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ALLAN AGUIRRE: DEAR Ramald Domkus -- Where were YOU?
(p.s. it's cold out wear a coat) - The Godfather of
Christian Punk Rock
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By:
Chris M.
Short
http://www.hmmagazine.com
published: May/June 2002, HM Magazine, Issue
#95
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Allan Aguirre is a survivor. I know that statement is
such a cliché in this world of “Behind the Music”
rockumentaries and tabloid yellow journalism masquerading
as News Shows. In this case, this statement has way more
to do with truth than cop-out soundbites. Aguirre has
weathered promises of rock stardom and dreams of general
market success, critical accolades and controversy,
rumor-mongering and record biz baloney. For over a
decade, Allan Aguirre has been involved in music,
specifically in this thing we call “Christian Rock” and
he has seen, heard, and experienced it all. He has seen
the highest of highs, and lowest of lows. One could say,
Alllan Aguirre has avoided being a rock and roll suicide.
Allan Aguirre is a busy man. Heck, that is one big
understatement. He is the front man and, for all
intensive purposes, the principal song architect of two
bands, Scaterd Few and Spy Glass Blue. And now, he is a
major player in running a recording studio, Siren Studios
with his business partner, Jonathan Peters. “It’s
wonderful,” Aguirre beams, “a studio that had been
sitting around empty for a few years. It was built in the
mid to late 70s in the heyday of recording studios. It
has 70s colors and rock, and it’s gorgeous. We have the
best of digital recording, in the best of analog rooms.”
He is also the co-proprietor (with Peters) of his own
record label, Accidental Sirens. More importantly, he is
a husband and a father of three. In addition to these
roles, he is a philosopher, a theologian, and a mystic.
David Byrne was called “Rock’s Renaissance Man” by a
major news publication in the 1980s, the tag would be
most appropriate to Mr. Aguirre.
Aguirre’s vision for Accidental Sirens is to be a
“musician friendly” label where he and the bands on the
roster and other business contacts enjoy a mutually
beneficial relationship based on honesty and integrity.
“If anything we want to do a good job in taking care of
our bands and our business relationships and in how and
what we do,” he states proudly. This statement is more
than a business philosophy; it is paramount in how he
conducts himself in all aspects of his life, whether at
work or at home. The label currently has four acts on the
roster: Spy Glass Blue, Scaterd Few, Massivivid, and a
post-hardcore act Shiloh (whose members will be playing
on the new Scaterd Few record); with the plan of adding
two more bands by the end of 2003.
Spy Glass Blue has just released their second LP record
called Loud As Feathers on Accidental Sirens. The record
is a more consistent than the uber-diversity of 1997’s
Organic Records debut Shadows. To those familiar with
Aguirre’s work in his punk band Scaterd Few (discerning
music listeners, you may put your hands down), Spy Glass
Blue is a bit of a departure. This band is bent on the
darker, slower songs rooted in the early 80s post-punk of
Bauhaus (and it’s offspring Peter Murphy’s solo work and
Love & Rockets) increasing the potency with a mixture of
Roxy Music, T.Rex, and Aguirre’s rock and roll messiah,
David Bowie.
“Is it that heavy?” queries Aguirre on my comment that
Loud As Feathers exhibits a heavy Bowie influence. He
won’t deny it, and he shouldn’t because rock and roll is
about influences – it’s just knowing what to do with
those influences. Aguirre has definitely molded his sound
from the Thin White Duke’s Berlin-era expermentalizations,
the post-Ziggy Plastic Soul, and the Troubadour Hunky
Dory beginnings. And that’s ok.
“Light Machine” is the first single from the Spy Glass
Blue record, and Aguirre describes it as such, “it’s
definitely a song that you can sing along with, if you’re
in a convertible on the PCH on nice, crisp California
afternoon.” The real gem of the record is “Because of
You”. It is definitely a Modern Rock single for the
masses; a 21st Century “Melt With You” with its chugging
acoustic guitar and infectious laissez faire hook that
sticks in your head like rumor from Scaterd Few circa
1991 (but, as usual, I am getting ahead of myself). “I
love that song so much,” Aguirre confesses grinning over
the fiber optic lines connecting us, “I don’t know what
it is about it, but I really, really like that song. It’s
a fun song; it puts a smile on your face. And the melody
line is so catchy. It’s kind of scary because, I’m going
to say it, it was so first time for me to do something
like that.” And anyone who hears the song will give a
great big juicy “Thank you!” to the man.
Loud As Feathers isn’t only about singles and pop
oriented song structures, no sir-ee discerning music
listener! From the “tip of the hat” tribute of sorts on
“Turn and Remember” to the psychedelia of “And I Go” to
the mesmerizing “The Dreaming”, Aguirre and his band
showcase some of the most uniquely crafted songs in
Christian rock music.
