Jacula / Antonius Rex

[Sammaellofi]

I have not posted here in a while, but I wanted the opinion of those who think of music in a more thoughtful way, and this was the only place I could think of where the history of music is not just some attempt to make all people seem equal to eachother and pose for shoe commercials.

I was wondering if any of you, while digging through the early roots of extreme music, ever came across Antonius Rex and their earlier form, Jacula.  I listen to them, and am most struck by how it seems completely impossible that they exist at all, with their particular sounds at the particular era.  I enjoy the soundscapes, though I probably would have a different opinion if this music came out in the late 90s.  I think that this much originanity for a time deserves a look at what the deeper message of it was, and so far I have not been dissapointed. 

I am thinking maybe a big joke is being played on me and this band never really existed, but the joke must have been on someone else, as I am no one.

[Bandh]

Indeed, the whole thing seems fabricated. The mix and instruments in their song "Triumphatus Sad" just sounds too polished and digital to have been made in 1969--not because the recording is of very high quality, it just sounds more like it has been made on a cheap computer based home studio. Also, as someone pointed out in the comments at YouTube (see link below), the guitar sounds like it has been run through a 90's Korg pedal.

Link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg5U1-nQHsE

I am thinking maybe a big joke is being played on me and this band never really existed, but the joke must have been on someone else, as I am no one.

What?

[fallot]

Triumphatus Sad is either a surprising coincidence and curiosity or a fabrication; the latter seems much more credible to me. That lands it squarely in the realm of shock-rock (shock-prog?) in spirit; but it makes me dream like it makes you dream I guess. That track has always had an allure external to its purely musical statement due to the way Antonio Bartoccetti decided to present it, at least for me. Whatever it is, the idea was gold. Master troll.

I'm not really familiar with the band's work beyond that track, which pops up every now and then when some seeker comes across it.

What?

Nothing.

[Sammaellofi]

Well the album that track came off of supposedly was released in a small quanitiy in 1969, but even their fans have some doubt about that date, though they have no problem placing it prior to 1972, which is already surprising.  Other tracks they did back then have the same idea, that being spoken word, organ driven songs, that have heavily distorted guitar build upon the themes.

I have heard movie soundtracks from the time that show a chance that this could be legit, and it is a pretty well known fact the echo-chambering production on albums from that time was a total aesthetic decision and that clear production was available since the 50s.  One only needs to listen to Frank Sinatra's album "Only the Lonely" to know that production and sonic clarity has not jumped ahead too far in the last half-century.  They did indeed, toward the end of the 70s, have some more prog type stuff that they tried to make more commercial with the compressed and awful cavernous sound of the day.

On the other hand, I was very interested on the comments about the technical aspect, like how a certain modern distortion effect was noticed.  I wish someone had some experience with this band and at least had heard of them before the early 2000s when they started rereleasing this stuff on CD.

[holy ghost]

Both bands sound great, but like most others, I'm very skeptical about the dates put forth. I find it hard to believe and feel like it's a hoax and that actually affects my enjoyment of the music to a certain degree. However I don't think it's impossible....

[PimpOfGore]

Well, like you pointed out, it does sound pretty digital, and that always made me doubt the legitimacy of the release date. But, then again, some of the most obscure prog rock bands I ever heard were Italian. I guess that somehow affected my evaluation. That and the fact that most of them, like Simonetti, the whole Goblin crew, Frizzi and Rizzati, were into much darker stuff and ahead of their time in the early 70's.  However, to be honest, I did also think that it might have been recorded with some pretty crappy equipment which may have contributed to such a weird production. =)

[holy ghost]

There's two things that spring to mind about the "hoax" idea - one is that when Black Widow reissued those recordings there was just so much hype all of a sudden about the band one got the idea it was all shrewed marketing as before that no one knew anything about them, and there's one song in particular with a particularly fuzzed out tone and I immediately felt like I was being played. Just me though, I think it would be really cool if it were the case.