review by Max Level on KFJC radio California
This Barcelona band (name pronounced “Ka”) takes us on an amazing trip on this 2009 release. Things start off pleasantly enough, with some calm psyche-style guitar rock that eventually freaks out a bit. But after that, the musical moves are unpredictable–looped patterns, warped electronics, crazy soundscapes, chanting, whispering, yelling, more freaky guitars, long percussion passages, machine noises, shaking and rattling, and who knows what all else. Basically, there are a whole lot of different spaced-out things very well put together. My favorite part is probably Track 5, a raging masterpiece of psychedelic strangeness. Most of the tracks are long enough to pick us up and carry us away. The trip ends with a short rustic acoustic guitar piece. No exaggeration when I say this may well become one of my favorite records of all time.
10-3-11 / Huan “Vells” review by Cinder on FFJC Radio California
- Victor Hurtado of the band Qa’a, Barcelonian. – Drones and moans. – Scattering squishy bugs. – Some meditative and desert-at-dawn feeling. – Others bring the pianos and drums, repeating in time. (track 3 is badass) – Experimental psychedelics take place here. I smell influences of Floyd and Can at times. – Guitar pedal fun.
22-11-10/ Huan “Vells” review on Rough Trade London
Beautifully hand-made cdr. Huan is on loan from his mother-band Qa’a. ‘Bells’ is further out and crazed. sounding like something dredged up from the american counter-culture during the glory days of esp (think Cromagnon) and the furthest reaches of the most recent ‘free folk’ scene. The emphasis is on organic instruments, sound-art, voice, samples of disembodied sounds and of course bells. The cd throbs with an underlying sense of menace and ancient rituals.
22-11-10/ Qa’a “Chi’en” review on Rough Trade London
Barcelona based Qa’a make superlative cosmic-inflected drone-hits, sprinkled with noise generated from tortured guitars and synthesizers. on ‘Chi’en’ they enlisted the help of Faust main man hans joachim irmler which adds to the already-kraut-sounding proceedings. each track swirls with hypnotic lines of penetrating synth, motorik drum beats phase in an out and all together ‘Chi’en’ hangs together like an oceanic work punctuated with alternating swells of beauty and cacophony. julian cope says – “Chi’en is a vast post-post-krautrock (not postrock, too much self-confident use of avant-clichés) achievement whose horizon-wide sonic parameters extend seemingly effortlessly from the stentorian percussive outer reaches of Agitation Free and Can to the fully chimped-up ambulence of Sunburned Hand of the Man, Amon Düül and ‘Wahn’-period T. Dream, via some truly magnificent guitar burn-ups of the glowing freerock variety.”
15-9-10/ Huan at Sónar Chicago concert review on Küriositat
Huan (Preston Bradley Hall): The overarching aesthetic of Huan is that of a grumpy, growling caveman making throw-up noises into the mic. It can be difficult to listen to this stuff, I realize. And you might think it’s pretentious for people to make it seem like they like it. But I LIKED IT. I thought he was cool, in a creepy, dingy, throw-up kind of way. I liked the darkness (they managed to dim the lights below the Tiffany dome this time! Check out the lovely photo PB took below), and I found the gutteral sounds to be the right backdrop for the piercing sounds of feedback and violin bow across cymbal head. It was like the soundtrack to a prehistoric nightmare, which I found effective and unique. But, about 15 minutes in, people pretty rudely began walking out in groups of 4 or 5, smirking at each other and shaking their heads. The room was nearly empty by the end. Did anyone actually read the Sonar program notes before showing up? Were they expecting Lady Gaga?! Keep it up, Huan. You will find the puking cavewoman of your dreams someday and all will be well.
12-9-10 / Huan at Sónar Chicago concert review in Chicago Tribune
Terrifying sounds—snarling wolves, clattering machinery and wailing apparitions—filled the hallways of the Chicago Cultural Center as the Sonar festival made its Chicago debut over the weekend. The festival, which originated in Spain, arrived on U.S. shores for the first time packing a tightly-curated lineup of experimental electronic acts that, while largely unknown to the casual music listener, managed to draw enough curiosity seekers to fill the venue’s two main staging areas (Preston Bradley Hall and Claudia Cassidy Theater) to capacity for impressive sets by the likes of Ben Frost and Oval.
