The Discovery Of Fire

RENE MAGRITTE, La Decouverte De Feu, oil on canvas, 1934/5

Le Feu Du Jour

01. LES I - Zukini
(album: Dans L' Hemisphere Nord, 1983)

02. LES I -Itineraire Perilleux
(album: Ou Bien, 1986)

03. LES BATTERIES - Dummy up
(album: Bell System, 1998)

04. LES BATTERIES - Identity Parade
(album: Noisy Champs, 1986)

05. ULRICH P. LASK -Kleine Narkosen
(album: Sucht + Ordnung, 1984)

06.JIM STALEY (with SHELLEY HIRSCH) - Genuine Risk
(album: Mumbo Jumbo, 1987)

07. THE DANUBIANS - Odpoledne
(album: THE DANUBIANS, 1999)

08. X-LEGGED SALLY - Two Volcanoes
(album: Eggs & Ashes, 1994)

09. X-LEGGED SALLY & SMITH QUARTET - Der Doppleganger
(album: Bereft Of A Blissful Union, 1997)

10. THE WORLDS OF LOVE - The Whirls Of Love
(album: The Worlds Of Love, 1989/2000)

11. LA SOCIETE DES TIMIDES A LA PARADE DES OISEAUX - ...2
(album: sametitled, 1990)

12. GUIGOU CHENEVIER - Le Demarche Du Crabe
(album: Les Rumeurs De La Ville, 1998)

13. GUIGOU CHENEVIER - limelight
(album: Les Rumeurs De La Ville, 1998)

Few infos:

French prog band LES I made 3 albums. Name of (sometime Etron Fou's member), Bruno Mellier in their lineup, may have caused for LES I, in some circles, an interest rather bigger than they deserve.

Another Etron Fou musician, the important percussionist/improvisor Guigou Chenevier is behind LES BATTERIES. Their "DEMESURE REVOLUTIONNAIRE" LP was posted by paramo few months ago on this blog. Chenevier's solo release "LES RUMEURS DE LA VILLE"

(Cuneiform) mixes succesfully at parts, live and taped material.

The first lp of LA SOCIETE DES TIMIDES...seeks for innovations in a rather tired avant-prog/RIO ground... Some good new ideas appeared here, but the overall result seems to be sentimentally blocked by an excessive eccentrity.

Belgian avant band X-LEGGED SALLY are influenced by Zappa but their experimental rock explores also music relations beyond prog. Some fine tracks can be found in most of their works.

JIM STALEY is a trombonist and improvisor known for collaborations with avant musicians and composers such as FRITH, WEINSTEIN, CORA and others... Important vocalist SHELLEY HIRSCH participated on some of the best moments of Staley's "MUMBO JUMBO" release.

DAVID GARLAND and IKUE MORI (plus Cinnie Cole on vocals, banjo, synths) are THE WORLDS OF LOVE. A sametitled album released in 1989 from Review label. The composition "The Whirls Of Love" belongs to the extra material appeared in 2000 reissue.

DANUBIANS are AMY DENIO, PAVEL FAJT and members of KAMPEC DOLORES. Their selftitled release consists of live recordings with exquisite vocals and ethic-flavoured experimentations.

Fusing electronics, minimal electronics, jazz improvisation, narrations, etc... saxophonist ULRICH LASK created back in 80's, two albums quite unsual for the general aesthetics of the ECM label which released them. "Kleine Narkosen" is taken from the second one...

Listen to
Le Feu Du Jour compilation

a collective post by Koroviov, Semilunio, paramo

Stella Gadedi "gardens of the night"

Στέλλα Γαδέδη "Οι κήποι της νύχτας"

"Tα ποιήματα είναι αυτόνομα έργα και έχουν γραφτεί για να υπάρχουν χωρίς μουσική. Προσθέτοντας μουσική ο συνθέτης τα -οικειοποιείται-, τα φωτίζει με το δικό του τρόπο και φτιάχνει ένα νέο διαφορετικό έργο".

Φλαουτίστρια και συνθέτρια με κλασσική μουσική παιδεία η Στέλλα Γαδέδη στον τρίτο προσωπικό δίσκο της (ΣΕΙΡΙΟΣ, 1996) μελοποιεί με "Χατζηδακική" ευαισθησία (όντας μόνιμη συνεργάτης του Μ.Χ) δεκατρία έργα κορυφαίων νεοελλήνων ποιητών.

