Pulco is the recording name used by Welsh musician and artist Ash Cooke, who is previously part of 1990s Welsh group Derrero. He makes home recordings on cheap tape players and four-tracks, and his work has a clear lo-fi character shaped by that approach. Cooke releases albums under the Pulco name alongside his regular life, and he uses the project as a space for short, personal recordings rather than large-scale live activity.

Background

Cooke first makes his mark with Derrero, a Welsh band that releases three critically acclaimed albums. The group tours with Super Furry Animals, Catatonia, Sebadoh and Grandaddy, and also works with John Cale on the film Beautiful Mistake. Derrero also records sessions for John Peel.

Pulco’s sound and method

Under the Pulco banner, Cooke assembles songs from musical fragments using a handheld recorder and Dictaphone. The recordings include cheap keyboards, toy instruments, iPhone apps and other found sounds. Poems, field recordings and interruptions from children are also part of the music. The result is described as left-field folk with a sketchbook feel, built from thoughts and everyday events rather than polish or ceremony.

Live activity

Cooke generally avoids large stages and performs live only when he has something new to present, preferring the privacy of his home studio environment.