2-7-10/ Qa’a “Vesprada” review by Julian Cope on Head Heritage
Okay, let’s commence this month’s Reviews Section with the latest epic offering from Barcelona’s rotating ensemble Qa’a. For VESPRADA, released on Màgia Roja Records (www.magiaroja.net), is a 70-minute-plus masterpiece bulging with experimental missions, compelling grooves and exquisitely furious & fire-y musicianship. Indeed, from the moment that its mighty sonic Sun breaches the horizon, and scatters its horned Mithraic testosterone about the precincts of your branium’s brow-temple, VESPRADA declares itself intent on Drawing Down & Drawing In only those already searching for Advanced Barbarian Descent into the Underworld. Undistilled this music most serpently is. Starting as it means to go on, VESPRADA commences with a bizarre nine-minute creature by the name of ‘Perpetu’, a ritualistic piece of massed percussions & reeds somewhere in the same braying midrange as those Breton bombarde wielders Kevrenn Alré: this nine-minute head cleaner deploying blarting saxophones (definitely not saxes, note), massed concussions and apocalyptically Satanic belltone guitars, as analogue synthesizers fart and quibble, sawing and combing the nearground; elsewhere shamen gutteralize, chimp, primp & bark, chatter, screech, wail, whinny and groan/moan. Fuck me, this lot crack me up and this is the most breath-taking album opening I’ve encountered in a while. The full-on-ness of this opening escapade weren’t no accident, neither, as evidenced by the words of guitarist Victor Hurtado, the ensemble’s producer and editor, who comments: “I always felt there was a secret musical genealogy of disparate records of religious qualities that had been interrupted for a while. I created Qa’a with the aim of continuing that genealogy.”Well, brothers & sisters, VESPRADA continues that precise genealogy. Which genealogy? Well, I’ll tell ya, kiddies. VESPRADA’s ‘From the Off’ declaration of its own seething Worldview, nay, its own fierce Weltanshauung sets this record aside from still excellent others MORE PSYCHICALLY SLIGHT & less needy: imagine the Residents around FINGERPRINCE (during their Harry Partch PETALS FELL ON PETALUMA-styled massed commune percussion obsessions), the stentorian & brazen roar of ATEM-period T. Dream sprawling its orchestral percussion, Mellotron stabs’n’analogue candy across an even more rackety (and more otherly) EXILE ON MAIN STREET, over which has been ladled an evil smothering of Gris Gris Gumbo, a barbarian grind in the Sunburned Hand/Exuma tradition, an all pervasive groove of Faustian exultation. Truly, this music of Qa’a is rich; its greedy fingers – over fifty of them – reaching into those same sonic fountainheads as those inhabited by our most beloved Krautrockers.
9-6-2010/ Qa’a “Chi’en” review on Hijos de Saturno
“Uno de los mejores discos de música psicodélica y experimental no nació ni en Estados Unidos ni en Reino Unido ni en Alemania. Nació en España, madre patria, de las manos de Qa’a. Mezclado y masterizado en Faust Studio, Alemania, bajo la producción ejecutiva de Hans Joachim Irmler, Chi’en recoge el legado de todo el krautrock, el noise rock, la experimentación, el dub, el avant-garde, y, obviamente, de la psicodelia, pero renovando todo para crear un sonido que innova, que no suena añejo (nada más lejano a eso), y que en palabras del propio Irmler “es un disco increíble que probablemente no recibirá el reconocimiento que se merece hasta pasados 10, 20 o posiblemente 30 años”. Y nada más cierto que eso. Chi’en podría fácilmente ser un disco que cambie el curso de la música. Sí; no exagero. El material que Qa’a (léase “ca”) creó es el eslabón que venía faltando hace años en la música experimental, ese The Velvet Underground & Nico, ese Faust IV, ese Hi, How Are You, ese Are You Experienced?; en fin, la obra maestra que hacía falta en esta década.”
