Articles Tagged with: The Wipers
"There isn’t any pioneering any more. It’s almost not even accepted to be pioneering; for some reason that seems to be the attitude now. I’d say ’93 to ’95 was kind of the curvature towards things slowly reversing. It’s to the point where music is just definitely a rehash of the past, and I guess, maybe people don’t sense that there’s a future ahead of them, so subconsciously they look backward."
The Wipers au fost un trio punk rock format in 1977, in Portland, de chitaristul si solistul Greg Sage, tobosarul Sam Henry si basistul Dave Koupal. Trupa va ramane in istorie prin muzica sa intunecata, complet necomerciala si atitudinea retrasa si independenta, in contrast cu multe trupe din scena punk.
Wipers au rupt barierele dintre genurile muzicale, fiind imposibil de catalogat la vremea respectiva. Greg Sage s-a opus intotdeauna culturii mainstream si a refuzat sa se conformeze standardelor impuse de industria muzicala. Dincolo de muzica, Sage a fost si un poet underground, versurile sale antisociale, intunecate, despre confuzie si alienare completand perfect riff-urile distorsionate si ruperile haotice de ritm.
Wipers au pornit ca un proiect ce se dorea exclusiv de studio. Sage planuia sa inregistreze 15 LP-uri timp de 10 ani, fara nici o apritie live, astfel, crezand el, ascultatorii se vor putea concentra mai bine asupra muzicii in sine. Privind muzica drept arta si nu distractie, Sage a sperat ca va putea evita presa, concertele sau interviurile. Nu a reusit, Wipers trebuind pana la urma sa iasa pe scena pentru a supravietui ca formatie si pentru a putea gasi un label interesat. Oricum, numarul de concerte sustinut de-a lungul anilor a ramas unul foarte mic.
Cea mai de seama realizare a trupei ramane "Youth Of America", cu piesa care da titlul avand peste 10 minute, in puternic contrast cu trend-ul punk rock de a realiza piese de sub 3 minute. De asemenea, "Is This Real?" (cu doua piese preluate de Nirvana in anii '90, 'Return Of The Rat' si 'D-7') si 'Over The Edge' raman doua albume esentiale pentru miscarea grunge, care va prelua multe dintre inovatiile muzicale aduse de Wipers.
"We weren’t even really a punk band. See, we were even farther out in left field than the punk movement because we didn’t even wish to be classified, and that was kind of a new territory. ... When we put out Is This Real? … it definitely did not fit in; none of our records did. Then nine, ten years later people are saying: 'Yeah, it’s the punk classic of the ’80s.'" (Greg Sage)
