A Gatorra, an animal helmet
and a box of bleeping toys

June 20th, 2007 Posted by Dougal

Gruff Rhys unhurriedly unpacks an assortment of strange toys and home-made signal generators and synthesisers while Tony Da Gatorra fastens a T star G headband around his forehead and straps on his creation: the Gatorra. Gruff is a Welsh song-writing legend. Tony is an incredible guy. We feel honoured to be able to spy on their rehearsal process.

Tony, who’s from a small town near Port Allegre down South, fixes VCRs and assorted electronics. He invented the instrument that shares his stage name in 1994 and builds each one to order using whatever electronic components are to hand. So far there are nine in existence. Bruno, the glue that holds the Trocabrahma together (and a lawyer studying to further his field, a drummer, one half of Slag Records with his brother Eduardo and one of the calmest people you can ever meet, along with Julio) has the third one, Nick McCarthy from Franz Ferdinand has one as does Loveboxxx from CSS. I’ve got my eye on the most recent one (unless I’m beaten to the purchase by a swift acting blog reader). They are amazing instruments. As Tommy Da Gatorra (as he’s later dubbed by Bruno and Julio when playing it under Tony’s instruction) discovers, it’s no easy instrument to master. It resembles an electronic guitar in shape but plays rather more like a drum machine or analogue synth, like the Roland ones or perhaps a Nord. Each one is unique, made to order and takes about three months to complete. They are beautiful, intriguing and surely desirable for anyone interested in the art of making noise. If you’re thinking about placing a commission, come and see him in action then get in touch with us and we’ll hook you up. Prices start at about 2,500 Brasilian Real.

Tony Da Gatorra makes music that is overtly political. He’s a protest singer from the 60s and 70s and still dressed in the mode of his genre. His music is heavily percussive, abrasively electronic and impossible to ignore. His lyrical style is almost like rap, but a far cry from the baile funk of Bonde Do Role. He spits out staccato syllables in complete contrast to Gruff’s lush legato lyrics. Gruff Rhys, who as the singer from the Super Furry Animals needs little introduction, makes music that is innately personal. Usually his primary concern is melody and harmony. As a solo performer he makes much use of loop pedals, building up a choir of vocal harmonies over which he sings. When Tony started playing the Gatorra and chanting one of his pieces, Gruff asked what key they were in. No key, says Tony, only Rhythm. Gruff’s assorted sound generating toys, which include a toy vocoder, a very basic CASIO keyboard, an A Team phrases keyring and a mini Theremin-like synth box made for him and presented to him at a gig in Austin, make a pleasing array of distorted sounds. Studio engineer Umbert mics them up and plugs them in as if he deals with this kind of thing everyday. I suspect he doesn’t. Gruff later tells me that he finds the focus on noise and rhythm rather than melody and harmony to be refreshing. Tommy and I find it captivating. While it is funny, it doesn’t seem out of place when Gruff quite calmly takes his flame red monster animal’s head bike helmet from the floor and puts it on while they rehearse. Given everything that’s going on, it would almost be odd if he didn’t wear it.

Like all of the other artists involved in the project so far, they work on some of each other’s songs but unlike some of the others also write an entirely new track. Gruff’s strange noises and Tony’s heavy electronic bass, bleeps and pounding rhythm are complimented by Gruff’s nylon string guitar fed through a fuzz box and sweetened by Gruff’s vocal multi-layered and looped vocal lines.

They break for fresh Brasilian coffee, a regular fixture in Umbert and Paulo’s studo. Julio and Gruff discuss the evolution of Welsh and Brasilian Portuguese in the kitchen as Tony and Umbert discuss the state of the Amazonian rain forest. Tommy and I slip out with Julio to meet the others to review content and plan the evening’s entertainment. To say we’re intrigued doesn’t even begin to describe what it’s like to watch these two masters at work. How they’ll come across on stage is something I can only guess at, but can’t wait to see.

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