1 ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙ ΤΟ ΦΘΙΝΟΠΩΡΟ (SONG IN AUTUMN)
Ποίηση Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης
2 ΛΥΠΗΣΟΥ... (HAVE PITY...)
Ποίηση Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης
3 ΕΝΑ ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙ ΤΗΣ ΑΥΓΗΣ (SONG AT DOWN)
Ποίηση Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης
4 ΕΝΑ ΞΕΡΟ ΚΙΤΡΥΝΟ ΧΡΩΜΑ (A DRY, YELLOW COLOUR)
Ποίηση Γιώργος Χρονάς
5 ΤΟ ΧΑΜΟΓΕΛΟ (A SMILE)
Ποίηση Λάμπρος Πορφύρας
6 ΑΠΟΔΕΙΠΝΟ (EVENING SERVICE)
Ποίηση Γιώργος Χρονάς
7 ΜΕΛΑΓΧΟΛΙΑ (MELANCHOLY)
Ποίηση Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης
8 ΜΟΝΗ (ALONE)
Ποίηση Γιώργος Σεφέρης
9 ΓΡΑΜΜΑ (LETTER)
Ποίηση Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης
10 Τ' ΑΗΔΟΝΙ (THE NIGHTINGALE)
Ποίηση Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης
11 ΠΗΝΕΛΟΠΗ ΔΕΛΤΑ (PENELOPE DELTA)
Ποίηση Αφροδίτη Ραϊλα
12 ΒΑΛΣ (WALTZ)[instr]
13 ΤΑ ΛΥΠΗΜΕΝΑ ΔΕΙΛΙΝΑ (SAD EVENINGS)
14 ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ ΒΡΑΔΥ (SATURDAY NIGHT)
Ποίηση Κώστας Καρυωτάκης
15 ΤΡΑΓΟΥΔΙ ΤΟ ΦΘΙΝΟΠΩΡΟ (SONG IN AUTUMN)[instr]

Λυπήσου...

Λυπήσου εκείνους που πονούν, βουβά κι ανώφελα για κάτι, και παίρνουν για να λησμονούν,
της ζωής κάποιο άθλιο μονοπάτι

Λυπήσου αυτούς που εχουν χαθεί, μες στην θλιμμένη ύπαρξή μας, κι έγιναν αίνιγμα βαθύ,
μια και δεν είναι μεταξύ μας....

Κι αυτόν, κι αυτόν που αναπολεί τα περασμένα του λυπήσου: μα όμως, ακόμα πιο πολύ,
τις ώρες της βαθιάς σιωπής σου,

λυπήσου αυτούς, που μια φορά, με φτερά ζούσαν, και τα χάνουν, και δεν τους μένει άλλη χαρά, παρά η χαρά πως θα πεθάνουν...



STELLA GADEDI - Have Pity... (poetry: Napoleon Lapathiotis)

Άνθρωπος ανήσυχος, ο Ναπολέων Λαπαθιώτης ( 1888-1944) κατά πολλούς προσπάθησε να ενσαρκώσει το Ουαϊλδικό πρότυπο. Το έργο του αποτελείται από μια έκδοση εν ζωή πενήντα περίπου ποιημάτων του καθώς και απο διασκορπισμένο υλικό σε εφημερίδες και περιοδικά.

In her third album, flutist and composer Stella Gadedi sets thirteen greek poems to music using conventional instruments and synthesizers. Orchestration is by Minas Alexiades. Gadedi's interpratations are influenced by composer Manos Hatzidakis.

Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888-1944) was one of the characteristic greek poets of the first quarter of the 20th century. His life was an extension of the decadent spirit of his poetry. He killed himself in 1944.

GARDENS OF THE NIGHT
(15 tracks, approx time 44min)

the free art-directions of nato label

September 1980, jazz artists FRANCOIS MECHALI and BEB GUERIN appear as a bass duo at Chantenay - Villedieu festival... About a year later, festival co-founder, photographer and music producer JEAN ROCHARD releases these contrabass dialogues on vinyl LP... and here it is, label nato is born. Soon, more releases from festival artists will follow and gradually, the label will become the joining point for pioneering musicians and artists from France (Berrocal, Pauvros, Sclavis, Levaillant, Doneda, Thollot, Portal...), UK (Beresford, Eastley, Coxhill, Toop, Coe, Hymas...), Europe (Bennink, Sommer, Gumpert...), U.S. (Lindsay, Frisell, Zorn...), Japan (Ikue Mori, Kazuko Hohki...).