26-4-2010 / Qa’a “Chi’en” review by Arick on Too Indie
“I like cocktail hour and a nice cigarette any day. I also enjoy obscure religions, wolf tee shirts, and a good joke. Besides those things, I also like to compare music to painting. In that, the longer a composition, the larger the canvas is. A larger canvas demands certain things; the painting must fit the canvas it is aligned within… Likewise, in the structure of larger, more lengthy compositions, the band must reflect the large-scale sound, musicianship, and ambition they are going for when they begin to craft songs that are 10, 15, or even 20 minutes long. Keeping interest within the piece requires the band to use different colors, different moods and tones that can stand up against that huge wall of white that is time. Aligning yourself with the academia of music and altogether abandoning the 3 minute sugar-rush song in favor of all-encompassing composition takes a certain type of band I suppose. One can not simply stretch out the same formula, but invent new colors, distractions and techniques so as to peak interest. A band like Qa’a is a very esoteric, mercurial bands. The type of band that would paint huge murals with day-glow paint. Ok… enough with the fecking painting metaphor. And this is the part where I dig out the ole’ thesaurus and start throwing little-known albeit beautiful synonyms that are supposed to reflect the band’s sound within the confines of language. More specifically the English language. But I think a band like Qa’a wouldn’t want that. When they made this album they didn’t want the simple comparisons to krautrock or this genre or that movement to creep up. They wanted to pour a wonderful cocktail of musical styles down your throat and get you tipsy off their ambitions. Qa’a is a band that plays everything. You name a genre and its there in some form. Jazz, noise, folk, rock, psychedelia, post-rock, neo-tribalism, anything and everything is thrown in. But that’s not what makes this record great. Its that none of those genres are in it. There may be a memory of that style, some kind of fragment stuck in their musical pin-cushion; but other than that they serve only as reminders. In simplest terms Qa’a is a band that plays music. Its an eclectic mix of music with many moods and long, drifting offshoots. Dynamic and intensely rhythmic shifts that sometimes pull the listener closer,or sometimes push him or her farther away. Music that is equal parts of all things. Its music with both conventional and unconventional homemade instruments too. But really now.. this is just supremely psychedelic music…….be at peace.”
6-4-10/ Resenya de Qa’a “Chi’en” a l’Apartament 18
“Qa’a és una banda de Barcelona que, sense dubte, va editar l’any passat una de les millors obres d’aquest rock de tall més experimental, anomenat Chi’en (Màgia Roja/2009) i que està focalitzat sobretot en els exponents més rellevants del krautrock més clàssic (Faust, Can, Amon Düül) però també amb els collages sonors més vanguardistes dels primers i últims (de Evol a Ander Sider…) Sonic Youth. Un disc de 6 temes que es poden separar perfectament amb dues parts que representen les dues cares d’una mateixa moneda. La primera part, amb les magnífiques Eastdown Westdown, Speaker Box iTime Is Key, ens mostra a una banda sòlida recorrent els sinuosos camins de l’exploració sònica, amb peu i mig posat en l’alemanya més progressiva però també amb les influències del noise-rock modern (The Pop Group, This Heat). En canvi, Peeling Off i She Provides mostra la cara oculta i de sensibilitat més vanguardista de la banda, amb 25 i 10 minuts de pura explosió de ritmes tribals i distorsió aberrant. Tanca el disc unaChi’en en clau d’acústica fingerpiking amb regust a John Fahey o Terry Riley. Menys és sublim. Qa’a estaran encapçalant l’imprescindible Klangbad Festival (del qual en breu us en parlaré) segurament invitats per Hans Joachim Irmler, membre de Faust, i propietari de l’estudi on la banda a gravat aquest disc, els Faust Studies. En definitiva, un disc necessari que pot significar la llum del far sobre la qual altres bandes traçaran les seves noves coordenades. Un disc magnífic.”
2-4-10/ Qa’a “Chi’en” album review Julian Cope’s Head Heritage
“I’d also suggest you check out the fabulous and gigantic Chi’en by Barcelona quartet Qa’a. Released on Spain’s Màgia Roja label (www.magiaroja.net), Chi’en is a vast post-post-Krautrock (not Postrock, too much self-confident use of avant-clichés) achievement whose horizon-wide sonic parameters extend seemingly effortlessly from the stentorian percussive outer reaches of Agitation Free and Can to the fully chimped-up ambulence of Sunburned Hand of the Man, Amon Düül and ‘Wahn’-period T. Dream, via some truly magnificent guitar burn-ups of the glowing Freerock variety. It’s a trip, kiddies, and a highly useful one at that: buy this record and you get several useful zone-outs for the price of one. Running at close to 80 minutes in duration, Chi’en delivers us the deal of the month in these cash-strapped times.”
12-03-10/ Qa’a “Chi’en” review by Dominic Valvona on Monolith Cocktail
Mystically titled and shrouded in esoteric enigma, the experimental progressive Barcelona adventurous dreamers, Qa’a, have created a glowing tribute to the halcyon days of Krautrock, in particular the pioneering work of CAN. Even the artwork owes more than a passing appreciative nod to the hexagram symbolic cover of the German’s empyrean classic ‘Future Days’, our modern day spiritual students also like-wise taking inspiration from the Chinese book of I:Ching, choosing to use the six unbroken lines motif that represents strong action and energy for their own devices.
Qa’a are full of layered references and fables, the band name itself is borrowed from the ancient Egyptian king, whose claim to infamy was being the last of the first dynasty of rulers in Egypt, sitting on the throne sometime around 3100 to 2890 BC. Unfortunately history is very vague about him and experts have never agreed on his exact providence, we know he had a good send off though and that his tomb at Abydos was a pretty impressive sight. It must also be noted that he was known under an array of names including Ka’a, which is how you pronounce the groups name by the way.
