Recorded by Olaf Rupp at Nalepastudios in Berlin on April 29 and May 10, 2009
Edited by Christoph Gallio and Olaf Rupp
Mixed and mastered by Olaf Rupp
Composed by Christoph Gallio (SUISA) and Olaf Rupp (GEMA)
Executive produced by Rapid Moment/GLK

Cover art by Yuri Leiderman
Photo by Christoph Gallio
Graphic design by Anne Hoffmann
Produced by Christoph Gallio and Olaf Rupp

OLAF RUPP & CHRISTOPH GALLIO «FASANE HULA PUNK» (CD by Rapid Moment)

It is not my way of doing things, but this time I would like a start complimenting myself. For many years I listen a lot to records of free improvised music. Many of them are okay, many of them are mediocre. In spite of this listening experience, I often feel not sure anymore whether I still have the capacity to detect improvised music that really makes a difference. But luckily I can, concluding from listening to this very convincing and amazing work by Rupp and Gallio. The CD has a very cryptic title: 'Fasane Hula Punk'. I can't link it to something that makes some sense. The thirteen improvisations are not of any help. Instead of equal mysterious names, they carry numbers only, from 1 up to 13. The improvisations have to stand on their own feet and that is exactly what these improvisations do. Both gentlemen had a very fruitful encounter. The name of swiss sax player Christoph Gallio occurred earlier in Vital Weekly with some of his releases for the Percaso label. Olaf Rupp is a new player for me. He really impressed me with the depth and richness of his style and sound. He is an autodidact from Germany who developed his very own style of playing the electric guitar. He has several solo albums out on Grob and participated on many others albums. In the past he worked with Lol Coxhill, Michael Wertmüller, John Zorn, Paul Lovens, Thomas Lehn, Butch Morris, Tony Buck, among others. The recordings for this new CD were done in Berlin on two days early in 2009. There was a deep mutual understanding and respect in action here. Every piece illustrates that it was a very intense meeting between two improvisors who built beautiful conversations. The playing is crystal clear, very pure, uncomplicated and straight. Everything, every detail is on its place and functional. Although it is abstract, it is very emotional and moving music at the same time. An absolutely marvelous release from Rapid Moment.

Dolf Mulder, VITAL WEEKLY number 714, week 3

GALLIO / RUPP Fasane Hula Punk (Rapid Moment, RM079)

An unvermutetem Ort, nämlich dem Label des Musikers Goh Lee Kwan in Malaysia, findet sich diese unvermutete Paarung. Olaf Rupp  ist schließlich ein Gitarrist der heftigen Sorte - wie zuletzt mit Pliakas & Wertmüller zu hören, der Saxophonist Christoph Gallio - wie er oft genug mit seiner Schweizer Formation DAY & TAXI gezeigt hat - ein eher kühler und eleganter Stilist, der vorwiegend Komponiertes spielt. Hier wird frei improvisiert. Gallio bläst ausschließlich auf dem Soprano und dass er mehr mit einem Steve Lacy- als Evan Parker-Sound am Hut hat, ist nur ein grober Richtungshinweis auf seinen eigenen Tonfall. Rupp kommt ihm insofern entgegen, als er seine wahnwitzig rasanten und maximalistischen Repetitionen hier nicht derart verdichtet, wie man ihn solo oder etwa mit Wertmüller kennt. Gallio stöchert, keckert, fiept Vierteltöne und Schrägeres, aleatorisch, insistierend, dann auch nahezu tonlos gehaucht, durchwegs aber kakophon und krumm, wie ihm hier der Schnabel verbogen scheint. So nölend, kläffend, so heiser, so windschief und öfters ganz gottserbärmlich klingt er da, dass doch er es ist, der über den längeren Schatten springt, um sich und denen, die ihn nicht gut genug kennen, die Zähne zu zeigen. Rupp arpeggiert zwar immer wieder in sprudelnden Verwirbelungen, seiner unverwechselbaren Handschrift, aber zupft und harft dann auch ganz reduziert, verhalten, träumerisch, um im nächsten Anlauf wieder ganz struppig und ruppig die Saiten zu malträtieren. So geht dann erstaunlich viel erstaunlich gut zusammen zwischen den beiden.

Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy 65

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