J J BURNEL "Un Jour Parfait"

French estetism in J.J.Burnel solo album. The last leader of The Stranglers offers us 12 slightly lewd tracks: with small “acoustic carvings” and French verses (the native language of J.J.B). "Un Jour Parfait" undoubtedly refers to the European pop art obsessions of the artist. 1988 Epic Records.

Un Jour Parfait Theme

Si J'Etais

Weekend

Tristeville Ce Soir

Un Jour Parfait

Via Dolorosa

Le Whiskey

Crazy (She Drives Me)

Garden of Eden

Reves

Waltz

Via Dolorosa (Spanish Version)

Here is the lyrics of the dashingly fragile track "Week-End".

Week-end

C' était l 'autre week-end
Je l' ai vue attendant un soupirant
C' était l' autre week-end
Les cheveux bleus au vent
Les yeux blonds espérant

Son regard, tant de peine
Un sourire hésitant soulignant vingt printemps
Son regard, tant de peine
La passion recherchant
La haine, l'amour, sans plus souffrir

S' en est allée de ma mémoire
De mon passé, de mon histoire
S' est transformée, blanc et noir
Pour un instant ou tout le temps

Contre-nuit, belle de jour
Rêver d' être l' amant
Alternant noir et blanc
Belle de nuit, contre-jours
Les couleurs me grisant
L' âme en amour à deux tranchants

S' en est allée de ma mémoire
De mon passé, de mon histoire
S' est transformée, blanc et noir
Pour un instant ou tout le temps

C' était l' autre week-end
C' était l' autre week-end

J J BURNEL - Week End

Week End

It was on the last week-end
I saw her waiting for a suitor
It was on the last week-end
Her blue hair in the wind
Her blond eyes hoping

The expression in her eyes, so much sorrow
An hesitant smile underlines twenty summers
The expression in her eyes, so much sorrow
Looking for the passion
Hate, love, no more suffering

She went away from my memory
From my past, from my story
Transforming herself, black and white
For a moment or for ever

Contre-nuit, daytime beauty
Dreaming to be the lover
Alterning black with white
Night beauty, contre-jours
The colours go to my head
In love soul has two cutting edges

She went away from my memory
From my past, from my story
Transforming herself, black and white
For a moment or for ever

It was on the last week-end
It was on the last week-end

Thanks to Joan for helping me with the french version

UN JOUR PARFAIT
(12 tracks, 44 min)

Touching The Vibrating Silence : Sounds from the Hermit Foundation Art Symposiums (CZE, 1993 & 1995)

The Plasy Monastery
(front cover of "The Meridian Crossings" compilation)

Selections from two HERMIT FOUNDATION (art center in Czech Republic) compilations, with czech and international artists working on the basis of improvisation, modern composition and free-form sound. Apart from their innovative orientation, the tracks capture the haunted aura of the spaces of (former) monastery of Plasy (Pilzen), where they' re recorded, during the foundation's second ("GROWTHRINGS", 1993) and fourth ("THE MERIDIAN CROSSINGS", 1995) art symposiums.

01 VLASTIMIL MAREK & ROMAN BRENDA - untitled (singing bowls)

02 TIBOR SZEMZO & MARTIEN GROENEVELD - untitled (flute, xylophone, seamachine) 

03 VOJTECH HAVEL - untitled (cello)

04 MICHAEL DELIA & JAROSLAV KORAN - untitled

05 JAROSLAV STASTNY - untitled (prepared piano)

06 WIEL CONEN - untitled (guitar, electronics) 

07 PAVEL FAJT - untitled (percussions)

08 PETER CUSACK - Bees in the bush (w MICHAEL DELIA on kalimba)

09 IRENA & VOJTECH HAVEL - untitled (viola da gamba) 

10 ORLOJ SNIVCU - Concert for Plasy (performed by J. Koran, M. Sebesta, M. Janicek, M. Koran, S. Austen)

HERMIT FOUNDATION SYMPOSIUMS


selected by LaFolieDuJour

NEXDA: Two EPs (NED, 1982)

NEXDA - "2 46 1 21 and 6 57", 12'' (1982)

A1 Twofortysix
A2 Onetwentyone
B Sixfiftyseven

NEXDA - Second, 12'', 1982
A Threeseventyfive
B1 Fivesixtyeight
B2 Foureightynine

NEXDA - untitled LP (1984)

Dutch experimental-dub-post punk obscurities who acted in first half of 80's. They released two 12'' EPs (Plurex Records), one LP (Studio 12 label) plus split 7'' singles, a cassette tape & few tracks in various (rare now) underground compilations.