Ancient ethnography and inspirational Germans aside, ‘Chi’en’ is a rather ambitious undertaking, eighty lavished minutes in length it certainly runs through the full spectrum of emotions, building us up and taking us down throughout. Somewhere between the moody dark rock of latter day bands such as Dead Meadows and Black Mountain mixed with the modular tinkering of groups like Holy Fuck and Leafcutter John, our plucky duo manage to throw up enough surprises to make sure that this is not merely a homage, even though there is an abundance of influences played out on the record. The opening salvo of ‘Eastdown Westdown’ for instance evokes the ambient sound experiments from the Rolling stones ‘2000 Light Years From Home’ before an acoustic guitar and rolling tender drums evoke the lush sounds of Acid Mother Temple. Picking up a momentum, the track becomes more sleazy and brooding as wailing feedback and scuzzy distortion build towards a serious crescendo of noise, before sinking into ungodly whispering and shadows that creep up on you as the now gothic charged atmosphere crackles with electrifying discharge. Imagine to yourselves Kasabian if they’d listened to Black Sabbath.
The following tune ‘Speaker Box’ changes tact slightly with the more laid back familiar afro-funk bass lines, marimba derived instrument bolafan and drum grooves of their mentors, CAN, whose ‘Halleluhwah’ runs riot over the entire track. Oscillating synths fluctuate and wobble as the vocals come over all Nordic sounding before stretching out over an ever-shifting swaying backing. With respect to the Cologne alchemists they build the track to an Irmin Schmidt classic space sound lab pinnacle, drowning out everything before fading the main theme back in, tipping there hat to ‘Tago Mago’ on the way.
Some respite arrives in the disguise of ‘Time Is key’, with its hypnotic choral backing vocals and distant ethereal chanting, all pensive and heavenly but with an underlining feeling of dread. This could be the mesmerising soundtrack to a Jess Franco horror if Jefferson Airplane in their Woodstock era free spirit confidence had waltz over to the film set looking to score a hit. The customary pace change brings in a Santana fronted voodoo ritual, the sort where no one gets hurt but the rhythmic frenzy that ensues tips all those standing around over the edge with delight. Some Hammer House of horror frightening Hammond interrupts proceedings, turning the Latin fuelled jamboree towards the satanic, all in the best possible sophisticated manner.
Next up is the Faust inspiring harassed ‘Peeling Off’, whose Hans Joachim Irmler evidently allowed the band to record some of the material in his studio. They throw in a cacophony of shrieking Indian oboes and Red Indian ceremonial war dance, whilst tampering with a myriad of sound effects and cheeky nods to CAN again, especially ‘Quantum Physics’ and the ‘EFS’ sound explorations. Everything is thrown into an industrial blender, thanks to Faust, whose non-compromising antagonising edge paws are all over it. The heavy forlorn melodrama comes on all swaggering, traversing doom and psychedelic fragmented time signatures melting them into one giant pot before ending on a towering improvised noisy sound clash, which bleeds over into the following abstract free for all ‘She Provides’. This ten-minute collage of unremitting restrain really pushes the boat out taking no prisoners as it weaves around a disturbing background of extreme postulating savagery and waves of discordant sounds. Phased induced instruments battle with increasing panicky feedback, locked in a struggle of biting deterioration that climaxes in a strange unworldly ambient finish.
The final song is an elegant pastoral acoustic instrumental sonnet in the mode of Ash Ra Tempal or Popol Vuh, calming strumming and sweetly saccharine melodies cosily warp around the listener like a chimera induced come down. Never actually promising us much, this brief concluding sign off works around some evocative stirring chords and serene moody charms.
Qa’a turn in a well thought out and sophisticated krautrock classic, which high fives a long line of stimulating and galvanised influences. It must be said that the rich abundance of prior travellers along this particular route is enormous and well documented, making it difficult to sound like anything other then a tribute act blinded in awe. Treading a fine line between glowing in the light of the past masters and repeating the same experiments over again and again, ‘Chi’en’ always sounds unique and fresh, a resounding triumph of ideas that never fall into the doldrums. I must mention the critic who waxed lyrical about the CAN comparisons, suggesting with all the gall in the world that our Spanish sonic explorers superseded them. As outstanding as Qa’a are, they’d have to admit they were still in debt to the German seers, remaining pupils still, all be it ready to graduate with first class honours. We salute you for your endeavor and bravery.