Jazz, improvisation, avant pop, classical, world music, electronics, poetry, visual arts, melt together into humorous and often happy eccentrity... famous themes are revisited... conceptual projects give honours to great masters (F. G. Lorca, Erik Satie, Alfred Hitchcock, J-L Godard...)... fine painters/illustrators (Espagnon, Moebius, Pierre Cornuel...) add their art... nato embraces life and creation in both a fictional and a documentary way.

Sublabels: Chabada, Cinenato, Hope Street, wan + wan

La Folie Du Jour selects natomusic:

I.

GUNTER SOMMER ET TROIS VIEUX AMIS isabel records boxes
(album: Ascenseur pour le 28, 1985)

ALTERATIONS sleeping beauty
(album: My Favourite Animals, 1984)

JAC BERROCAL distinguee

(album: Hotel Hotel, 1986)

JAC BERROCAL minuit la nuit
(album: Hotel, Hotel, 1986)

JACQUES THOLLOT l' au-dela
(album: Tenga Nina, 1996)

STEVE BERESFORD altitude
(album: Dancing The Line, 1985)

BERESFORD, TOOP, ZORN, MARSHALL jayne manshfield
(album: Deadly Weapons, 1986)

CAROLINE GAUTIER & OLIVIER FOY la croisiere immobile
(v.a. album: Godard ca vous chante?, 1985)

THE MELODY FOUR Lydia the tatooed lady
(album: Hello! We Must Be Going, 1987)

LEE KONITZ as tu le cafard
(v.a. album: Vol Pour Sidney, 1992)

DENIS COLIN par rayonnement
(album: Etude De Terrain, 2000)

KAHONDO STYLE werewolf woman
(album: Green Tea & Crocodiles, 1987)

KAZUKO HOHKI rain on the railway line
(album: Love In Rainy Days, 1991)

JEAN FRANCOIS PAUVROS cri de cour
(album: Le Grand Amour, 1985)

JEAN FRANCOIS PAUVROS phillipine
(album: Le Grand Amour, 1985).

II.

BERESFORD, TOOP, ZORN, MARSHALL king cobra
(album: Deadly Weapons, 1986)

COXHILL, THOMAS petite fleur
(v.a. album: Vol Pour Sidney, 1992)

BRITISH SUMMER TIME ENDS la nuit est une sorciere
(v.a. album: Vol Pour Sidney, 1992)

FAT KID WEDNESDAYS bamako love
(album: The Art Of Cherry, 2004)

DENIS COLIN TRIO sing swan song
(album: Songs For Swans, 2006)

TONY COE la legende de l'oiseau
(album: Les Voix D'Itxsassou, 1990)

TONY COE nuit sur une place Helsinki
(album: Les Voix D'Itxassou, 1990)

MICHEL DONEDA, DAUNI LAZRO fla flu
(album: General Gramofon, 1988)

THE LONELY BEARS entre le Tigre et l'Euphrate
(album: Injustice, 1993)

THE RECEDENTS zombie bloodbath on the isle of dogs
(album: Zombie Bloodbath On The Isle Of Dogs, 1991)

PHILIPPE DESCHEPPER choc ou louvre
(v.a. album: Bandes Originales Du Journal De Spirou, 1989)

THE MELODY FOUR working is the job
(album: Shopping For Melodies, 1988)

CLIVE BELL aventure birmane
(v.a. album: Bandes Originales Du Journal De Spirou, 1989)

TONY HYMAS qnr sur bretzelburg
(v.a album: Bandes Originales Du Journal De Spirou, 1989)

AMATI ENSEMBLE sonate en re mineur
(v.a album: Godard ca vous chante?, 1985).

listen here: part I & part II

La Folie Du Jour recommends nato works:

