ONS KERK SE MENSE

Various ArtistsOneF1015Distributed with ONS KLYNTJI magazine dated November 2007

FULL DISCLOSURE: The reviewer collaborates on three of these 22 tracks andwill therefore make no value judgments on the content or his own vocals butwill restrict his comments to the inputs of his partners. Two and a half yearsdown the line, this extraordinary compilation has garnered only one onlinereview. The reviewer-contributor is thus compelled to reveal the neglectedrarity’s treasures & travesties.

Ons Kerk Se Mense (The Members of our Congregation or literally, Our Church’s People) was compiled by Drikus Barnard of the bands Slow, Brixton,Moord & Roof, Plank & Trike. Nine or ten of these were recorded andproduced at his Lekkerrus Studios. (Mystery surrounds track 22). Paul Riekertof OneF Records produced 4 of them and mastered the album.Photographic credit: ‘Train and Trout’ by Mariska Ison.Acts with more than one contribution include Buckfever Underground (2),Insek (2) and Drikus (under the moniker Brixton Barnard and with Slow).Recorded in 2000, Slow’s

Krismiswurm

is the oldest as it would appear that allthe others were recorded in either 2006 or 2007. Spoken poetry/prosecomprises approximately one third of the work although some tracks straddlegenres. Besides numbers 1 and 21 which are in English, the rest is Afrikaansthrough and through.

PART ONE

Slow’s edgy

Krismiswurm

opens with sampled male & female voices beforethe guitars & drums kick in. The complex arrangement encompasses shiftingtempos, innovative guitar work and startling bursts of percussion over andaround which Drikus steers his acerbic social commentary.Both of Buckfever Underground’s contributions come from their album TheBuckfever Underground SAVES. Over a mix of what sounds like sax,cymbals, guitar, drums and drones, the first offering

Psalms en Gesange

(Psalms & Hymns) praises inter alia airmail, e-mail, roadblocks, alcoholabuse, community service, national parks, simplicity, various vehicles, givingbirth, painkillers, the ability to urinate, the dreams of a child, a bank balance,seekers that find, strategic retreats and fellatio.That wild parade emerges after the slow, ominous intro that lists a series of “iconic” politico-religious figures; the pace picks up for the praises that areinterspersed with off-the-cuff observations. Finally the tempo winds down in aloop-like repetition of the jubilations alone.A burst of textured feedback unleashes the only English song,

I Want To DieOn A Tuesday Afternoon

. This passionate rant’s up-tempo beat supports theswirls and shapes summoned up by massed guitars, surging synths andsundry chimes, hums & buzzes.Insek’s first track is the brief instrumental called

Derrick

on which trumpet-dominant segments alternate with screaming guitars & sax-like sounds. Themaniacal

Terug Van Die Dood

(Back From The Dead) combines bellowedvocals & shrieks with 200bpm industrial beats.Phew! In the name of sanity, let’s turn to the more conventional structures of the singer-songwriters. Ironically, Piet Planter’s blend of brooding vocals and jangling guitar deals with insanity (

Niemand By Die Huis

). A choir of electronic

crickets at first subtly insinuates itself into the rich full sound, progressivelyinfiltrates the matrix and finally fragments the psyche as it triumphs in the mix.An interplay of symphonic synths and stirring guitar give rise to the beautifulautumnal tones of Bacchus Nel’s

Ballade Van Die Vrou Wat Te Lank AlleenGebly Het

(Ballad Of The Woman Who Stayed On Her Own Too Long). Hisrich tenor narrates a tale of woe, something like Eleanor Rigby’s Afrikaansaunty who dwelt on a farm in the Karoo.The third singer-songwriter (second in the segue after Bacchus) is Bittervrugwith

Ek Sien Jou In My Drome

(I See You In My Dreams). Alas, the mood liftsnot… grieving guitar embraces solemn orchestral sounds while a funerealbeat provides the perfect backdrop for Charles’ anguished vocals as theyspiral ever deeper into despair.Feeling suicidal? Let’s jump 5 tracks for the love of life! Brixton Barnard savesthe day with a Ween-like faux country send-up of 1970s country queen

Barbara Ray

. Not exactly humorous either, the song serenades the chanteusewithin a framework of bitter irony, dark humor and apocalyptic imagery.By now, Angst starts sinking its claws into my soul so I skip Moord Greeff’s

Ballas

for

Monster Soek Sy Meester

(Monster Seeks Its Master) by WillemWelsyn en die Sunrise Toffies. At least this one has chugging, buoyantrhythms, roaring guitars and soaring vocals. The music brings brief respite butthe lyrics relentlessly push the mutant.Jeez, dudes … feed me Effexor, Elavil, Prozac.Singer-songwriter Roof Bezuidenhout’s tender

Afrika Wat Wag

(Africa WhichAwaits) offers elegant melancholia in its acoustic simplicity which isatmospherically enhanced by the odd strategic bleep, exquisite percussiveinfusions plus some whirring effects that embellish the outro.OK, bring on the poets then!