As I was saying, Aguirre is a busy man and, yes, Scaterd
Few is still alive (sans the players on previous releases
including Ramald Domkus, but again, I skip ahead of
myself). “Yeah, we are putting out a new record in time
for the festivals. Probably Cornerstone – we are playing
it,” states Aguirre. He expects this to be the rawest
Scaterd Few record ever, “The approach is going to be
really stripped down. I don’t think we are going to be
doing any keyboards on this one. I have no intention of
using any keyboards whatsoever. It’s going to be really
stripped down: drums, guitars, bass. The plan is to take
a real raw, riotous approach to it.”
And don’t expect him to try to tie the Few’s music into
what is happening into today’s music scene. “I’m not
looking for commercial success on a Scaterd Few record,
I’m just going to make, basically, a punk rock record.
Even though punk rock today is considered Blink 182,” he
explains with a laugh. This is where he picks up some
steam and the words jump from his lips, unbridled and
confident, “I’ve never been involved in anything like
that and I’ve never been anyone to jump on a bandwagon.
I’ve always been the one cutting down the trees and
knocking those bandwagons off the road.”
Don’t even wonder if Ramald Domkus will be on this Few
record. “Oh man, I killed and buried that guy years ago.
Anybody who knew me back then, when I was Ramald Domkus,
that knows me today, will tell you that there’s a
different guy in the skin.” Indeed. I first spoke with
Aguirre when he was calling himself Ramald Domkus back in
1990 when I was doing a short-lived underground
photocopied fanzine. Aguirre, as Domkus, was a fireplug,
an arrogant and belligerent know-it-all, articulate yet I
didn’t know what he was talking about. I told him this
and he laughed and apologized profusely. The end of the
pseudonym was the turning point for getting his life back
on track.
It all started with a long meeting with his pastor back
in Los Angeles, CA (where he was living, now he is based
in Dallas, TX) in 1992 where the truth of Ramald was
“revealed”. Aguirre had gotten into some “trouble” by
being “stupid” (his words, not mine, hence the quotes),
thus prompting the meeting. In the course of the
conversation his pastor told him that a woman in the
church had been praying for Ramald. As the story goes,
the Lord told her, “‘I don’t know who Ramald is, but I
know who Allan is, he’s my son.’”
Aguirre explains, “And when he said that, my blood just
went stone cold, my blood just became ice in my veins.
And he goes, ‘I don’t understand what she’s talking
about, do you have any idea what she is talking about?’ I
was like, oh my God, ‘Yeah I do. My real name is Allan;
Ramald is a pseudonym that I have been using for the last
ten years. I knew exactly what she means.’ So I basically
left his office as Allan.”
He explained to his pastor that he had a “checklist” in
his back pocket; a list of the things he needed to do to
live the life that God called him to live. But
controversy still followed him throughout his record
releases and interviews. Still, it stings; especially the
rumored drug use.
“Here’s another beauty, remember when I got slammed in 91
for confessing that I smoked pot?” he asks. Yes, I do
remember the story he cites. It was an article by Brian
Quincy Newcomb for some publication, I’m not sure which
(*wink*) where Ramald “confessed” to smoking marijuana.
“[I told him], ‘Yeah, I’m trying to quit. And I am in
actively in the process of quitting, and many times I go
to my pastor and I give him my herb and stuff.’ And that
is what I said, blatantly. I never played the game, you
know.” He goes on, “The funny thing is no one ever talks
or mentions that by the fall of 92, I was no longer doing
drugs. I’ve been drug free going on ten years. I think, I
had one relapse, one time. I think I smoked pot once in
94, that’s it! I toked up a joint or something stupid
like that. I’ve been completely drug free for a decade
now. Little things like that, that you’re not going to
hear.”
He tells me about the frustration of that lingering
controversy. “What am I going to do? Put an ad out in HM
or something like that? ‘A message from Ramald Domkus: I
apologize to every single last one of you that I might
have stepped on toes!’ Yeah, there was a significant
change in my life when I stopped using Ramald Domkus as
my name.”
Despite all of this … this “stuff”, Aguirre isn’t worried
about the past, only the present. And things looked
pretty damned good with his music projects, recording
studio, and label. He has found a way to reconcile the
desire he has had since age seven to be a Rock and Roller
with his dedication to being a good husband and father.
“I consciously made the decision, that I don’t want to
become a statistic. There is a reason I am married with
kids, I don’t want to lose that. I don’t see that as an
option with the belief system I ascribed to,” he says
with no regret. Aguirre sees no end to his musical
ventures and will continue to make music as long as he
has the songs, the desire, and the passion to share his
talent with you, the discerning music listener.
By:
Chris M.
Short
http://www.hmmagazine.com
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