82 What does RIO stand for? (Progressive music)
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This article is from the Progressive Music FAQ, by Phil Kime(Philip@kime.org.uk) with numerous contributions by others.
82 What does RIO stand for? (Progressive music)
From afcpeters@aol.com (Peter Stoller): Rock In Opposition. It was
an assemblage of European progressive bands who were defining a
style "in opposition" to the English language domination of the
pop music industry. Key elements were that groups sang in their
native languages (or, in Magma's case, created their own), and
they drew much of their source material from their own national
folk, popular and classical musics, instead of using the American
blues-based model.
RIO started as the name of a festival in London organised
by Henry Cow in 1978 and featuring groups from Italy, Sweden,
France and Belgium. After the concert, they decided to formalize
the coalition. They organized tours and festivals in each others
countries. According to Henry Cow drummer/lyricist Chris Cutler,
RIO as an organization failed due to political and philosophical
differences: there is no longer an official RIO, and has not been for
some time but it succeeded and has continued to grow as a cultural
phenomenon.
The original RIO artists were Henry Cow, Samla Mammas Manna,
Univers Zero, Art Zoyd, Stormy Six, Art Bears, Aqsak Maboul, and
Etron Fou Leloublan. Associated artists include Magma, Albert
Marcoeur, ZNR, Feliu y Joan Albert, Musica Urbana, Goebbels
Harth, Kraldjursanstalten, Unrest, Work Play, The Residents,
Faust, L. Voag, Mnemonists, This Heat, Cassiber, Thinking Plague,
Haniwa Chan, and John Oswald. (There are, of course, many others.)
This information was derived from Cutler's book, "File Under Popular"
(see FAQ 3).
From Mike Borella (cathmike@xnet.com): The term RIO is now used as
a way of describing some of the more indescribable musics created
today by artists that are influenced to some degree by the original
RIO artists. The "new" RIO influenced bands would include U Totem,
Thinking Plaugue, 5UU's, Lacrymosa, and maybe Banda Elastika. So
when someone says that a new band sound like RIO, you know that maybe
be influenced by RIO or are just weird/elcectic or just strange.
See Phil Zampino's (zampino@squidco.com) Web site dedicated to RIO
artists and labels at:
<URL:http://www.panix.com/~zampino/rer/>
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