Avant vocalistMaggie Nicols and not so much known improv figure, Peter Nu unfold here a bare and incredibly daring piano-voice exploration, a free-music adventure which, further than any sum of its elements, leads to the inner aspect of the work, revealing regions of the artistic act, usually neglected, sightless.
Recorded in London in 1985, released from Leo Records and reissued later on CD. Still available.
tracklist
01. don't assume (21:40) 02. touching faces (2:50) 03. dynamite dream (3:45) 04. kids (9:40) 05. chad's blues (3:30) 06. after the storm (1:00) 07. i could write (1:30) 08. moments (8:15) 09. one note leads to another (17:40)
The two TERRA INCOGNITA compilations were released from spanish label Auxilio De Cientos in 1985 and 1986. The bands come from several countries and the music lies at the experimental-electronic-minimal synth fields. Compiling is quite good, behind the label, however, there are members of Neo Zelanda and Diseno Corbusier, spanish bands of the era that played similar stuff. Twilight Ritual,Bene Gesserit, Attrition, DDAA, Ptose, Hector Zazou, Muslimgauze, Kastrierte Philosophen and other more obscure names are the guides through these "unknown lands"...
Avant songwriters, actresses, humorists. Four girls refresh the tradition of french chanson-folk-art in their own theatrical grotesque-pop way. PASCALINE HERVEET writes music, lyrics and sings, SOPHIE HENRY is on accordion, piano and orchestration, SARAH AUVRAY does sound effects and vocals, while CHRISTINE LAPOUZE plays the cello.
LES ELLES start in Caen in 1992. Three years later they make their first (untitled) album with help of trumpetist (and future constant member) PIERRE MILLET and FRANCOIS HADJI LAZARO, owner of Boucherie Prod label. A second, also untitled and also acoustic and highly artistic work appears in 1997 from the same label. These first two albums are the best offer of the band. Nevertheless, due to the label's bad luck, they haven't the recognition they deserve.
first album, 1995
second album, 1997
Year 2000 finds LES ELLESwith a new line-up, a new label (Inca Music) and a new, modernized, "more electronic" sound. SARAH AUVRY has left and PIERRE MILLET, STEPHANE DIATCHENKO (programming, samples) have been added instead. Albums of this second phase of the band are "Pamela Peacemaker" (2000), "Les Elles En Scene" (live, 2001) and - with a new line up again - "Siamoises" (2003), an inspired by and refered to the world of circus work that brings the band touring with the circus of Dr Paradis.
In the meanwhile Inca label faces financial problems and its final bankruptcy in 2004 leads LES ELLES temporarily in disbandment, but PASCALINE HERVEET, the main figure of the band forms a new version of LES ELLES, working on a new theatrical/musical performance named "Joseph"and releasing finally a self-produced album version of this project in May 2009.
The following LES ELLES compilation gives emphasis on the first two albums which represent the most interesting part of LES ELLES history so far.
01 Nouche [1st album, 1995] 02 Quand je s'rais vieille [1995] 03 Water closets [1995] 04 Tom [1995] 05 L'amerloc [1995] 06 Simone [1995[ 07 Une elle [1995] 08 La chatte de monsieur Clock [2nd album, 1997] 09 Le vase chinois [1997]
10 Le bal [1997] 11 Milo [1997] 12 Janine [1997] 13 Mauvais sang [1997] 14 Armand [Pamela Peacemaker, 2000] 15 Noel [2000] 16 La cantine [compilation track] 17 Trapese [Siamoises, 2003] 18 Bouche tru [2003]
Selections from the limited, mail-order only album "DEBRIS" (Normal / Return To Sender, 1995) accompanied with some tracks from his other releases. "SLEEPING STAR" (1994) was EPIC's second solo album and ""CHANGE MY LIFE " (1996) his last. "GOOD THINGS" (2005) and the compilation "EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY" (1999) are posthumous releases. Listen also to "RISE ABOVE" album here.
01 Stealaway [Change My Life] 02 Sleepy City [Change My Life] 03 Something's Wrong [Change My Life] 04 Cry A Tear [Good Things] 05 Sunny Day [Debris] 06 Carolans [Everything Is Temporary] 07 Stack-O-Tracks [Debris] 08 Night Time [Everything Is Temporary] 09 I Got To Be Free [Good Things] 10 Hole Of A Heart [Everything Is Temporary] 11 The Persuader [Debris] 12 Lot To Learn [Good Things] 13 Waiting For The Train Again (group version) [Debris] 14 A Three Acre Floor [Debris] 15 Wild & Smiling (mystery session) [Debris] 16 Tonight's The Night (R'N'R Lullaby) [Sleeping Star]
G3G (a.k.a.G33G) is a Barcelona based label, named after its three "G" founders (Gat, Guillem,Gloria). Active since 1989, it has been releasing, mainly, music from local Catalonian artists. The most interesting of G3G works offer idiosyncratic and experimental views of current forms combining, sometimes radically, art-rock, electronics, jazz, world, ambient, minimal...
