30/01/2020
Jose Macabra
Is one of the realest
A Doctor
A Savage
A Brother
A Teacher
A True Genius
He is beyond visionary
I have known him over 14 years and watching him evolve grow and develop not only as artist but as mind has been an absolute pleasure .
His work ethic
His productivity
His love
He constantly shatters the realms possability .
In like 40 years people will be writing dissertations on his work
I can’t go on.
I mean
I could
About Antagony being the filthiest, hardest, sickest, sexiest party EVER , or the time he babysat my mother with Francesco back at milk and lead or about dalston lane , or about driving about in his ambulance , or about singing Screaming for Emily and about early morning kabuki practice ………
BUT WORDS FAIL ….
Patricide , PARA and The Obeah Foundation literally would not have been possible without him .
Other people have said more intelligible and intelligent things
Here are a few samples of them
“You are in the presence of a sonic master.
You cannot fail to know this, from the first seconds of experiencing Jose Macabra's sound. Immersive, utterly enthralling, mesmerising, hypnotic, transporting, transforming. These paltry words, each of which must be amplified tenfold to be more accurate descriptors, decay with
imprecision as I am bathed in the astonishing sounds I am trying to describe.
This is music to invade one's psyche, fill one's soul, infuse into the very fibres of one's being in a manner that can be achieved by only the finest and most enduring of artists. This is dark, existential music that punctures one's chest and wraps its grasp around one's beating heart, demanding total attention as one is bathed in its relentless sonic flux.”
By David M. Paganin
Jose Macabra is an inimitable Live artist . His presence at any event is sure to raise temperatures and provide a memorable experience. Specialising in “Teknoise”and "Electronic Ritual" expect Jose’s sets to rock a venue to its foundations, whilst always favouring audio innovation over safer
territory. His magnetic stage presence and professional attitude ensure repeat bookings that have followed him throughout his career.
A Spanish native, Jose moved to London to study Sound Design at London College Of Communications. It was here he was introduced to the city’s vibrant electronic scene. As a result he’s played at countless underground parties, but his popularity has seen him take his sound
“overground” across Europe, touching down in techno institutions. He’s had residencies at legendary parties and is held in high regard by promoters throughout the continent. He has been an integral part of the teams behind nights such as Behind Bars and Antagony.
Deviance is at the heart of everything Jose does. And "everything he does" turns out to be quite a lot. You see Jose is not only extremely talented but also something of a Renaissance man: as well as his storming club sets, he's also a performance artist, sound designer, improvised noise creator,
producer and a beguiling solo live act. It’s this interest in performance that’s seen Jose receive commissions for galleries, artist collaborations and more, with his work performed in art establishment venues including The Barbican, Tate Modern , BFI and The Photographer’s Gallery.
Works involving Jose’s sound design have toured major festivals in Madrid, Berlin, Athens, Brussels, Milan, Barcelona and other cultural centres.
Collaboration is at the heart of Jose’s work, be it in a straight-forward club setting or a soundtrack commission for theatre, a body-piercing performance or high art concept work. “If you book me, it’s because you like what I do”, he asserts with confidence. “You tell me what to do, but I will do it my
way”.
Jose has worked with Ernesto Tomasini, Ron Athey, HR. Giger, Sally Mann, Empress Stah, Lydia Lunch and many more
by Gaz Cloud
José Macabra’s performance stands out for its imagination and originality. His referents in the global, cosmic and universal in relation to the humanoid and machine are essential in his artworks.
His narrative influenced by themes of universal culture unravels in an aesthetic of Terror – Error.
Hence the use of noise in his sound work. In turn, the voice is a prominent element in his performance and an index of the narrative of the work, which is blurred under effects and modulations. As in modern authors defiant to classical composition, there is no narrative, the
melody is obscured, almost disappears in a rhythmic distortion. As in Schoenberg and Stravinsky, described by Adorno as those who reinforce the criticism towards the established system (high
culture / classical music), Jose’s work is transformed into a critical spiritual force against what is imposed, harmonic, beauty and taste in general. The noise of José Macabra is not free of rhythm, and the bases of bass influence the entire perception of the work. Also, his sound aesthetic is
recognised in the unpleasant, driving away the sweetness of the most classist compositions. His professional ethics, showing the obnoxious, form an aesthetic that acknowledges the real, or what
in existence has been denied by the political domination of paternalism imposing an aesthetic of traditional styles and music that become classist and elitist. Jose's sonorous work is opposed to
the canons of beauty without renouncing to the magical essence.
by Laura Netz