22-02-10/ Qa’a “Chi’en” review on Snailcrow
QA’A (pronounced, simply, “Ka”) is a Barcelona-based band on Màgia Roja, an indie psychedelic/noise record label. Their latest record, “Chi’en” (2009) was mixed and mastered at Faust Studios in Germany, with support from Hans Joachim Irmler himself. And after listening to it, it’s clear to me why Irmler might have become involved: “Chi’en” is a powerful effort that has the focus, daring, and breadth of vision of the great krautrock acts of the 60s and 70s. This is a bold, uncompromising record. QA’A feels completely assured as it explores territory that’s by turns mantra-like and hypnotic, shrieking-atonal, funky-jazzy, spare and rustic, tribal and antic, or just plain unclassifiably alien. “Chi’en” operates on a daunting scale (six songs averaging over thirteen minutes apiece) and what’s impressive is that the songs are largely justified in their length — each track is a mini-LP unto itself, full of plot-twists, about-faces, climaxes and codas that all convincingly cohere. Take “Peeling Off”, 25 exhilarating, frightening minutes of everything from Cromagnon (the band, but also the early human) ritualistic mutterings, Amon Duul bonfire-chants, chiptune glitch-beats, Pollock-like tangles of guitar noise, and sax wails straight out of The Stooges’ “L.A. Blues”. The only way a band can make 25 minutes of this kind of sound-adventure compelling is to either do what it does here and provide endless variety and richness of texture, or let the exploration unfold against a grid of pattern — something QA’A consistently does all over the record through recurring guitar motifs, prominent bass riffs and terrific percussion-work. What this does is properly grounds each song’s far-reaching explorations. Think of the best moments of “Daydream Nation”, where Shelley’s drumming can anchor Lee & Thurston’s Fender tornados. You have that kind of magic going on here on “Chi’en”, and it’s not only impressive as hell but a lot of fun to listen to — this is a band delighting in the possibilities of sound. Other highlights for me included the way the guitars tidal-waved in about halfway through the opener, “Eastdown Westdown”, after a mysterious underwater opening full of tense, hushed vocals. The squalls of feedback at the track’s close provided perfect release. I also loved the Can-like percussion breakdown mid-way through “Speaker Box”, and the whole of “She Provides”, with its menacing bassline, demented pitch-bent guitar riff, and firestorm of catharsis. It’s the second to last track, and by this point the record has grown steadily more exploratory with each song, culminating in the free-form lunacy of “Peeling Off”. “She Provides” in this context is like a seizure after some kind of bout of chemical madness. And after this kind of frenzy comes the only thing that can or should come — rest in the form of the pastoral, restrained, acoustic closer “Chi’en”. It’s rare that a record this vast, this bursting with ideas, textures and sounds (definitely try with a pair of good headphones), is able to hang together not only song by song but in its conception as a whole. This only happens when a band knows exactly what it wants and isn’t afraid to take itself as seriously as its vision demands. That kind of presence in the world of contemporary psych/prog is rare — compromise and lack of technique find many bands noodling away in lo-fi under-reach. Not these guys. With “Chi’en” they’ve made a truly fearless second record that proves the spirit of late 60s experimental music is alive and well, thank you, and is living in Barcelona in a room in the House of QA’A.
2-2-10 / Qa’a “Chi’en” review by Michael Lawrence on Don Ignacio’s Music Reviews
I’ve been asked to review many albums from bands and promoters in my lucrative years as a web music critic, but this is the first time it was from a psychedelic band hailing from Barcelona. There’s nothing wrong with the psychedelia I really like that type of music but it’s the whole Barcelona part. How could they have looked past the picture I have of Basil Fawlty on my e-mail page? I mean, obviously they looked at it before they sent me an e-mail. Shouldn’t they be concerned that I’ll yell at them and try to poke their eyeballs out?
But, luckily for them, they didn’t have any cause to worry whatsoever, because this is without a doubt the best album that a band or promoter ever sent me to review. This is an artsy-fartsy band with a massive kraut-rock streak who seem to have a ton of interesting ideas and are usually able to keep their songs consistently fresh whether it’s a fun funk groove or a full-on psychedelic sound collage. Yes sir, there’s a psychedelic sound collage in here, and it’s a 25-minute one at that, but don’t let that turn you off.
Needless to say, this album is not for the weak of heart, and listening to it will surely take a good chunk out of your day (it’s five tracks at 80 minutes). The lengthiness of it is a little bit of a problem for me since there are a few moments that I get a bit tired of, and other parts that make me a little bit sick to my stomach. But this is one instance where I almost have to consider those sickening moments all part of the experience.
