Ambient music and percussion isn’t an association most people ever draw in their heads, at least not actively; after all, this is a genre that’s mostly devoid of any pulse, favoring the indulgence of atmosphere over any form of propulsion. And yet, there are examples of percussive instruments being used to stimulate the senses in a way that doesn’t involve the gyrating of any given body parts. Midori Takada comes to mind, or any artist employing instruments like the hang drum. Today, we might have to add another ensemble to that short and thus illustrious list.
Dutch/Portuguese trio COLLIGNON, consisting of guitarist/bassist Yves Lennertz, multi-instrumentalist Gino Bombrini, and keyboarder/synthesist Jori Collignon (who might be the eponymous band member, here, but that’s just a hunch), fall comfortably within the realms of world music-inspired psychedelia, which is always a welcome addition to my listening rotation. There’s usually quite some hefty groove to their music, which makes today’s premiere such a plesant surprise.
“Guizo da Cobra” (Portugese for ‘Snake’s rattle‘; as in a rattlesnake’s tail end) is a suspenseful, noir-ish piece of psychedelic ambiance, where sparing percussion is used to augment the song’s moody atmospheric lurch. It really does feel like being in a stare-down with a coiled snake ready to strike; there’s an intense feeling of threat lurking within the colorful instrumentation. The song comes with a matching music video, which we are just as happy to unveil for you today.
Analog video synthesis isn’t a widely-used technique, which makes it all the more interesting to see it employed for a music video. The visuals absolutely nail down the mood of “Guizo da Cobra” with stunning precision, consisting of psychedelic, heavily treated videos of snakes. As for how this video came about, well, how about we let COLLIGNON do the explaining themselves?
‘The music video for “Guizo da Cobra” was created by Portuguese video artist Rodrigo Pedreira. After meeting Jori on tour, the two discovered a shared passion for analog video synthesizers — a rare art form that perfectly complements Rodrigo’s exploration of the intersection between the natural and technological worlds. His video art provides a raw and beautiful counterpart to the sonic landscape of “Guizo da Cobra”.‘
A fateful encounter, if I do say so myself! The visuals play off the music masterfully, and as such, they become a vital part of the overall experience.
The song is the second single off COLLIGNON‘s upcoming album Bicicletta (yes, that’s ‘bicycle‘ in Portuguese, here’s your cookie), due out on February 14, 2025 via Gris Gris Records. Written and recorded while on tour, the album could ideally be viewed as an attempt at capturing the intensity and diversity of Collignon and their live shows; as far as these first two singles go, this assumption might indeed be correct. Effortlessly flowing across borders and boundaries, Bicicletta is poised to push COLLIGNON‘s sound even further outwards, and if that sounds like something you’d like to support, consider pre-ordering the record via Bandcamp.
Be sure to follow the band on social media as well (Facebook | Instagram), and take a look at their official website. Maybe you’d like to check out their past releases while you’re at it.
Featured image courtesy of Diogo Tomás, header image courtesy of Tânia Baldé
