1 Aqui's Gustavo Andrade and Stephonik check out the goods at Austin's Sound on Sound
Photo by Jenna Decker
Record Shopping with Aqui
Issue #24
We shelled out 50 smackers to this psychedelic punk band to spend on SXSW souvenirs
By Anna Breshears
Published: June 1st, 2005 | 3:04pm
Brooklyn-based four-piece Aqui blends a heady fusion of hardcore, metal, and no-wave prog with frontwoman Stephonik’s restless charisma, a dizzying combination of swaggering bravado and heart-wrenching emotion. At a South by Southwest showcase in Austin, Texas, she lurched into the audience, screaming, convulsing, and singing inches from peoples’ faces. At one point, she even threw her arms around a photographer and met his eyes with a wild, pleading stare. Stephonik turns observers into the observed, drawing the rest of the crowd’s attention to their palpably uncomfortable reactions.
Though intimidating onstage, Stephonik is friendly and engaging in person, but no less intense. The band spends an hour and a half sifting through records of all genres at Sound on Sound, Austin’s newest independent record store. Sitting behind the counter with Newcastle in hand, owner Jason Costanzo announces, “Today is the store’s one-year anniversary.”
Aqui’s members have vastly different tastes, spanning everything from punk to reggae to soul. Drummer Bob Stein heads straight for the bins of dollar albums, scoping out amusing covers and sampling fodder. Bassist Gbatokai Dakinah prefers funk and jazz. “These guys look sharp,” he notes, pulling out a Commodores record. Stephonik wanders the store, looking at her bandmates’ choices, wondering if she shouldn’t pick up some Iron Maiden, which provides the soundtrack for this excursion. Guitarist Gustavo Andrade carefully listens to everything on the in-store record player and takes the selection process very seriously.
After hearing the quartet’s 2004 release The First Trip Out (Ace Fu), it’s no surprise that Aqui draws from a variety of influences to achieve a sound that’s dense and rich. Aqui is loud but not sloppy: You can detect free-form jazz structures as a motivating force behind the dark, seemingly chaotic arias of noise.
In the end, Aqui walks out with a hefty stack of records, including a few dollar deals such as a collection of scary Halloween sounds and some instructional records on tact and skill. Stephonik reasons, “Maybe these will help us sell some CDs after our shows.”
The Shopping List:
- Parliament, Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome. Stephonik says: “They put on a show.” The other three members agree. Andrade adds: “They’re from the future as well.”
- Johnny Thunders, Born Too Loose. Andrade says: “The face of Johnny Thunders has been staring at me for a while now.”
- John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Sometime in New York City. Stephonik says: “I’ve been thinking a lot about the lovers lately.”
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Brain Salad Surgery. Bob Stein says: “Well, first of all, the title grabbed my attention. Second of all, when I popped it on, it was some insane progressive stuff with really good rhythms.”
- The Coachwhips, Peanut Butter And Jelly Live at the Ginger Minge
- Moon Martin, Escape From Domination
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