Label's bigger name is PASCAL COMELADE. Here, though, you can also find late 70's , 80's spanish underground personalities as JUAN CREK and VICTOR NUBLA, (both members of the historic experimental band MACROMASSA), contemporary improvisators as JAKOB DRAMINSKY, eclectic crossings of Mediterranea with New York as RAEO, (collaboration between G3G founder GAT and no-wave man MARK CUNNINGHAM )... and many other worth discovering artists. Quite collectable are the very limited, vinyl-only "Tarot" singles of the label, released the period 1989-1995.
ANTON IGNORANT
MACROMASSA a G3G sampler
01. ALIEN MAR - Selenita ("Alien Mar", 1996)
02. GRAN TEATRO AMARO - La nuova piuma ("La Vie En Rouge", 2002)
03.RAEO - Mambo maya ("Adios Jupiter", 1994)
04. RAEO- Kineshtesia ("Body Loops", 1999)
05. JAKOB DRAMINSKY - On a x-road to Bagdad (v.a. "Ten Years After, una compilacion de G3G", 1999)
06. ORIOL PERUCHO - Las pelusas ("Insulto, Le Multaron Y Dejo De Comer", 1992)
07.PIERRE BASTIEN - Argel allegra ("Se Verla Al Reves", 2005)
08. MACROMASSA - El largo camino a las almedras ("Los Hechos Perez", 1992)
09.JUAN CREK & SERGIO OCA - Viento del sur ("Viento Del Este", 1996)
10. RAEO- Memorias del oasis ("Adios Jupiter", 1994)
11. PASCAL COMELADE - Patafisiskal polska ("Ragazzin' The Blues", 1991)
12. PASCAL COMELADE - Neo-realismo del'habanera ("Ragazzin' The Blues", 1991)
13. MINOX & LYDIA LUNCH- U turn (v.a. "Ten Years After, una complilacion de G3G", 1999)
14. MACROMASSA - Alas plegables ("Los Hechos Perez", 1992)
15. PIERRE BASTIEN- Roba sabor ("Se Verla Al Reves", 2005)
This post is for Richard, friend of Materiali Sonori releases, who have asked to listen to this 1991 album. Beside his pioneering and famous works with edging kraut bands as KLUSTER, CLUSTER, HARMONIA etc., the edging composer Hans-Joachim Roedelius also has released numerous solo works, most of which are ambient-newage-modern classical orientated... and "PIANO PIANO" is one of them. Simple piano sounds and few electronics are enough, for the composer, to draw slowly (piano piano) melodic, quiet, impressionistic landscapes of sometime great sentimental immediacy.
LABEL BLEU is the independent force of contemporary french jazz. Active since mid-eighties the Amiens based label has presented works from important and well known artists as LOUIS SCLAVIS, HENRI TEXIER, PAOLO FRESU, ALDO ROMANO, ENRICO RAVA, JUAN JOSE MOSALINI, MICHEL PORTAL, DAVID KRAKAUER & many others. LABEL BLEU and sublabels INDIGO (ethnic, world jazz) and BLEU ELECTRIC (nu jazz, electronic) combine classic jazz values with avant directions, fresh sounds, innovative styles and world influences offering a wide spectrum of creations stamped uniquely by the bleu past-present-future sense of continuity.
JAZZ IN BLEU MOODS...an introduction to Label Bleu
a
01 HENRI TEXIER AZUR QUARTET - don't buy ivory, anymore! 02 SCLAVIS / TEXIER / ROMANO - Annobon 03 PALATINO -Tempo 04 PASCALS - Tour theme 2006 05 DANIEL GOYONE - Dance bulgar 06 ENRICO RAVA Tango for Vasquez & Pepita 07 MOSALINI / BEYTELMANN / CARATINI - Inspiracion 08 SCLAVIS / TEXIER/ ROMANO - Sowetto sorrow 09 PALATINO - Last call from the stars 10 P.A.F. TRIO - Paftastique 11 MICHEL PORTAL - Mutinerie 12 DAVID KRAKAUER - Moskovitz and loops of it
b 01 LOUIS SCLAVIS - Germania valse 02 PALATINO - Glenn's walk 03 JULIEN LOURAU - Tu mi turbi 04 DAVID LINX & DIEDERIK WISSELS - Lord of the groundless 05 MAGIK MALIK - Duo 237 06 VINCENT SEGAL - Castor 07 OLYMPIC GRAMOFON - Shiver 08 BATTISTA LENA - Il cha cha dei cosmonauti 09 JULIEN LOURAU - Diaspora 10 GARY LUCAS - Old dreams 11 PASCALS - Chakuriku 12 SCLAVIS / TEXIER / ROMANO - Viso di donna 13 CHRISTOPHE MARGUET - i 14 VINCENT SEGAL - Vienne
SOGENANNTES LINKSRADIKALES BLASORCHESTER was a brass band formed in 1976, in Frankfurt, by HEINER GOEBBELS, ALFRED HARTH, CHRISTOPH ANDERS... in an attempt to reinforce artistically the left student movement demonstrations of that period. The band, designed mostly for live appearances, was consisting of about twenty musicians and played on stage, at the streets and in diverse political activities. In spite of the circumstances of its birth, The So-Called Left Radical Brass Orchestra never was a preacher of left dogmatism. Their repertoire crossed the music history from baroque & classical period, early twentieth century to free-jazz and avant-garde, including original pieces, traditonal themes, covers of Hans Eisler, Frank Zappa etc. Their interpretations were imaginative, inventive, uncompromised but not snobbish, eclectic, intellectual and yet very amusing - a channel for direct communication with the people.