"Depechons-nous d'oeuvrer ensemble avant que ce qui nous fait converger l'un vers l'autre ne tourne inexplicablement a l'hostile"
[Let's swiftly act together, before what makes us converge inexplicably turn hostile]
RENE CHAR

VICTORY OF THE BETTER MAN " >L'utopiste< " (GER, 1991)

...victory of the better man is the result of a labour, not the result of a competition; it is the long neglected and unseen forces prevailing against easiness and any profitable "goodness"... [excerpt from KOROVIOV notes]

">L'UTOPISTE<" is the first work of the german ensemble VICTORY OF THE BETTER MAN. It created the years 1989-90 under the significant assistance of CMP's sound-engineer WALTER QUINTUS. Band's line up, that period, beside core members UK RATTAY (guitar, synth, various sounds) and ex-NECRONOMICON drummer HARALD BERNHARD (voice, percussion, keyboards) included MATTHIAS KRATZENSTEIN on bass, piano, keyboards, guitar and MARTIN FREDEBEUL on sax, flute, clarinet, piano, keyboards. (Additional musicians: MARC LEHAN on drums, percussion & PETRA SAHM on vocals).

>L'UTOPISTE< is a seductive mosaic of influences, a solution of recognisable but indivisible different densities. Avant poetic-operatic narrations of Harald Bernhard, bathed into fluid, unquiet, intellectual, jazz-impro atmosphere, recall artists like SCOT WALKER or KIP HANRAHAN, to mention only two... And, trully, an encounter of the schizophrenic universe of the former with the enigmatic after-hour eclecticism of the later, how hypothetical can really be?

VICTORY OF THE BETTER MAN works:

" >L'UTOPISTE< ", (CMP, 1991)

" ...WEGEN BROT ", (CMP, 1995)

" CITIZENS ", (rent a dog, 2004)



sample track: GONDOLA

track provided by KOROVIOV

KIRJUHEL : Pulsating Transparencies

Με ορμητήριο τις μεταλλαγμένες σε ιδίωμα προσωπικό, κέλτικες παραδόσεις της ιδιαίτερης πατρίδας του Βρετάνης, αλλά και τους παγκόσμιους ήχους, το διαχρονικό μεσογειακό πολιτισμό και την ποίηση... η μουσική του JEAN-FREDERIC KIRJUHEL, επικεντρωμένη λιτά κυρίως γύρω από κέλτικη άρπα και φωνή, ονειροποιεί την χωροχρονική συνάφεια, επιδιώκοντας μια βαθύτερη εμπλοκή του σύγχρονου με τις αρχέγονες δυνάμεις της ύλης: τη γονιμότητα , την αρμονία, την κοσμική συνοχή...

tide
(photo by SOLVEIGH KAEHLER)

For an introduction to the art of french harpist/composer/poet KIRJUHEL, listen here to the 1999 REVOE compilation "Portrait". KIRJUHEL releases are often accompanied by the fine works of german photographer SOLVEIGH KAEHLER, so check out website of REVOE publishing company for the original items (CDs, photobooks, poetrybooks, etc... ).

CARNAC words of stone
(photo by SOLVEIGH KAEHLER)

epic fragments
(photo by SOLVEIGH KAEHLER)


transparencies
(photo SOLVEIGH KAEHLER)

KIRJUHEL - PORTRAIT
(13 tracks, 55 min)

KAHONDO STYLE

Crazy multiculturalists, experimentalists and improvisators, KAHONDO STYLE represented in 80's one of the most idiosyncratic attempts for making original music against geographical and stylistic separations.
Collecting (or stealing) sound elements from any corner of the planet and unifying, at the same time, both structures and improvisations under one elastic form, KAHONDO STYLE created original music with plethora of references... music exotic, humorous, surrealistic, theatrical, strongly rooted to the far-east culture, to eastern and south europe folk traditions, to old jazz, to pop...

KAZUKO HOHKI (vocals) - PETER CUSACK (guitar, bouzouki) - MAX EASTLEY( guitar, percussion, arc, various) - SIANED JONES (violin) - STUART JONES (cello, trumpet, bass) - DAVID HOLMES (drums, clarinettes) - ALAN TOMLINSON (trombone) - CLIVE BELL ( accordion, flute, shakuhatsi,) - TERRY DAY (drums) - STEVE NOBLE (drums).

