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Home of François Couture's music journalism and activism.

2009-06-01

2009-06-01: Peter Evans, 39 Clocks, Miriodor, Pictures of Then, Matmos

Journal d'écoute / Listening Diary

2009-06-01

PETER EVANS / Nature/Culture (Psi)

J’ai entendu quelques enregistrements du trompettiste Peter Evans avant celui-ci, sans jamais porter une grande attention à son jeu. Sa musique ne me frappait pas, tout simplement. Le moment est venu de réviser mon jugement, à la lumière de Nature/Culture, un disque solo double, chose audacieuse en soi et qui commande le respect. Le premier disque est enregistré en studio, avec plusieurs micros à l’intérieur et autour de l’instrument. Le second disque est en concert. Evans se révèle un improvisateur plein de ressources et de techniques étendues, au jeu sensible mais contrôlé, aussi minutieux que celui du saxophoniste John Butcher, en moins clinique (mais moins merveilleusement aliénant, ajouterai-je). Je préfère le premier disque, bourré d’inventivité.

I had previously heard a few recordings by trumpet player Peter Evans, but they had failed to grab me. I simply didn’t dig his playing. However, the moment to reassment my take on him has come, in the light of this 2-CD solo set – a bold move in itself, one that commands respect. The first disc is a studio recording with several microphones placed inside and around the instrument. Disc 2 is live. Evans proves to be a resourceful improvisor with quite a bag of extended techniques. His playing sensitive but well controled, as precise as saxophonist John Butcher’s, although less clinical (and, I might add, les marvelously alienating). I prefer disc 1, which is stuffed with inventions.

39 CLOCKS / Pain It Dark (Bureau B - Forced Exposure)

Réédition du premier album de ce duo allemand, paru à l’origine en 1981. Pas inintéressant, mais ça vieillit mal. Un son près de Suicide, dans le genre no-wave ou punk-pop, avec un côté “rock garage et boîte à rythmes”.

Reissue of the first LP from this German duo, first released in 1981. Not uninteresting, but this music doesn’t age well. They sound close to Suicide, in a no-wave/punk-pop spectrum, with a “rock garage with beatbox” vibe.

MIRIODOR / Avanti (Cuneiform - GROS merci à/BIG thanks to Six Média Marketing)

Fabuleux, fantastique, différent! Je m’explique: le merveilleux groupe montréalais de rock progressif d’avant-garde (ou avant-prog, ou Rock-In-Opposition, ou comme vous voulez) produit peu mais bien. Cependant, depuis deux ou trois disques, les choses stagnaient, comme si la popularité (toute relative, mais quand même) qu’il connaît depuis une dizaine d’années avait fixé la recette musicale. Sur Avanti, on identifie facilement le “son” Miriodor, mais on trouve aussi une attitude fraîche (et plus sombre, comme sur “Envoûtement”). Les pièces sont plus longues, complexes, denses, mais avec cette légèreté et ce côté facétieux typiques au groupe. Un grand crû. Dans le genre disque de l’année! [Ci-dessous: un extrait de “Envoûtement”, tiré du site de Cuneiform.]

Fabulous, fantastic, different! Let me explain: the wonderful Montréal avant-garde prog rock (or avant-prog, or rock-in-opposition, or whatever) group records rarely but strongly. However, over the past two or three records, things had been stagnating a bit, as if the (relative) popularity the band has been enjoying for the past decade had set its music evolution into stone. On Avanti, Miriodor’s trademark sound is easily identified while sounding fresh (and darker, as on “Bewitchment”). Tracks are also longer, complex, dense, while featuring the lightness and playfulness Miriodor got us used to. This is a major work, and a serious contender for the title of Best Album of 2009. [Below: An Excerpt from “Bewitchment” found on Cuneiform’s website.]

enouvtement.mp3


PICTURES OF THEN / Pictures of Then and The Wicked Sea (ind. - merci à/thanks to XO Publicity)

Un groupe de Minneapolis qui fait dans le son “rock classique” dans une démarche “indie rock”. C’est bien fait, plutôt intelligent, pas toujours réussi, mais quand ça marche, ça marche fort (par exemple sur “When It Stings”). Bref, du rock collégien qui a du chien et une bonne pelletée de bravade.

A band from Minneapolis playing classic rock from an indie rock perspective. It’s well done, rather intelligent, not always successful. But when it works, it works darn well (like on the addictive “When It Stings”). In this dog-eat-dog world, college rock bands come and go in a flash, but if this crew can shovel its music to the right ears, they might have a chance to score.

MATMOS / Supreme Balloon (Matador)

Paru l’été dernier, mais il m’avait passé sous le nez. Un disque différent pour Matmos, beaucoup plus axé sur les synthétiseurs analogiques (ou de sonorité analogique) que sur l’échantillonnage. Parfois plaisantin, sérieux à d’autres moments (et tirant vers l’hommage aux pionniers de la musique électronique), Supreme Balloon est un joyeux voyage à travers un univers d’électro affranchie de l’IDM. Pas aussi révolutionnaire que certains de leurs autres disques, mais ce sera un de mes préférés, avec le magnifique (et magnifiquement loufoque) The West. [Ci-dessous: vidéo de la pièce “Exciter Lamp and the Variable Band”.]

Released last summer, but it had eluded me until now. A different kind of record for Matmos, more based on analog synthesizers (or analog-sounding sunths) than on samplers. Playful at times, serious elsewhere (and pushing toward a homage to electronic music pioneers), Supreme Balloon is a joyous ride through an electronic world freed from the diktats of IDM. It may not be as revolutionary as some of their other releases, but this will remain among my personal favorites, alongside the magnificent (and magnificently silly) The West. [Below: Video for the track “Exciter Lamp and the Variable Band.”]

2 comments:

  1. Hey, that Peter Evans sete sounds pretty cool. He did a solo show here earlier this year... one long continuous piece, using circular breathing and various forms of magic. From his myspace clips, I had assumed he used electronics... but nope! All acoustic. A really fine show indeed.
    Apparently I also need to finally get around to checking out Miriodor...

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  2. You definitely do, Tom! Miriodor are in a league of their own, one of the finest avant-prog bands out there. They have a playfulness to them that can be a bit overwhelming if you don't dig avant-circus music, but the new one is definitely darker.

    As for Evans, I remember a trio project where his trumpet clearly goes through a distortion pedal or something of that ilk, but this album is all acoustic indeed.

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