Always thought they were a bit mad, these Argentinians, and you know what?  I was right . . . They make an unearthly, groaning racket—not directionless, always focused, droning mournfully.  They've released a huge amount of stuff, are the house band for “La Salud de Nuestros Hijos”, Argentina's answer to “The Time, The Place” or perhaps even “Oprah”, and have released a tape on Kylie which was basically a rock opera about fish.  And it's great.  We decided it was time to find out more . . .
 

So when did all this start?
We started half in 1993 and the other half without the Pacific Ocean. [??? No, I'm not sure what he means either!]

Okay, have to ask, what are your influences (not just musical)?
1) Miguel Tomasin 2) Robert Wyatt 3) inflatable transparent rubber dollies.

How successful do you think you’ve been?
More famous than a frozen glass of wool.

You seem to be reasonably well known in Argentina, from what I hear—how do you think you’re perceived?
Well, we are one of the first bands that had abolished public [as in audience]. Our name is well known here, but no one has heard nothing because our stuff is not at all distributed in Argentina and is mainly released outside (so if anybody is interested has to buy it in UK, USA, Germany, Japan, etc!). Our only real public is the TV one, that basically consists in grandmothers and pregnancies. So our best fans are probably 3 months old foetuses. Anyway the stuff we play on TV is not the "real" Reynols´ stuff so all seems to be a great mistake generated by the weather.

How did you get involved with the programme “La salud de nuestros hijos”?  Apparently your first appearance was pretty wild?
They first called us for an interview in their "life-stories"section (Note: Reynols has a long tradition in interviews and articles on the most diverse mass-media, including: yellow press, gossip press, music zines, ecological programs, TV magazines, talk shows and obviously medical programmes). That emission was really incredible, Tomasin answered the questions in a totally ununderstandable way, also he presented the band saying was formed "with 3 basses and a tambourine". Dr. Socolinsky asked us to play live in camera and we only had there some of our handmade guitars & Miguel´s sticks, so we played an undescribable "unplugged", Tomasin playing with the sticks on a table and the totally untuned frequencies from that untune able guitars.  Also Mr. Moncho Conlazo said to camera "this are our last records" and showed our Roto Chivas 268, Neil Young´s Reactor & Velvet Underground & Nico.  And all this at 3 p.m. on the Argentinian state channel (please imagine this on the BBC). Then well, until now we don´t know how and why they asked us to play as stable band for the programme, even without hearing the band at all.  And we said, "yes", but then we had to rehearse to seem to be a "normal" band.  Anyway the truth is that we never sound very "normal" on the TV.

How has Miguel’s Down’s Syndrome affected the band—it’s one thing that is always mentioned in descriptions of you.
Miguel doesn´t (only) have Down´s Syndrome, he is just the messiah. He don´t know it, and also he is not interested at all about it but he is the messiah of a new state of human mind and consciousness.. For Miguel the point on the "i" of his name is all the universe and the no-universed melted,  shaping a little 3D black & camouflaged bird.

Do you have other jobs too?
Yes.

Is there much of an independent scene in Argentina?
Zero minus zero (like everywhere).

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done (personally, not musically?)
We had imagined Mont Aconcagua dressed up like Charles Chaplin made-up.

What are your plans?
We are finishing a "remix" of Pauline Oliveros (Pauline Oliveros in the arms of Reynols) that will be a CD + tape in ultra special packaging.  White Tapes will release it in a limited edition.  Also we´ll do a collaboration concert via Internet with Pauline, that if all is ok will be in august 1999. Then we have a lot of stuff coming: 2 CDs—one on Freedom From. . . and the other one on American tapes and a release (maybe an LP) on Black Bean & Placenta.  Then we have really a lot of tapes coming, here we could only mention Peloto Cabras Mulusa that will come with special wax packaging on White Tapes and Lo Cabachua lo Come de lo Conejo that will be released by Spite in a special steel wool packaging with fuses.
Then well a lot of stuff worldwide and a lot more in compilations in labels like: Temple of beSaint777/Beast 666 (Japan), New Noise (Netherlands), Krank Records (Norway), Scrotum Records (Germany), Gurteltiertapes (Switzerland), Komkol Autoprod (Norway), Spite, White tapes, Melody Breaker Records, Freedom From...(all in USA), etc.  Finally the new projects. One is a CD only made with tape hiss at source that will be probably released in Germany. The other is a 7" called Symphony for 10,000 Chickens made with stereo chickens sound, no label yet.  Finally we have the idea for a CD of Dr. Socolinsky & Reynols.  Dr. Socolinskyis, the doctor that conducts the program where we play (he has been more than30 years on TV and is more than well known here), also plays the piano in a strange mood (is a kind mixture of Richard Clayderman & Cecil Taylor).  So it will be a sort of "psychic-lounge album" that might come as gift in Dr.Socolinsky´s medical weekly magazine.  And now we have to go to the supermarket to buy food for our manager: a pure"Chihuahua" which has a length of 8 inches and is a fan of Tomasinphilosophy.
 
 

And there you have it—Reynols' world in a nutshell.  Here's a selected discography:

Gordura Vegetal Hidrogenada (1995) dematerialized CD. no label.Argentina
Roto Chivas 268 (1997) 10" LP. Matching Head (UK)
Dohdo Vehdohdo Rulo (1998) tape. Kylie Prod. (UK)
Live in Argentina Vol. 2 (1998) tape. Scrotum Records (Germany)
Oreja de Tipo Oreja Simbo (1998) tape. Gürteltiertapes (Switzerland)
Sonirdo de lo Mofifero (1999) CD. American Tapes (USA)
Loh Fenser Patagonia (1999) CD. Semi-Roar (Japan)
Peloto Cabras Mulusa (1999) tape. White Tapes (USA)
Lo Cabachua lo Come de lo Conejo (1999) tape. Spite (USA)
Barbatrulos (1999) tape & CD. Freedom From . . . (USA)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ (1999) upcoming CD on Black Bean & Placenta Tape Club (USA)
Pauline Oliveros in the Arms of Reynols upcoming CD+Tape on White Tapes(USA)