2014-11-12
Who has the biggest sound? Paul Dolden, of course. Who could forget the
dense, far-reaching, implacable sonic environments of L’Ivresse de la vitesse and Délires de plaisirs?
Dolden, after eight years of silence on record, is back with one of his
strangest, deepest, most off-kilter works to date. This CD features two works.
“Who Has the Biggest Sound?” is a 15-movement, 52-minute opus where minute
details pile up (and up, and up) to form... high-speed musical chases...
dysfunctional country songs and tangos... and choirs of human, mammal, and
insect voices. A master of ceremony steps in at times to try to put some order
in the proceedings – comic relief that works well at times (“More Unanswered
Questions”) but falls flat elsewhere. It’s the only weak link in an otherwise
astounding work. And spoiler alert: it’s nature who has the biggest sound, the
nicest melodies, and who plays the fastest. By a long shot. The second work on
this CD is “The Un-Tempered Orchestra”, a highly entertaining ride through
non-Bach-approved tuning (and detuning) systems that can’t fail to evoke Harry
Partch – if he’d ever had access to a 100+ ensemble. Dolden’s work – like Noah
Creshevsky’s or MC Maguire’s – is so rich in layers that a single listen won’t
reveal everything. Actually, this is the kind of record that will always give
you something more. Strongly recommended. [Below: “The Village Wind
Orchestra: The Answer is Blowing in the Winds” from “Who Has the Biggest Sound.”]
Permettez-moi de prêcher
partiellement pour ma paroisse. L’étiquette montréalaise Cuchabata Records –
qui fait dans le rock garage et la musique expérimentale – organise un petit
festival annuel pour son écurie. La neuvième édition du Cuch Fest aura lieu les
29 et 30 novembre 2014 à la Brasserie Beaubien de Montréal et, pour souligner
l’événement, Cuchabata a publié aujourd’hui une compilation gratuite de 104
minutes. Cette compil propose uniquement du matériel inédit et exclusif. Oui,
j’y figure, et deux fois plutôt qu’une: un solo bruitiste en ouverture (drôle
de choix, d’ailleurs, d’ouvrir la compil avec mes feedbacks), et une
improvisation de 17 minutes de La Forêt rouge. Cela dit, il y a plein d’autres
projets sur cette compil que vous ne voudrez pas manquer, comme un morceau
torride de free jazz/punk signé Shining Wizard, une longue composition de David
and the Mountain qui oscille entre ambiant et maximalisme, ainsi qu’un hommage
a cappella hilarant au directeur de Cuchabata, David Dugas Dion, signé Maxime
Gervais. Aussi au programme: Crabe, Pop Goes, Odd Limbs, Gens Chrétiens,
Leftovers Diable, ++. Vivez l’autre underground montréalais : téléchargez
au lien ci-dessus ou écoutez ci-dessous et amusez-vous. La Forêt rouge jouera
un set de 30 minutes le 30 nov et je profiterai de l’occasion pour lancer mon
nouvel album solo Natures mortes.
Let me be parochial for a minute. Montreal’s Cuchabata Records – a label
focusing on garage rock and experimental music – presents an annual festival to
showcase its roster. The ninth edition of Cuch Fest will take place Nov. 29-30
at Brasserie Beaubien (Montreal) and to celebrate the event Cuchabata just
released a free 104-minute compilation of previously unavailable and exclusive
material. Yes, I’m on it, and twice: with a noise solo (and I admit the label
made the weirdest choice by using my track as the compilation opener), and a
17-minute improvisation by my band La Forêt rouge. That being said, there’s
plenty of other bands and projects on this comp that you won’t wannna miss,
like a scorching free jazz/punk number by Shining Wizard, a long David and the
Mountain track that goes back and forth between ambient and maximalism, and
Maxime Gervais’ hilarious a capella tribute to Cuchabata labelhead David Dugas
Dion. Plus tracks by Crabe, Pop Goes, Odd Limbs, Gens Chrétiens, Leftovers
Diable, ++. Experience the other Montreal underground: download the comp for
free at the link above or stream it below, and have fun. La Forêt rouge will
perform a 30-minute set on Nov. 30, and I’ll take the opportunity to officially
release my new solo album Natures mortes.
TRICOT
/ T H E (Bakuretsu Records)
C’est le groupe facebook
avant-progressive qui a attiré mon attention sur ce groupe de jeunes japonaises
qui font dans le rock alternatif complexe – oui, du math-rock. Sympa, bien
écrit, belles mélodies, belles harmonies, des changements de chiffres
indicateurs audacieux, un batteur hyperactif. Difficile de résister à ce
premier album très efficace. Paru l’an dernier.
I’ve been tipped to this band by the avant-progressive facebook group.
Tricot is a quartet of young Japanese musicians – mostly female – who play
complex alternative rock. Call it math rock if you must. Fun, well written, nice
melodies, nice harmonies, bold time signature changes, and a hyperactive
drummer. Hard to resist to a debut album this effective. Released last year.
TRICOT
/ Bakuretsu Tricot San (Bakuretsu Records)
Leur premier mini-album (2011),
beaucoup moins complexe, donc plus alt rock que math-rock. Sympathique, mais
beaucoup moins singulier ou réussi que T
H E.
Their first EP (2011). The music is much more simpler, so more on the
alt-rock side than on the math-rock side of things. Nice, but a lot less unique
and successful than T H E.
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