Selections from the two KAHONDO STYLE albums released for Nato label you can listen
HERE

tracks: 01. Tokyo Ondo / 02. Barbaria* / 03. Holloway Road / 04. Ghost Of A Flea / 05. My Heart's In Motion [1985] / 06. No More Gravity / 07. Green Dream / 08. Shanghai Rain / 09.Werewolf Woman /10. Survival [1987]

(approx 52 min - compiled by LFDJ)

*originally greek folk song

"MY HEART'S IN MOTION", 1985, nato

"GREEN TEA & CROCODILES", 1987, nato

JIRI STIVIN "Alchymia Musicae" (CZE,1995)

Seeking new passages towards both future and past, this work tests the flexibility of medieval/renaissance/baroque forms in their fusional or transformative coexistence with the angular directions of modern composition and freejazz.
Czech composer Jiri Stivin engages a jazz trio, a string quartet and a vocal ensemble to give life to his vision. Himself plays flutes, clarinets, saxophones... and calls this ambitious, daring or at least humourous plan, ALCHYMIA MUSICAE. Listen to it HERE (7tracks, 1hour).

HARMONIA ENSEMBLE "Nino Rota" (ITA, 1992)

Italian chamber music ensemble HARMONIA works at the crossroads of classical and modern musical languages. Initially a trio of ORIO ODORI (clarinet), DAMIANO PULITI (cello) and ALESSANDRA GAROSI (piano) formed in 1991 and debuted in Materiali Sonori label with a work dedicated to NINO ROTA.
Including both covers on Rota's famous themes (from "8 1/2", "La Strada", "Rocco e i suoi frattelli", "Il Gattopardo", "Amarcord"...) and original HARMONIA compositions, the album suggests perhaps a not so innovative but certainly a romantic and emotionally valuable view of the work of the great master, refreshing the pleasures of that unrepeatable cinematic magnificence.

HARMONIA - Nino Rota
(12 tracks, approx 49 min)

*Check out also their remarkable 1994 release "Harmonia Meets Zappa"

CLUSONE TRIO 1988 - 1998

Cellist ERNST REIJSEGER, clarinetist/saxophonist MICHAEL MOORE and legendary dutch percussionist HAN BENNINK started their collaboration in 1980. After their contributions to BENNINK's famous ICP ORCHESTRA, they formed in 1988 CLUSONE TRIO, touring in many countries and leaving behind some interesting live and studio works.
Apart their own compositions their repertoire included many old jazz standards which were performed by the trio in an unpredictable way ranging from faithfulness and form respect to inventive improvised free ways.
CLUSONE TRIO paused activities in 1998.

The selected tracks of this compilation are from albums: "Clusone 3" (1992, live) "I Am An Indian" (1994, live), "Love Henry"(1997, live), "Rara Avis" (1998).

TRACKS: 01 Hindu wu (1992) - 02 Angelica - 03 Bella Coola - 04 Sonoroso - 05 Salish (1994) - 06 Uninhabited island - 07 Restless in pieces - 08 Love Henry (1997) - 09 Yellow bird - 10 Le cygne - 11 Tico tico no fuba - 12 My bird of Paradise (1998)

CLUSONE TRIO - Baltimore Oriole

CLUSONE TRIO
(51 min, compiled by La Folie Du Jour)

DAVID THOMAS AND TWO PALE BOYS "Erewhon" (1996)

Urban siberiana for places exiled from reality and sheltered to nowhere.

DAVID THOMAS - voice, mellodeon
KEITH MOLINE - guitar
ANDY DIAGRAM - thumb piano

EREWHON
(9 tracks, approx time 50 min)

Morbid Sky

lyrics

The Saragossa Manuscript

He spend his days filling the silver sphere that adorns his tea kettle lid.

Still too big.
A bizzare avocation that marks his life’s last three years.

A STRANGE LIFE

A young Polish aristocrat, Jan Potocki (1761-1815) inherits 18th century treasures. A citizen of the world, he can fluently speak eight languages and, very young, dives into the vortex of travels: aside from Poland and Europe – which is his country - he is fascinated by Turkey and Egypt. In 1805, recommendend by the Russian foreign minister, the Polish prince Adam Czartoryski, he joins a russian expedition in China.