The first three songs and the last one are about as normal as these guys get. Eastdown Westdown opens with a little bit of ambient sound effects before delving into a mid-tempo, rather creepy rocker with whispering vocals and a plodding, evil sounding drum. The zippy and atmospheric sound effects they implant throughout are compelling and its overall groove is hypnotizing. That goes on for awhile, but suddenly they start rocking out crazily favoring that sloppy, screechy and slightly rubbery guitar sounds that were all the rage in underground Germany in the mid-’70s.
They keep a funky groove going consistently with Speaker Box, which keeps it punchy for its 15 minutes while they pepper it with a series of minimal guitar noodles. That bubbly xylophone texture at the beginning is my favorite part, and I’m a bit disappointed they didn’t let it stay around longer! Maybe the only song I’m rather bored with is Time is Key although I’m really only talking about one part of it, a bit in the middle with clean-sounding guitars that sound like a machine stuck in a rut. Other than that, it’s a good creepy song to space out to, if that’s the sort of thing that turns you on.
The psychedelic sound collage is indeed something to behold, and I’m going on a limb and saying that they did it just as well if not better than their kraut-rock heroes Can ever did. Come to think of it, this whole album seems a little something like a great lost Can album except they actually get quite a bit more intense. Nobody’s going to argue that this is bests Can but I’ll tell you it at least approaches it. That’s really saying a lot.
Even I, speaking as someone who’s only really had a passing interest in Can, have been entertained by Chie’n. I found it delightful. When I didn’t find it delightful, I found it freaky. When I didn’t find it freaky, I found it creepy. When I didn’t find it creepy, I found it sickening. Really, it covers a whole range of things! And by the way, the 10-minute She Provides sounds like hell ripping open. There’s no other way to describe it. Utterly horrific. I wish I could see the expression in my eyes listening to that while fully immersed in its environment.
28-12-09 / “Chi’en” de Qa’a nº 7 en Los mejores discos nacionales de 2009 por Scannerfm
Tras una serie de retrasos y contratiempos por fin podremos disfrutar en todo su esplendor del debut en formato físico de la aclamada banda barcelonina de neo-krautrock Qa’a. Ha merecido la pena la espera porque el disco, titulado Ch’ien, suena redondo y acabado. Grabado por la propia banda junto a Zlaya Hadzchic (Sonic Youth,Tortoise, The Ex, Dirty Three, Jaga Jazzists…) y después de haber pasado por losFaust Studios, Ch’ien recoge lo mejor que el cuarteto de Barcelona sabe hacer : una magnífica revisión del legado de los míticos Can conjugada con una hipnótica repetición rítmica y psicodélica, capaz de elevarte a estados de trance donde ruido y melodía consiguen hermanar los sonidos de la tierra y del espacio. Y todo esto sin drogas de por medio y sin salir de España, oigan. (Por Gonzalo Castillo)
23-12-09 / “Chi’en” de Qa’a en la Llista dels millors discs Catalans de la década”
ELS 60 MILLORS DISCS CATALANS DE LA DÈCADA- A Viva Veu
“A l’hora de confeccionar una llista, sempre hi ha un moment en què sembla imprescindible donar la gran campanada, fer-la grossa, i com més exagerat, millor, i no tant pel fet en sí, sinó pel fet de reconèixer el mèrit merescut a qui se li ha negat. La llista dels millors discos catalans de la dècada (segons A Viva Veu, és clar) tampoc no se n’ha lliurat i durant deu minuts va estar encapçalat pel “Chi’en” de Qa’a. Però que som gent de seny quan no bevem, ens hem rendit a l’evidència i al nostre subconscient i el podi resultant està format per tres grups que més quòrum generaria, potser. Els disset restants són una barreja de noms consolidadíssims, barbuts valencians, canaris adoptats, noms que han patit la més gran de les ignoràncies i, com no, Qa’a.
And the A Viva Veu award goes to…
Nº 14 QA’A Chi’en
Segurament, molts pensaran que “Chi’en” ocupa un lloc molt arriscat en aquesta llista, però també es provable que tots aquells qui ho pensin no hauran escoltat el disc. Qa’a és un grup que tenia planejat aquest disc de feia temps, i precisament ha estat l’últim any de la dècada quan ha sortit al mercat. Compten amb el suport de personalitats com Zlaya Hadzich (productor, entre d’altres, de Sonic Youth i The Ex), i Joachim Irmler (Faust). Qa’a és un grup que busca referents en la psicodèlia, fan ús d’instruments poc habituals que introdueixen en una base de rock convencional, i cerquen la sinestèsia dels sentits a través de la música, que a’aconsegueixen a través de la mescla de múltiples textures, a la qual arriben fent ús del multiinstrumentisme.”
