Ever since the quarantine in Argentina started, perhaps unknowingly I always found mental peace in art. Whether it be an album I really wanted to dissect, spending time mixing songs I had been demoing for a while, or finally getting to watch Community in its entirety, art was always there. It all dawned on me as I was getting ready to write this piece:
Art is any piece of work that’s intended to make you feel the kind of human emotions that are unique to the human experience. Art precedes technology. Art is the blueprint for progress. Art is the manifestation of ideas, it’s what bridges the gap between human imagination and mundane reality. Art is the expression of individuals becoming something more important than the individual themselves, part of a greater purpose or of a higher power. Art is broad, art is abstract and art will ultimately become formless. Art is work that makes life more meaningful than the struggle for survival and procreation. That is art.
And few artistic collectives and record labels embody this very same notion with such raw, unadulterated impact as the people from Boulogne Violento.
Founded in August of our current year (2020) Boulogne Violento is an artistic collective/record label from Buenos Aires’ northern suburbs, where high-rise buildings have not cast a single shadow on the scorching hot asphalt streets.
Upon having a word with the creators and founders of this artistic endeavor I bring to you a curated 3-course meal of some of my favorite artists from said label:
Music:
Pacuit0 starts us off with a searing distorted guitar that pushes this song forward with vocals reminiscent of those from Descendents or Dead Kennedys. I was taken by surprise when the violent and powerful protest song glitched out completely to bring a rather soothing outro, with distant snare hits and a soft slow-fading guitar buoying in the distance. A rather unique take on the classic brisk punk rock song formula that made me come back to the track again and again.
A split little EP featuring a taste of dark and gloomy ambient. The carefully crafted sounds and smart use of sound panning really elevate these tracks from simple sample usage to an unnerving set of nightmarish and all-encompassing soundscapes. Both Mastradelias and G.L.A.C.I.A.R. guide us through forests thick with what I can only describe as sonic fog, leaving us with a pervading sense of uneasiness.
If you’re looking to trip hard while still rocking to a sick groove then KOTO’s latest single teaming up with Marcos Lanzarotti and a very special mention in this assortment of musical artists really delivers. From the icy and dizzying arpeggios cascading in the intro to the solid and catchy bassline and drum combo, this tune marries the oomph and swagger of Queens of the Stone Age with the subtlety and harmonic variation you’d find in art-rock outfits. A song that keeps you on your toes at all times.
Visual Art:
Mato
Contorting bodies and devilish creatures ooze out of Mato’s pen. Though a pen is not necessarily the only medium he uses to bring these jarring pictures to life. Regardless of how you might feel about this particular style of visual art, there is a certain beauty to what at first seems like gratuitous body horror, a beauty that only makes sense the more time you spend in this sordid universe. Most of Mato’s art speaks for itself but tread carefully when browsing his portfolio, for October might have ended but the spooks certainly haven’t. More here!
Pablo Sanchez
I’ve eternally been intrigued by Japanese manga and anime. To think about the amount of dedication that goes into hand-drawn pages of what the uninitiated would say is the eastern equivalent of comic books is unfathomable to me. Pablo Sanchez does that and much more. Needless to say, if you’re a manga enthusiast you’ll love his work. But although it may seem like a very niche thing, Pablo goes beyond. He offers purposefully open-ended narratives, frames with no beginning nor end. A still image of an untold story leaving you wanting more.
Estudio Invisible
A dynamic duo of avid visual artists and photographers ends our little visual tour on a rather sweet note. Estudio Invisible are Leo Giachero and Ana Clara Escortell. Though they have participated in a myriad of projects, many of which include live concert photography, their latest endeavor shows them venturing down a collage-esque road. “Fragil” depicts a series of scans of dried or soon-to-be dried plants and flowers, arranged in a rather poetic fashion. No further context is given but in their complicit silence with the observer, they elicit a feeling of melancholy, hopefulness, and tender frailty. More here!
Poetry and Prose:
Luciana Villar – Procrastinar También Puede Ser un Arte
Luciana finds a way to depict boredom in a way more appealing way than actual boredom feels like when lockdown blues sets in. Written in 2018, this short but effective prose writing feels like it was way ahead of what many of us are feeling during the quarantine:
“Me desperté a las ocho, aunque me dormí a las tres. Lo que pasa es que hoy tengo mucho que hacer. Tengo que anotarme en las materias que debo. Tengo que sacar varios turnos, que no se pueden hacer por teléfono. Tengo que ver cuando rindo lo que tengo que rendir. Tengo que entregar trabajos míos y ajenos. Tengo que ver como zafo de la reunión del viernes. Ya son las once. Ya dejo la compu y voy a hacer todo lo que tengo que hacer. Ya le digo a lau que me tengo que ir, que hablamos después. Ya debería calzarme. Me saco el pijama y voy. Son las dos. mejor me voy ya porque mi mama me esta mirando mal. Saco la basura, así siento que hice algo. Son las cinco, seguro los pibes están en la costa, mejor paso a saludar. Tengo que renovar la lista de canciones del celu
– No me gusta este camino, estoy harto del destino. daré una vuelta por la playa y a fumar con mis amigos. nada parece estar roto hoy solo la voz del que llega tarde. luzbelito de sol a sol otro día perfecto.-
Tengo frío, voy a pasar por lo de Checho para que me preste una campera. Se va con el skate a la mitre, mejor voy con él, así no vuelve solo después. Nos invitaron al América Libre, voy a pasar a ver a mis compas de tela, porque después dicen que estoy media cortada y es verdad. Desde que dejé de ir a las clases casi no las veo. Son las once, si tomo el bondi ahora llego a casa tipo y media, así puedo dormir relativamente temprano. Uff una y media ya?! voy a dejar el celu, pero antes pongo la alarma a las 7:30, porque mañana tengo que hacer un montón de cosas. Tengo que anotarme en las materias que debo. Tengo que sacar varios turnos, que no se pueden hacer por teléfono. Tengo que ver cuando rindo…
-ey, patán dame una seca que este mundo no vale nada. todas las poblas son lo mismo estos días perfectos.-“
Gonzalo J. Marron – Del Amor Bélico
Though Gonzalo may be best known for his work as an independent photographer of the musical underground (and a very good one at that), he’s also an avid writer. Nowhere is this more evident than in his short free-form poem about war, love, and detachment:
“No, no hagamos la guerra, no hagamos el amor. Traguémonos las armas, depongamos el ego. No, no es esta una proclama antibelicista; es una tregua entre nosotros. No, no es esta una tregua entre nosotros; es una llamada a levantarnos en amores, a derrotarnos, a sentirme derrotado. Como en tu cuerpo de destrucción pasional. Tu cuerpo deseado, donde a mí, como un guerrero bravío de la timidez, me han derrotado.
Tu cuerpo, mi timidez y el irónico encuentro donde por más valentía que demostráramos, nos fundíamos en pasiones. Pero miranos, mirémonos ahora, una kilométrica trinchera de tiempo-espacio nos separa. Allá vos y acá yo. El olvido es como una herida, puede curarse, puede cerrar, quizás no. Pero acá me ves… por vos, a este combatiente desahuciado de toda pasión, de toda osadía, esa herida aún le sangra…”
We strongly encourage you pay Boulogne Violento a visit on their official webpage!