His encyclopaedic education allows him to commit in a series of scientific researches: he either traces the origin of the Slavs in a amazingly’s erudition work entitled Rechearches about Sarmatia (1789-1792) or fly over Warsow into Blanchard’s balloon, accompanying the French scientist along with his Turk servant and his dog Lulu.

Devoted to political intrigue, being a deputy favourable to reforms, he develops an intence political activitie in Poland, in the era of the four year diet ( the Polish parliament). Suspect of affinity to the Jacobines, he is forced to leave Poland for Spain and Morocco, where he arrogantly boasts that he is “the new kingdom’s Suetonius” .




AN INITIATORY NARRATIVE

Potocki’s literature work lies under the sign of travel. His real wandering is followed by an imaginary travel. His novel Manuscrit trouve a Saragosse (The Saragossa Manuscript, 1804-1814) is presented as the last fruit of his numerus tours. It is about an initiatory narrative which chronicles the adventures of young officer Alfonse Van Worden. Written in french and translated in polish in the 19th century, this collection of bizarre episodes, some times imaginary, some times philosophical and some times pointing to picaresque, is a frame narrative which’s structure reminds of the arab tales. In the haunted mountains of Sierra Morena, the characters that narrate their stories are often and involuntary drifted in space and time due to mysterious forces, incarnated in two Tunisian beauties, messengers of the night.



The fate reserved for The Saragossa Manuscript stood anything else but common. This large book, divided into 66 days, was brokenly and without the writer’s name published in Saint Petesburg in 1804, and by the first moment was accepted with enthusiasm, and with Alexander Pushkin’s admiration. Then the novel went all around Europe in manuscripts and also anonynous copies. Plagiarists – and among them some not at all inconsiderable writers such as Charles Nodier and Washinton Irving – appropriate some of the episodes and publish them under their name, achieving great commercial success. In this way, the eccentric passions, very close to mysticism, if not even to satanism, that hounted Potocki’s soul, keep fascinating next century’s wide public, eager for “black” novels.



The sphere has at last the desirable dimensions and fits with no difficulty into the barrel of the gun aiming the head.
Count Jan Potocki suicided in November 20, 1815.

"Annick Benoit-Dusausoy & Guy Fontaine: Europeean Literature". Translated by Begemot

THE FILM

Potocki’s novel (to be exact a version of it), was adapted for the big screen by the Polish director Wojciech Has in 1965. It’s about a three hours ( the original version was 182 minutes long) black-and-white film which indends to depict Potocki’s vision. Has keeps the main plot of the story (it would be impossible anyway to attribute the entire book, with it’s endless minor stories embeding into the major ones, and one into the other), the main characters (Alfonse, Velasquez, the Cabalist, Avadoro, Rebecca e.t.c.), and is also faithfull to the novel’s main charasteristics ( it’s frame narrative, the mysticism that colours Potocki’s world, the erotic elements, the humor, the piqaresqe and often grotesque elements). Along with the above, very good actors and Penderecki’s music score contribute to an excellent result. You can easily find and download the film ( the restoration of which was done by Jerry Garcia, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola) with English and Spanish subtitles, through torrents. Begemot has also made an adaptation of the subtitles in Greek, which can be downloaded below.

Το χειρόγραφο της Σαραγόσα_Υπότιτλοι

GARETH WILLIAMS "Flaming Tunes" (UK, 1985)

Nearly 25 years after original release, great cassette album FLAMING TUNES is meeting finally its first (authorised) CD edition by LIFE AND LIVING Records who have announced reissue (carefully remastered and come out with 16-page booklet) for this month.
Bootlegged and misleadingly appeared as "This Heat's last demo", this obscured gem, product of collaboration among This Heat keyboardist/bassist GARETH WILLIAMS (1953 - 2001), his longtime friend MARY CURRIE and several guest musicians, was written after This Heat disbandment and , released on cassette in 1985.
Williams uses elements from This Heat aeshtetics but he goes beyond...exposing himself to wider, worldsound visions and deeper calls.
Grown like under the touch of a generous moon, FLAMING TUNES is a work original, eclectic, influenced by Williams trips to India, but above all, haunted by the revelation of a rare-quality songsmithness that unfortunately left no further output.

Restless Mind