Referring to
GATTCH means not only to highlight a reasonably legendary (in its time)
Slovakian band, but also adding another piece of puzzle to the history
of progressive rock and how it evolved in that country, or in
Czechoslovakia altogether. The band considerably took the 60s feel into a
new decade, proving to be main actors throughout their short spanned
career. Still, it is a small matter of debate if GATTCH is of proto-prog
renown for Czechoslovakia's slowly developing orientation, offering
thus a preset for the mid-70s big bands COLLEGIUM MUSICUM, FERMATA and
especially BLUE EFFECT, or rather affirming themselves together with
those three and with several others. The filtered influences from late
60s US and British rock music - opposite to neither keeping up with, nor
picking any major lead from the contemporary prog bands - and the
classic rock format of the ensemble reason towards the former, while the
sound and stylistic force, plus perhaps the fact that they're
remembered well for their progressive attitude (and slightly mysterious
aura), offers a healthy bit of both. GATTCH was formed in 1969 as a
student band, with lust for beat, psychedelic and pop-rock. The name
peculiarly stands for the initials of each of the five classical-trained
musicians' nicknames: "George" Juraj Stefula on drums, pianist, "Ali"
Ľudovít Beladič, bassist "Tony" Anton Lančarič, "Tomy" Tomás Rédey on
guitar and violin, and "Charlie" Karol Slanina on the rhythm guitar. The
latter departs however very early on. Further changes of line-up
happened when Lančarič left in 1972, being replaced by Valentín
Čekovský, and when jazz saxophonist and bassist Gabriel Jonás played
together with the group in concerts, if only briefly. Their rock- &
jazz-filled, fuzzy-rhythmed but unusually sequenced sole self-titled
release (dating 1971) doesn't reflect integrally upon GATTCH's activity,
at least given a number of participations in beat music local festivals
and competitions, that happened prior to that, between 1969-1971.
Nonetheless it is the highlight of GATTCH's abovementioned blend of
styles and attitudes, juxtaposing classical conservatory pieces with
jazz (even free-jazz), psych, blues and rock, marking signs of
experimental rush together with the popular groove, besides an
instrumental concept of art-rock brilliance (although, in parallel,
there are mentions of vocal songs, with surreal to the ear but
supposedly censor-edited lyrics). Proggnosis makes associations between
this sample of Eastern European Rock and the UK music of PROCOL HARUM,
THE NICE (by its classical component), TRAFFIC or Pretty Things.History
ended for GATTCH around 1973 or 1974, with most of the musicians signing
up in other collaborations or approaching pop. In 2002, Sony
Music/Bonton released the Komplet compilation, with the old studio
material, archive photos and an extra live 1972 recording, where they
step up into the world of improvisation and sophistication more than
ever. Line-up / Musicians Ľudovít "Ali" Beladič/piano Tomás "Tomy" Rédey/guitar,violin Anton "Tony" Lančarič/bass Juraj "George" Stefula/drums,percussion Discography Gattch 1971
1.Kvapka medu 2.Pieseň bez slov 3.Narodenie 4.Neznáma tvár 5.Vlak 6.Vokálna stúdia-Reminiscencia I 7.Reminiscencia II 8.Kontrapunktická etuda