The tracks of their two 12'' (plus selections from their rest stuff) are here:

NEXDA

posted by request

PAVEL FAJT: Finding The Essence Of The Rhythm

photo taken by FAJT site

Percussionist, composer and multi-instrumentalist, PAVEL FAJT is one of the leading artists of creative music in Czech Republic. He has played with many top avant musicians as Tom Cora, Fred Frith, Ferdinard Richard & others, he has participated in alternative rock bands (DUNAJ, PLUTO) and yet his art is strongly related with traditional (ethnic) influences.
As an improvisator, Pavel Fajt approaching both the elemental (primitive) nature of percussions and the jazz/post jazz language, he "extracts" the noise from various objects and explores the transformation of it into music. Seeking the "essence of rhythm" he sometimes tests this "objects voice" up to an exhausting point where a sound or rhythm reveals a passage to another sound or rhythm.

photo taken by FAJT site

Apart from the well known to wider audiences records with czech alternative star IVA BITTTOVA, or the czech rock band DUNAJ, PAVEL FAJT has also written music for theatre performances & cinema, he has made solo albums and various others co-releases.

As an introduction to PAVEL FAJT, here's a compilation with tracks selected from some of these works:

PAVEL FAJT & JIM MENESES - Songs For The Drums, [Pavian,1994]
(samples: "my boy", "rosy rolls", "welcome to canaro")

FAJT HOMLER WAEGEMAN - Macaronic Sines, [Lowlands,1995]
(samples: "bottle song", "komida kapak", "postcard from azna sind")

DUNAJ - Pustit Musis [Rachot Behemot, 1996]
(sample: "v bilem")

FAJT, HOMLER, WAEGEMAN, KOEN VAN ROY- Corne De Vache [Victo, 1997]
(samples: "his master's voice", "tanecek", "bongo song")

PAVEL FAJT + MIKOLAS CHADIMA - Pruhledni Lide [Black Point ,1998]
(samples: "ale to nic, to prejde", "pruhledni lide", "kamen s napisem ruze")

PAVEL FAJT - Drum Trek [Indies, 2001]
(samples: "drum trek", "area sismica", "kvitosfera")

Listen to
PAVEL FAJT sampler
(16 tracks, 75 min)

compiled by LFDJ

V/A "WARFRAT TALES" (US, 1983)

Compilation with L.A. bands which acted over or under the ground in the early 80's-postpunk-psych-garage revival era. Some good (THE LAST, 100 FLOWERS), some rare (THE QUESTION, CLOCKWATCHERS), some very popular (RAIN PARADE)... and among them all, THE LEAVING TRAINS whose memorable first LP "Well Down The Blue Highway" (1984) we recommend to explorers of that kind of stuff.

THE LAST - try to rise
THE LEAVING TRAINS - leaving train
100 FLOWERS - 100 flowers
EARWIGS - stop the clock
WEDNESDAY WEEK - boy you got me good
RAIN PARADE - i look around
THE QUESTION - brand new world
THE POINT - pothead
100 FLOWERS - from the fire
THE QUESTION - shall be love
RAIN PARADE - this can't be today
WEDNESDAY WEEK - anyone like me
THE CLOCKWATCHERS - mishap at greebsley's
THE LEAVING TRAINS - creeping coastline of lights
THE LAST - brand new drug

WARFRAT TALES

IN-POLY-SONS Label: The Nostalgic Avant-Garde

front covers from two In Poly Sons compilations

A path for unusual music directions and unexpected art encounters, french label InPolySons formed in 1989 to promote "uncommercial" works of french avant circuit. Its debut release, "Ubu Et La MerdRe" (a tribute to Alfred Jarry's proto-grotesque play "Ubu Roi") presented, among others, names as PIERRE BASTIEN, TOM CORA, HANS REICHEL, MICK HOBBS, FAMILY FODDER, PTOSE... while many other important, french and international impro, RIO, or experimental artists have been hosted here ever since: PASCAL COMELADE, CHRIS PETCHANATZ (a.k.a. KLIMPEREI), LOOK DE BOUK, J.F. PAUVROS, RENE LUSSIER, FERDINARD RICHARD, GUIGOU CHENEVIER, DAVID FENECH, FREDERIC LE JUNTER... to name but a few.

An introduction to music of IN-POLY-SONS label

LES BATTERIES - heaven help yourself
( v.a. "No More...No Mouroir", 2002)

PTOSE - la montagne des couteaux
(v.a. "Ubu Et La MerdRe", 1989)

FREDERIC LE JUNTER - l'enclume des jours
("Chansons Impopulaires", 2005 )

OFFICER! - spaghettification
(v.a. "Ubu Et La MerdRe")

BASTIEN & GRIMO - out of antidote
("Rag-time vol.2", 2008)

BASTIEN & SIMONIS - tan q
("Mots d'heures: Gousses, Rames, 2002)

L'ENSEMBLE RAYE - flamme & co II
(v.a. "No More...No Mouroir" )

TOUPIDEK LIMONADE - laissons les nez foire titi
("Il y a Des Bulles Dans La Banquise", 1998)

GUIGOU CHENEVIER - egg, salt, vanilla
("Le Batteur Est Le Meilleur Ami Du Musicien", 2003)

GUIGOU CHENEVIER - too good too
("Le Batteur Est Le Meilleur Ami Du Musicien")

BASTIEN & GRIMO - malaria
("Rag-time vol.2")

FRANK PAHL & KLIMPEREI - empress pears
("Music For Desserts", 2001)

FRANK PAHL & KLIMPEREI - melon sorbet
("Music For Desserts")