5-10-2009 / Ressenya Qa’a “Chi’en” per Arnau Sabaté al A Viva Veu
Vaig descobrir Qa’a a un concert al Sidecar, i els teloners eren Muzak, un grup que s’adaptava a la perfecció de les circumstàncies. Recordo que el que es va viure aquella nit en aquell soterrani va ser una autèntica descàrrega d’energia. Una mescla estranya de madchester sound i space rock. En aquell moment tenia al cap elsSpaceman 3 més còsmics i ho confonia, en alguna instància amb alguns detalls dels Primal Scream d’”XTRMNTR” (Creation, 2000). Era una sensació estranya que vaig acabar de contrastar acudint al seu myspace, després del concert, per fer balanç del que havia vist en directe. El seu myspace, que per aquella època –principis de 2008- només contenia tres o quatre temes, va sorprendre’m de valent. Bàsicament pel que hi vaig trobar, peces musicals de llarga durada i estones abstractes que combinaven calma i sobtats riffs esquizofrènics, amb bases rítmiques inspirades clarament en el misticisme ètnic que, de fet, posaven de manifest en el seu propi nom. Perquè el nom de Qa’a prové, originalment, del nom de l’últim faraó de la primera dinastia egípcia.
El fet és que els Qa’a del directe no són els mateixos Qa’a del disc. No cal ser un erudit per comprovar-ho. En directe no poden exprimir el suc que arriben a treure en l’estudi. El seu disc és una joia psiquedèlica. No apta per a qualsevol orella, ja us ho avisem. Tot i això la confiança rebuda per bona part de la seva audiència ha donat el seu fruit. Són la nineta dels ulls del festival LEM i han estat apadrinats per noms com Zlaya Hadzich, productor, entre d’altres, de Sonic Youth i The Ex, que va ser qui els va gravar el disc, i Joachim Irmler, músic de Faust que els hi va cedir l’estudi per rematar la feina de mescla, que ha estat molt llarga, i de fet encara no ha acabat de donar els seus fruits, perquè sinó m’equivoco, segueixen sense segell discogràfic.
Al llarg del text s’han citat alguns noms propis que m’agradaria posar de manifest en la última part de la crítica. La part dedicada a buscar referents, i ja que la música deQa’a, si més no, és difícil de definir, podríem qualificar-la de psicodèlica. Tenint en compte que el màxim distintiu d’aquest estil encunya força quan l’ús d’instruments poc habituals s’introdueixen en una base de rock convencional. L’objectiu és cercar la sinestèsia dels sentits a través de la música, que a’aconsegueixen a través de la mescla de múltiples textures, a la qual arriben fent ús del multiinstrumentisme. Utilitzant reiteradament d’instruments exòtics com el balàfon, el sad, els orgues, flautes i múltiples percussions, amb gravacions d’ambient, gravacions d’estudi, o simples capes superposades que han aconseguit amb la post-producció.
L’empatia que aconsegueixen els Qa’a amb la seva música es fa evident des de la primera cançó, Eastdown Westdown, que apropa ambientalment, i de forma acústica, a un entorn càlid tutelat per xamans, on ells són qui tenen aquesta capacitat innata de modificar la realitat i la percepció que canvien de ritme amb ”Speaker Box”, segon dels sis temes de l’àlbum, i a justícia d’un servidor, la millor de l’àlbum. Quinze minuts de pura experiència psicodèlica que recorda als millors moments del Tago Mago o Ega Bamyasi dels Can. ”Time is Key” ens fa perdre en un horitzó d’atmosferes lisèrgiques de tres parts, on hi té cabuda ambient, catarsi space-rockera i pura experiència psicodèlica. ”Peeling Off” i ”She Provides” són les cançons més espesses del disc. La seva estructura esquizofrènica s’allarga 25 minuts, en el primer cas i 10 en el segon, recordant al minimalisme industrial, i als moments més experimentals de The Ex, Throbbing Gristle i la bogeria de Silver Apples. La cançó que tanca el disc és diu ”Chi’en”, i els ha agradat tant que han decidit batejar el seu disc debut així, donant-li el nom d’aquesta cançó. Llarga vida a l’experiència psicodèlica!
