by Raquel Pinheiro
On The Act Of Reminding is Francisco Oliveira’s debut solo record.
Oliveira is a member of Terebentina, Holoscene 85' and Deepbreathers. This
record couldn’t be further from Terebentina’s in your face tumultuous,
assaulting chaos of sudden stops and frantic noisy delirious emotions. Although
it is closer to some of Holoscene 85’ works, but in a stripped down fashion.
Magical simplicity at its best is what is on offer in On The
Act Of Reminding. The album was recorded and produced by Francisco Oliveira that mostly used an old upright
piano from his grandmother’s house that has not been played or tuned in over 20
years. Its five instrumental themes are ethereal, evoking northern mystical
forests, placid streams and the wilderness.
However, those are not Francisco’s
evocations/memories. To him, the old piano recalls his cousins, uncles and his
grandmother. To me, the piano also has family connotations: the music room of the
house of one of my maternal grandmother’s cousins by the sea, with its two upright
pianos – tuned and much played, and the room’s view into a magnificent garden.
Autumnal beauty could describe
On The Act Of Reminding even if it was released in July. It is a timeless
and seasonless record, in which the untuned piano is used sparsely and with
restrain, at times with the same key(s) looped to construct precious musical gems
that Luiza Lima’s violin subtly punctuates or exalts. All five themes, numbered
/1 to /5 are enchanted, making it hard to pick favourites. /3 more rich tones
and fullness and /4 mechanical/industrial penchant stand out, but my absolute preference
goes to /5 classic gentle beauty.
(Edições Fauve, 2018)
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