Domínio Total do Espectro

Paradela do Rio, June 1, 1956

These times of dams mark a true new era for the world. One of these days, in school, the teacher will point to the map and say:
- Before the Reservoirzoic Period, this was Barroso.

Miguel Torga, in Diário VIII

Still taking its first steps, the Criptobanda Musical of Paradela do Rio emerged from the will of the people of Paradela, where it is based. This cassette, recorded in the heart of the Paradela Dam Neighborhood, includes 9 pieces composed exclusively for the institution and presents the result of its first year of work under the musical direction of David Ole.

The compositions are inspired by the history and daily life of the village, whose traditional character has been disfigured over time: from plundering and occupation by French troops in the 19th century, through the arrival of thousands of workers for the construction of the dam in the 1950s, to the subsequent massive rural exodus and, more recently, the settling of a group of musicians, artists, and thinkers seeking to redefine its place on the contemporary cultural map.

The Criptobanda Musical of Paradela do Rio promotes the effective acceleration of this long process of submission and erosion of Paradela’s identity, acting as a catalyst for its social, cultural, and economic transformation.

Its musical practice is centered on the Neoharmonic doctrine: an aesthetic in which tension and instability are prolonged over time, subverted by a logic of saturation and dispersion that rejects centers and returns, abolishing the stability promised by the dominant chord — the structural pillar of tonal music that stages an illusion of return, belonging, and home.

The music contained in this cassette radically deconstructs the popular tradition of band music, dissolving it into unstable textures and erratic movements derived from the manipulation and distortion of the sound spectrum.

FD074

Recorded in the Paradela do Rio Dam Neighborhood (Montalegre (Vila Real (Portugal))).

Recording: David Machado
Design: Diana Wellington
Photography: Dora Vieira


Acknowledgments:
Acendalha
Carolina Carvalho
Diogo Jesus
Energias de Portugal, SA
Mariya Nesvyetaylo