ramuntcho matta: écoute...

ltd repress. Visual artist and musician Ramuntcho Matta was born 1960, the son of Chilean painter Roberto Matta and an American mother, herself presumably also the mother of Gordon Matta-Clark. He studied guitar and piano, Argentinian Tango, classical composition and Indian vocal techniques. He discovered avantgarde music at an early age, citing Lou Reed’s Transformer in 1972 as an early influence. Matta lived in New York between 1978 and 80 where he met John Cage, Laurie Anderson and poet Brion Gysin, with which he made 2 singles in 1978 (Junk & Kick, on Celluloid) and an LP in 1985, published by Mosquito, France. His 3 solo LPs from the 1980s, Via (1983), Écoute and 24 Hrs (both 1986), use extra-European musicians, especially African and Brazilian percussionists, jazz horn players and Urugayan singer Elie Meideros. On Écoute, Cacau de Queiroz’s performance on saxophone and flute is particularly stunning. This Copacabana saxophonist also played with Vinicius de Moraes, Gal Costa and Rashid Ali. A former Gipsy Kings member, Jorge “Negrito” Trasante on percussion is responsible for much of the LP’s Brazilian flavor. Écoute also includes Magma’s bassist Jannick Top on 2 tracks. The exquisite track O Clapo is based on water claps performed by Trasante and Matta.