Popizdaja [album] by Olfamož

SLO: Popizdaja ni izbruh, nastajala je postopoma, v odmevu dogodkov, ki so nas navadili na odmik, a Andreja Fona — Olfamoža niso utišali. Od začetka pandemije dalje, od prvih protokolarnih absurdov do današnjega razgrajevanja sveta, je snoval, zapisoval, sestavljal in razstavljal. Zase. In za druge. V jeziku, ki ni nikoli samoumeven. Plošča je kot pekoče pisemce, izmenično polno žolča, humorja, zamolčanega joka in ulične brihtnosti. Politično in družbeno lucidna, a nikoli agitatorska v dobesednem smislu, raje posmehljiva, podtalno ogorčena, absurdistično razklenjena. Kot sam pravi: »Plapolam. Plapolam.« Zastava, ki ne ve več, kateri državi pripada. Telo, ki je na drogu, ker je tako nanj pritrjeno že, odkar ve zase.

V marsičem Popizdaja deluje kot kontrastni pendant prejšnji plošči Hupam, da ste dobro (2015, ZARŠ), ki je nosila izrazit pečat kolektivne igre, posnete v živo, v istem prostoru, v dinamičnem sozvočju zasedbe, prepletene s križišči afrojazza, punkovske direktnosti in svobodno improvizirane godbe. Nova izdaja se po svoje vrača k domačnosti in eksperimentu prvenca Omahuj! (2013, samozaložba): nastajala je razpršeno, pretežno v samoti, z nizkoločljivim snemalnikom, nato pa je Fon z nasnemavanjem skladbe zgradil v celote, prežete z ansambelskimi glasovi, s čimer se hkrati tudi občutno razlikuje od svoje duhovne predhodnice, katere skladbe so nastajale v enem zajemu. Popizdaja z jasno idejo in vložkom stremi k zvenu, ki je izdelan, dodelan, ponekod skoraj popovski.

Nova plošča je raztreščena in jasna, obupana in igriva, pesniška in pankerska, umetna in pristna. Na njej je vse: od robatih aforizmov o sodobni umetnosti in pop-ulične satire do temnega, razklanega zvena, ki se izmika vsakršni enolični kategorizaciji. Fon piše tako, da njegove besede skoraj vedno letijo mimo ušesa in udarijo v tilnik. Njegova zvočna poetika se vedno ziblje na robu absurda in zvena, ki ni le spremljava, temveč protiteža besedi. A vmes so tudi boogie ritmi, srhljivke za otroke, dadaistični pop napevi. Hrepenenje po domu, ki ni dostopen. Ljubljana, napihnjena in draga, odmaknjena kot sanje.

Zasedba, ki se je tukaj zbrala, da bogati Olfamoževe skladbe, je obsežna in raznolika. V Olfamoštvu tokrat sodelujejo Vid Drašler, Jošt Drašler, Matej Magajne, Eva Zibler, Mojca Sovdat, Tea Vidmar, Neža Naglič, Jure Boršič, Gregor Zamuda, Samo Kutin, Denis Oprešnik, Kaja Draksler, Andrej Kobal, Vasja Fon, Oton Korošec in cela druščina na Bučnem. Snemal in miksal je Andrej Fon sam, svetovanje in mastering pa podpisuje Sašo Kalan, ki je suvereno obvladal vse lome te večplastne fonoteke. Naslovnice je ustvaril Olfamož, fizično izdajo so oblikovali in izvedli Olfamož, Rok Pregelj in Žiga Pucelj. Avtor tipografije je Zoran Pungerčar.

ENG: Popizdaja is not an outburst; it developed gradually, echoing events that have accustomed us to distance, but it did not silence Andrej Fon — Olfamož. From the start of the pandemic, from the first absurd protocols to today’s unraveling world, he conceived, wrote, assembled, and disassembled. For himself. And for others. In a language that is never self-evident. The record is like a scalding letter, alternately full of bile, humor, unspoken crying, and streetwise cleverness. Politically and socially lucid, but never agitational in the literal sense — rather mocking, quietly outraged, absurdly unwrapped. As he himself says: "I flutter. I flutter." A flag that no longer knows which country it belongs to. A body hung on a pole because it has been attached there for as long as it can remember.

In many ways, Popizdaja serves as a contrasting counterpart to the previous album Hupam, da ste dobro (2015, ZARŠ), which bore the distinct imprint of collective playing, recorded live, in the same space, in the dynamic consonance of the ensemble, interwoven with intersections of Afro-jazz, punk directness, and freely improvised music. In its own way, the new release returns to the intimacy and experimentation of the debut Omahuj! (2013, self-released): it was created in a scattered manner, mostly in solitude, using a low-resolution recorder, after which Fon built the tracks into wholes through overdubbing, imbuing them with ensemble voices. In this, it significantly differs from its spiritual predecessor, whose tracks were recorded in a single take. Popizdaja, guided by a clear concept and dedication, strives for a sound that is crafted, refined, and at times almost pop-like.

The new album is scattered and clear, desperate and playful, poetic and punk, artificial and authentic. It contains everything: from rough aphorisms on contemporary art and pop-street satire to dark, fractured sounds that evade any simplistic categorization. Fon writes so that his words almost always fly past the ear and strike the nape. His sonic poetics always teeter on the edge of absurdity and sound, which is not just accompaniment but a counterweight to the word. Meanwhile, there are boogie rhythms, creepy nursery rhymes, dadaesque pop tunes. A longing for a home that is inaccessible. Ljubljana, puffed-up and expensive, distant as a dream.

The ensemble gathered here to enrich Olfamož’s compositions is extensive and diverse. In Olfamoštvo this time participate Vid Drašler, Jošt Drašler, Matej Magajne, Eva Zibler, Mojca Sovdat, Tea Vidmar, Neža Naglič, Jure Boršič, Gregor Zamuda, Samo Kutin, Denis Oprešnik, Kaja Draksler, Andrej Kobal, Vasja Fon, Oton Korošec, and a whole crowd from Bučno. The recording and mixing were done by Andrej Fon himself, with consulting and mastering by Sašo Kalan, who expertly handled all the turns of this multilayered phonotheque. The cover art was created by Olfamož, the physical release was designed and produced by Olfamož, Rok Pregelj and Žiga Pucelj. Typography by Zoran Pungerčar.

Format: Album, cassette, CDr, digital
Label: Ente Tapes
Catalog number: ENTE8
Country: Slovenia

Booking and info: entetapes@gmail.com or DMs
Small record label from Slovenija, led by Žiga Pucelj, doing work w/ Tschimy, Svojat, Olfamož and Funk of Terror

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