13-7-09/ Reseña Qa’a “Chi’en” por Gonzalo Castillo (DJ Gonzo) en Scanner FM
Tras una serie de retrasos y contratiempos por fin podremos disfrutar en todo su esplendor del debut en formato físico de la aclamada banda barcelonina de neo-krautrockQa’a. Ha merecido la pena la espera porque el disco, titulado Ch’ien, suena redondo y acabado. Grabado por la propia banda junto a Zlaya Hadzchic (Sonic Youth,Tortoise, The Ex, Dirty Three, Jaga Jazzists..) y después de haber pasado por los Faust Studios, Ch’ien recoge lo mejor que el cuarteto de Barcelona sabe hacer : una magnífica revisión del legado de los míticos Can conjugada con una hipnótica repetición rítmica y psicodélica, capaz de elevarte a estados de trance donde ruido y melodía consiguen hermanar los sonidos de la tierra y del espacio. Y todo esto sin drogas de por medio y sin salir de España, oigan. En Septiembre tendremos ocasión de verles en directo en la fiesta de cierre del V Aniversario de esta casa (Sala La 2 de Apolo) junto a otras bandas significativas de la escena local. Y en Octubre podremos disfrutar nuevamente de su directo esta vez acompañando al mismo Damo Suzuki en la gira que tiene prevista para Otoño. Todo un lujo.
27-6-2008/ Prèvia Qa’a al Sónar 2008 per Arnau Sabaté a Mai a la Vida
“Els QA’A que cada cop estan més curtits en matèria de directe van demostrar que com més avancen menys s’assemblen al so dels temes que tenen penjats al seu Myspace. La seva música, cada cop és més característica i la seva actitud sobre l’escenari influeix molt a l’hora de transmetre l’essència de la seva música que borra qualsevol frontera existent entre el soul-noise, trance i psiquedèlia krautrokiana.”
13-6- 2008 / Prèvia Qa’a al Sónar 2008 per Arnau Sabaté a Mai a la Vida
“Els QA’A ja han aparegut en altres ocasions en posts del mai a la vida i provablement s’estiguin situant en una de les posicions més esperançadores de la música d’aquest país. La seva música es podria definir com psiquedèlia tot i que quedaríem bastant curts dient només això, així que s’hi haurien de sumar elements del rock, l’àcid, el noise, etc. Multitud d’elements que només ells saben combinar és per això que productors de la talla de Zlaya Hadzic (Sonic Youth, Tortoise, The Ex..) s’hi han fixat.”
2-3-2008/ Resenya concert Qa’a 28 de febrer al Sidecar en el blog Mai a la Vida
“Els QA’A van sortir a escena amb la corresponent maquinària d’efectes que porten sempre a sobre. Increïble el nombre de synths i pedals que van utilitzar. La seva música se’m fa complicada de definir, però si hagués de posar-hi adjectius jo diria algo així com noise post-madchester, tot i que segur que em quedaria curt. Els seus directes consisteixen en elevar a la màxima potència l’experimentació musical sense deixar en cap moment de sonar malament. El potencial creatiu dels impronunciables QA’A és canya i atmosferes psicodèliques que ens transporten a uns ritmes elèctrics perfectes. Molt recomanables….”
Junio 2008/ Previa Qa’a Sónar 2008 en Scanner FM
“ En el 2008 el cuarteto ha empezado con fuerza: tras una serie de colaboraciones con Lydia Lunch y Les Aus entre otros y después de ganar la convocatoria OFF LEM 2007 del festival de música experimental por antonomasia de Barcelona (LEM), QA´A se han perfilado como el universo sonoro más interesante del país. A comprobar en directo y en su inminente Disco grabado con Zlaya Hadzic (Sonic Youth,Tortoise, The Ex, Dirty Three, Jaga Jazzists..). Nada menos… La semilla es una experiencia vital de unos de los componentes, en casa de un miembro de The Residents. De esta manera nace QA´A , con una clara voluntad intuitiva de experimentar con diversas texturas (tanto ásperas como melódicas) para acabar conjugando un sonido a caballo entre la formación clásica rock y el laboratorio científico. Siempre han querido llegar a un lugar con su música aunque no es siempre el mismo y no siempre usan los mismos caminos para llegar. No descartan ningún sonido, todo puede ser aprovechable si se utiliza de la manera adecuada. Asi la repetición rítmica, la psicodelia, el ruido, el trance y en definitiva la capacidad de hermanar los sonidos de la tierra y del espacio los emparenta con una tradición de música lisérgica y visceral a partes iguales. Quien los ha visto en directo se ha sentido frecuentemente transportado, siendo la palabra “viaje” común para describir sus actuaciones. QA´A és una banda que recuerda por su espontaneidad, autenticidad y sinceridad a las de kraut-rock de hace 40 años, que ha viajado en el tiempohasta el presente para llevarnos hacia el futuro.”