JACCO GARDNER
I have since read that the initial release of the Skywalkers album Year One sold out, and a re-release of the album in Spain was expected; as Jacco Gardner put it in an interview: “We will remaster the recordings with Jean Audier, the sound engineer who worked with groups like Q65, the Golden Earrings and the Motions” – heady company indeed in my book.
They quaintly introduced themselves in an interview by an online magazine called It’s Psychedelic Baby in the following way:
“Hi, we are Jacco Gardner [keyboards, bass, vocals] and Hugo van de Poel [drums, vocals] from the Skywalkers. We’re a freakbeat/garage duo from The Netherlands. We play songs of love, dreams and death on Philicorda Organ and Drums.”
Jacco and Hugo have known each other since they were 6 years old and started making music together when they were 12.
The charming liner notes are entitled “The Skywalkers ABC”, and it still took me a while to realize that they were in alphabetical order. It wasn’t just a list of “thank you’s” either; they included some commentary with their influences. They include a lot of familiar bands and artists (at least to me) – Brian Wilson (“for his amazing ballads”), the Electric Prunes (“they got us to the world on time”), Syd Barrett (“for leading us into the sixties”), the Zombies (“the greatest ever”), Q65 (“and other Dutch freakbeat groups”) – but others that I don’t know at all, like Ola & the Janglers and Jan Breimer. Their “X” item was “Careful with that X, Eugene!”, a take-off on an early Pink Floyd hit, “Careful with that Axe, Eugene”. But the list started with Aliens (“what’s taking them so long”) and also includes the Monkey (“[Jacco Gardner]’s favorite dance move”), the Twist (“[Hugo van de Poel]’s favorite dance move”), their photographer Luuk Muller (“for making us look good”), their organ brand Philicorda (“the greatest instrument around”), the Universe (“the greatest place around”), and “You, for buying this record”.
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Since this album came out, Jacco Gardner has been busy. He has released several more singles and has a lot of YouTube videos in a somewhat different direction than his work with the Skywalkers. The online Quip magazine has this description: “His echo-washed sound recalls the psychedelic and lushly orchestral vibe of the Beatles’ Revolver or Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, interspersed with the peppy, sardonic jabs of more modern fare like the Shins.”
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His debut album, Cabinet of Curiosities is set for release in February 2013 on Trouble in Mind Records. Jacco Gardner anticipates some North American dates when he starts his European tour later this year.
As with most of the modern artists that I have talked about, both the Skywalkers – www.facebook.com/FreakbeatIsBack?fref=ts – and Jacco Gardner individually – www.facebook.com/jaccogardnermusic?fref=ts – have Facebook pages.
(January 2013)
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Items: Jacco Gardner
