Mondo Bizarre Magazine

Francisco Oliveira – On The Act Of Reminding

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)