Carlos Maria Trindade & Nuno Canavarro / Mr. Wollogallu / Urpa i musell

Carlos Maria Trindade and Nuno Canavarro had both been in Portuguese Synth Pop bands during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their 1991 collaborative release has, however, been called in some sales pitch somewhere as a “Fourth World Holy Grail”.

While spilt into individual sides, the recording was a wholly symbiotic process. Taking place over five months in 1989. With the two musicians playing on the other`s compositions, and sharing an impressive armoury of instruments. Bamboo, Bass, Cello, Cuica, Fugel Horn, Harmonica, Harp, Koto, Marimba, Panpipes, Roland Sampler, Shakuhachi, Tabla, Theremin, Trombone, Ukelele, Vibraphone, and Yamaha Synthesiser. Setting out to soundtrack imagined landscapes with musical collages. Inspired by African and Middle Eastern audio tapes, TV documentaries, Geography books, and Mediterranean storytelling traditions.

CMT`s side is a treasure of picked guitars, sampled song, strings, and woodwinds. Like Finis Africae hanging out at the Penguin Cafe. The romantic solo piano piece, West, will appeal to those who shelled out for the Jun Fukamachi Nicole 86 reissue.

The percussive synthesis on NC`s side shares Cafe Del Mar Trance space with Michael Shrieve`s Transfer Station Blue, and Klaus Schulze`s Druck. Blu Terra with Zazou / Bikaye / CY1`s Electro-Congo. The quieter Antica / Burun with Roberto Musci`s sublime Claudia, Wilhelm R And Me. It was Visible Cloaks` Spencer Doran`s inclusion of Antica / Burun on a mix for The Lake Radio that put Mr. Wollogallu on my wants list. Field recordings and electronics enter Amos Tutuola`s Bush Of Ghosts with Eno & Byrne, Michel Banabilla`s Marilli, and Holger Czukay`s short wave experiments. The sampled singers hitting a deep emotional chord. Blurred between the “Folks” of Sainkho and Ikue Asazaki. Something Ancestral. Human. Common to all of us. Irrespective of where we call home.