OEDIPUS - que lindo meu amor
("Oedipus", 2003)

AA KISMET - oscilloscope
(v.a. "No More... No Mouroir")

J.F. PAUVROS - la chanson du cure-dent
(v.a. "Ubu Et La MerdRe")

DAVID FENECH - odette
("Polochon Battle", 2007)

KLIMPEREI - les soleils tristes
("Tout Seul Sur La Plage En Hiver", 2001)

FAMILY FODDER - is there merdre after the death
(v.a. "Ubu Et La MerdRe")

KLIMPEREI - la fin des vacances
("Tout Seul Sur La Plage En Hiver")

compiled by LFDJ

In Poly Sons Sampler
(20 tracks, 64 min)

LES BATTERIES "Noisy Champs" (FRA, 1986)

First LP from LES BATTERIES, an improvisation outfit, initially trio of master percussion-man GUIGOU CHENEVIER (Etron Fou Leloublan) with other two drummers, CHARLES HAYWARD ( This Heat) and RICK BROWN (V-Effect, Curlew).
Apart from drums'n'drums'n'drums, a little saxophone is played sporadically by Guigou, while Charles, recalling his "songwriting" side, sings some lyrics with that delightful "untalented" style, found also in his solo works of that era.

RICK BROWN - drums, vocals
GUIGOU CHENEVIER - drums, sax
CHARLES HAYWARD - drums, keyboard, vocals, lyrics

produced by Ferdinand Richard,
released by AYAA disques, Reims, France

tracks:

A. Noisy Champs, Sunday & Dimanche, Identity Parade, Polar, Post-polar, Dernier Solo Avant L 'Autoroute, White Elegance
B. The Letter, Dernier Rendez-Vous Au Gord, Flintstone, Maksymenko, 3 Hommes Et Un Mouchoir, 3 Legs For Two Birds, Supply And Demand, Stop Those Ideas.

LES BATTERIES - white elegance

See also at La Folie Du Jour:
CHARLES HAYWARD - My Secret Alphabet
CHARLES HAYWARD - Survive the Gesture
LES BATTERIES - Demesure Revolutionaire
LE FEU DU JOUR compilation

posted by Koroviov (+ help of paramo)

"Le batteur est le meilleur ami du musicien " GUIGOU CHENEVIER

UNREST WORK & PLAY

"In Forms"
(LP, Recommended Rec, 1984)

"Sound Every Day"

(EP, Political Underground Rec, 1983)

"Andy & Chris"

(EP, Art Hole Rec, 1982)

Avant/free form duo of ANDY WAKE and CHRIS FRASER, related with the post-punk extension of RIO, and bands like THIS HEAT, THE WORK, THE MOMES...
Certainly, among the original and most interesting bands you can find digging the land of Recommended Rec, Woof Rec and the likes.

THE RED CRAYOLA " Three Songs On A Trip To The United States, Bismarckstrasse, 50 " (1983)

Not often mentioned RED CRAYOLA's LP, made in 1983... with MAYO THOMPSON assisted here by ALLEN RAVENSTINE and JESSE CHAMBERLAIN. The three songs are eight... and the trip to the United States took place in Cologne. Originally released from Pure Freude label and reissued in 1997 by Drag City.

THREE SONGS ON A TRIP TO THE U.S.


More MAYO THOMPSON at La Folie Du Jour
RED CRAYOLA - Soldier Talk

V.A. "CLUB FOOT", Subterranean Records, US, 1980

Legendary San Francisco label, SUBTERRANEAN Records, mostly known for classic late 70's/early 80's post-punk & proto-industrial releases, takes here a walk on the underground-art-jazz side of the area, presenting, in this mini compilation, sounds from avant obscurities as LONGSHOREMEN, CLUB FOOT ORCHESTRA, NAKED CITY, BAY OF PIGS, ALTERBOYS...

Listen to CLUB FOOT compilation

First Impressions...

“For the first time since I had been in Barcelona [during the Civil War ] I went to have a look at the cathedral—a modern cathedral, and one of the most hideous buildings in the world. It had four crenellated spires exactly the shape of hock bottles. Unlike most of the churches in Barcelona it was not damaged during the revolution—it was spared because of its 'artistic value', people said. I think the Anarchists showed bad taste in not blowing it up when they had the chance, though they did hang a red and black banner between its spires.”


George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia, London, Penguin Books, 1962, pp. 179-180


“Shortly after entering Barcelona, four grotesque steeples appeared before me. Their peaks seemed to domineer over the city shining with gold. I was struck with a sense of conviction. As I approached, the holes pierced in those four tense conical structures, just like a tremendously appealing demonic whisper, clutched me with force. What I was looking at was Gaudi's last masterpiece Sagrada Familia.”

Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1959


And completely unfairly, favouring the second opinion:

An excerpt from Teshigahara’s 1984 documentary “Antonio Gaudi”.

(music, sound effects: Toru Takemitsu, Kurodo Mouri, Shinji Hori).

Hiroshi Teshigahara official site

Antonio Gaudi

La Sagrada Familia