Os Argonautas - Os Argonautas (1999)

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Gustavo Dreher, Marcelo Moreira, Régis Sam e Rodrigo Rosa integravam em 1999 Os Argonautas, uma das bandas mais talentosas e menos convencionais da surf music brasileira.

Na verdade na ativa desde 97, com formação diferente, lançaram duas elogiadas demos com regravações de clássicos da surf music, e integraram a mítica coletânea Francis Picabia ao lado de The Charts, Gasolines e Júpiter Maçã, com sua versão de "Tomorrow Never Knows" dos Beatles.

Mas é com a formação citada, e com produção de Gustavo Dreher, Marcelo Moreira e Régis Sam, que Os Argonautas registram o primeiro disco autoral. Sobretudo um disco de surf music, também agregam a isso ritmos regionais de diversas partes do país, formando uma inacreditável mistura de sonoridades e experimentalismos.

A faixa "Soñadora" abre o disco mostrando já um pouco dessa mistura, quase como o Caribe em conjunto com Dick Dale. Isso prossegue em outras faixas como "Pájaro" e "Milonda Argonautillus", e passeia por diversos ritmos ("O Baião", "Vaquejada") e estilos ("Bolerón de Los Borrachos").

Também há grandes canções surf, como em "O Escafandrista do Asfalto" e a perfeita "Argo", onde inserir flauta e teclado dá um ótimo toque adocicado ao clima todo. "Canalhas" traz um belo duelo entre flauta e guitarra na convencional linha surf.

E não podiam faltar os experimentalismos. "Space Invaders" traz Régis Sam e Gustavo Dreher compondo o que a banda desfere como um tema quase atonal, enquanto "Luciana" coloca o pé em São Paulo e traz ritmos de samba e samplers em andamento aleatório (vezes invertidos) de Demônios da Garoa no meio da música. "Rumo à Cólquida" fecha o álbum em um lisérgico alto-mar.

O disco ainda conta com participações de Alexandre Ograndi, Plato Divorak e Thomas Dreher. Atualmente Thomas assume a bateria da banda. E Os Argonautas prosseguem com um disco de estréia que traz um inacreditável frescor à surf music.

Roberto Iwai - extraído da revista virtual the freakium!
Para mais informação, visite o site d'Os Argonautas

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Late afternoon, in a typical American restaurant. The young couple discusses plans for the future. Among coffee gulps they decide it's time for action, right there. A kiss and they're ready. The guy jumps over the bench, packed: - Everybody cool, this is a robbery!

The skinny lady jumps and shouts, holding her gun with both hands: - Any of you fucking bitches move, and I'll execute every mutherfucking last one of you!

The scene freezes. The movie had just begun but to Marcelo Moreira, sat in the cinema, there was no difference anymore. That guitar tone driving Pulp Fiction's credits sounded like a terrific revelation: - That's it. That's the sound I want to play.

Over there, on that moment, Os Argonautas (The Argonauts) got started. In February 1997 the first band line up got together, with the visionary Marcelo Moreira on guitar, the resonant Regis Sam on bass and the intrepid Wilson Picco's drums. It wasn't in vain that "Misirlou" - the inspiring soundtrack - and other songs of the master Dick Dale already took part in the band's set list. But that wasn't just that. Os Argonautas based their sonority on the soul of the authentic 60's Instrumental Surf Music. Rediscover with their contemporary latin eyes and ears The Ventures, Pyramids and Surfaris (and also The Beach Boys), but also brought to this beach the most various Brazilian, Latin American and eastern music influences.

The first demo tape, released in March of that year, showed the band's versions of the classics of the surf music and own compositions wich revealed the sound waves that Os Argonautas would surf. From that demo tape came the astonishing version of "Tomorrow Never Knows", that integrated the "Francis Picabia Project", demo tape with other Brazilian bands like Violeta de Outono and Júpiter Maçã. Os Argonautas participated also in the movie soundtrack about the history of Grêmio (great Brazilian soccer team).

After this first period, new passengers came up the deck. The percussionist Rodrigo Rosa joined in with drums and rattles, shaking the boat with tropical hot rhythm. Gustavo Dreher also had the honor of integrating Os Argonautas enchanting monsters and maidens with his magical flute. The drums changed from Vilson Picco to the fascinating Paula Nozzari.

The result was the demo tape recording, released on April 98, that has only versions of great classics of the instrumental surf music. "Secret Agent Men" was recorded live on a two-track machine, in the 60's style. By the end of 97, Os Argonautas won the "Garagito" (award for the best underground artists) as the best new band of the year. One year later the local press came to the same conclusion. And meanwhile, a new change in the Argo's crew, once again on the drums: Paula gave her place to the
legendary Sergio Bolada. Os Argonautas really hope they don't have to throw him for the sharks too soon.

Now, Os Argonautas are releasing their first album. This work has 14 original themes. It was recorded on an 8-track analog machine and was produced by Gustavo Dreher, Marcelo Moreira and Regis Sam.

Extracted from Os Argonautas' site