SLB discography comprises the albums: "HÖRT HÖRT"(1977) and "MIT GELBEN BIRNEN" (1980), which in my opinion are -along with one or two Cassiber's releases- the most interesting (of the many) works GOEBBELS & HARTH have both involved.
SLB musicians:
Christoph Anders, Alfred Harth, Heiner Goebbels - tenor saxes Henning Wiese, Rolph Riem, Barbara Muller-Rendtorff - alto saxes Thomas Jahn, Gudrun Stocker, Cora Stefan - flutes Volker Haas, Reinhard Bussmann, Herwig Heise, Walter Ybema - clarinets Klaus Becker, Johannes Eisenberg, Gunther Lohr - trumpets Michael Hoehler, Peter Lieser - trombones Uwe Schriefer, Jorn Stuckrath - tubas Ernst Stotzner - voice
italian version of the first LP, released in 1979 from Franco Fabbri's legendary label L'Orchestra
second LP "MIT GELBEN BIRNEN" ("With Yellow Pears")
SLB - praludium (track selected by Semilunio)
Both of SLB albums have reissued in 1999 on double CD from Munich label Trikont. So here you get some samples only from these two great works.
01 - ich bin halt die kotze aus diener glotze 02 - rote sonne 03 - ya no somos nosotros 04 - la resistenca se organisa 05 - homesick blues 06 - die hugel von ca'n geroni 07 - poema para el despertar de un nino 08 - praludium 09 - trauermarsch
Argentinian composer and guitarist LUIS RIZZO is one of the contemporary avant-tango and tango-revival acting figures, a competent heir to a really great tradition built by tango monsters (and also Rizzo's masters) as ASTOR PIAZZOLLA, JUAN JOSE MOSALINI, OSVALDO MANZI... In 70's Rizzo participates to Mosalini's avant ensemble "Guardia Nueva", in 80's he stays in france and plays a lot in Europe. In 1988 he releases, with a trio, the album"Tango d'hier et d'aujourd'hui" (label Circe, France) and two years later, he meets italian producer Marco Castellani and starts his long collaboration with label Materiali Sonori. "TRISTESSE" is the first fruit of this collaboration, a collection of 13 pieces written by various composers (11 tangos, 1 milonga, 1 valse), with Rizzo on guitar, Susanna Rizzi on vocals and Cesar Stroscio, future leader of the very good ensemble ESQUINA, (see our post for label Materiali Sonori), on bandoneon.
Listen to a sample here:
LUIS RIZZO CUARTETO - Tristesse (composer: Luis Rizzo)
(If time allows, samples will be rotaring)
LUIS RIZZO CUARTETO (with singer Susanna Rizzi ) Cesar Stroscio - bandoneon Carlos Carsen - bass Adrian Politi - guitar Luis Rizzo - guitar
Statman's urban folk: from jewish mystics and bluegrass to impressionistic jazz and world eclectisism
ANDY STATMAN is a rare occasion of a multiculturalist, innovator and strongly rooted to the folk traditions artist. By a very young age, while he was already an accomplished bluegrassmandolinist, attracted by the free/spiritual jazz of Ayler and Coltrane and begun, as a saxophonist, his first adventures in avant-jazz and ethnic music. As a Jew, on the other hand, he involved with the old jewish music and, developing his clarinetvirtuosity under the guidance of great Klezmerteachers (as David Tarras), he finally became one of the masters of the genre.
His approach though, in hebrew traditions hasn't been preserving the music of the past. On the contrary, Statman's art is in a constant search for an expansive form which extracts the timeless from the ancient jewish tunes and blends it with his many other influences. This highly melodic world trip draws pictures of an urban-folk-bluesy american landscape and leads back to Balkan, Mediterrania, Eastern Europe, places where Chassidic culture bloomed. It has for sure its strong references to a collective memory, it is though the very personal journey of someone who attains to put to question our historical-geografical music certainties, communicating with us on the base of an old/new spiritual language.
...circa 1996
front cover of 1997 Statman's work, eloquently titled "Between Heaven & Earth"
A LFDJ introduction to Andy Statman
01 Shalom Aleichem (Andy Statman & David Grisman "Songs Of Our Fathers", 1995)
02 Bashie's Bounce ("Songs Of Our Fathers", 1995)
03 Slivovitz (Andy Statman Quartet "The Hidden Light", 1998)
04 Crossing the Bosphorus ("The Hidden Light", 1998)
