On Sacrifice...

O.P.A.L. - Sacrifice Live At San Juan Noise Fest V

I have a very personal belief that art is both a means of expression and a con (mainly it's business side, and that is usually the subject of another rant). Anyway, it's my belief that for the last twenty years both in the U.S. and Puerto Rico we've seen efforts to suppress that expression. Whether it's a group of "concerned" citizens, or let's just come out and say it: religious zealots or conservative self appointed guardians of morality, who feel entitled to push their religious and political agendas down our throats, damn the opinions of others, much less our hard earned right to freedom of expression.

The funny thing about these people is that they hide behind the bible or their twisted sense of morality to suppress acts of artistic (and non-artistic) expression and are willing to censor them or manifest their 'shock and horror' about them, while they let similar or worse crimes go by unnoticed. Worse, they act 'concerned' while worst things are done by them on a daily basis.

Why am I writing about this? Well, the piece above is about sacrifice. Whether we sacrificed our rights for a false sense of security against a (mostly fabricated) enemy or worse yet, sacrifice our freedom to give an unaccountable few lots of power over our lives. Personally, the American (and to some extent the Puertorican) Dream, whatever that is, went downhill in the last 30 or 40 years. Nixon, Reagan, the Bushes, Romero Barcelo, Rossello and now Fortun~o have come to represent all of those forces who stifle expression and freedom. Whether it's the progressive dissection of our constitutional rights for the past 30 years, whether it's getting upset at a bunch of kids attempt to capture life at their housing project on video, it's all there. Captured in fourteen minutes fifteen seconds in a sound collage.

William S. Burroughs did it way before all of us with his cut-ups in his literary work. Sampling became it's logical successor. We steal shamelessly, but we try to steal from the best. This time, elements from Hunter S. Thompson´s Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, Jello Biafra´s No More Coccoons, Les Tambours Du Bronx, the audio from the video from the boys of the Chavier housing project itself, and an improvised song from a toddler. We added noises, feedback and put it together in one nice little package for your listening pleasure. I think it's our little fuck you to everyone who gets on a high horse and try to justify outright censorship and repression, whether by religious, moral and or political means.

Thanks to Carlos, who was crazy enough to join me on this one. Jorge, for inviting us to play and we created a piece fitting for his, according to him, last stint at helming the San Juan Noise Fest. Angelito, for recording it for posterity. Last but not least, the other artists who played and the staff at Executive Manolo.

Anyway, here it is. Listen to it. Download it. Write about it. Let us know about it. Take care.