BLOPS

The oddly named BLOPS along with Los Jaivas and Congreso is one of Chile's most famous and enduring progressive folk bands that dates all the way back to 1964 when it was formed in the coastal city of El Quisco. Initially hugely influenced by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, BLOPS slowly gravitated towards the worlds of progressive rock and folk as well as incorporating its own indigenous Chilean folk music. The name simply resulted from an onomatopoeia of the world "Plop" which was presented to the band by a comedian named Condorito and obviously made enough impression for an entire musical career to be built on!

The band released four albums all in the 1970s with the first three all emerging as eponymous releases! Oh i hate that! This debut album simply titled BLOPS was actually the second major lineup of the band which featured Eduardo Gatti (keyboards, guitar), Julio Villalobos (keyboards, guitar), Juan Contreras (flute, organ), Juan Pablo Orrego (bass) and Sergio Bezard (percussion). By this time the band had mastered the art of writing its own songs that featured basically contemporary folk arrangements sung in the Spanish languages and embellished with extensive improvisations with both acoustic and electric instruments adding to the overall sound.

This first album featured 10 tracks at around 45 minutes and was recorded on a two-channel monophonic machine and was released in 1970 on the DICAP label. The album is mostly instrumental but features a few vocal tracks including the classic Chilean traditional "Los Momentos" and because the first three albums are all self-titled, this one has earned the secondary title LOS MOMENTOS to distinguish it. The popularity of the band has been strong since the beginning with the 2008 Chilean edition of Rolling Stone ranking this BLOPS debt as the 37th best Chilean album of all time. While starting out as a crossover beat band throughout the 1960s, on this debut the band developed its own unique style of psychedelic folk rock with both acoustic and electric guitars, flute, organ, various percussive sounds, xylophone and interesting songwriting arrangements.

The debut actually was released simultaneously with two different album covers with the black and white cover of the band being the most popular. Overall the album is fairly dreamy and psychedelic in its nonchalant delivery of gently strummed acoustic guitar chords accompanied by flute and faint tribal drumming however some of the vocal performances get a little fiery with electric guitar accompaniments including soloing. The band hit the big league immediately and spent much of its time touring and playing the festival scene. Generally speaking the first two BLOPS albums feature this same style of dreamy pastoral folk music only occasional amplified for contrast along with a touch of indigenous sounds to give it an exotic flair to European and North American ears. The band's third album is the most famous with more advanced songwriting and a heftier presence of progressive rock with jazz and psychedelic influences.

Overall this is a decent slice of early Chilean prog folk but it's a bit of a one trick pony in many regards as the songs don't really deviate substantially from the same formula throughout. There are basically dreamy acoustic instrumental jamming sessions and more song oriented folk traditionals. It's a fine start to the career of BLOPS but not nearly as inventive or outrageously original as what neighboring Los Jaivas were cranking out at the same time. This band was more about appealing to a mass audience which they achieved practically before they even released this debut album. Obviously with lyric oriented music in another language, it's difficult for many to relate to it but the music is pleasant enough in its own right even if not the most cutting edge and experimental of the era.

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