- "In the 25 years since his first album, Fluence, Catalan auteur Pascal Comelade hasnt compromised his music or his vision. Theres no courting the mainstream. Hes still fond of toy instruments. Integral to the fabric of Frances music, he steers the overt experimentalism of Jac Berrocal towards the friendlier end of Yann Tiersen. The all-instrumental A Freak Serenade his second non-comp album for Because is more straightforward than he can be: therere no one-minute versions of The Kinks Sunny Afternoon. Cast as a recital, A Freak Serenade is a programme that unfolds like a show. And if the wonderful drawings by Dupuy Berberian (the creators of M. Jean) are taken at face value, the show would be for two-headed cat-dog hybrids, little devils, two-headed women and a Coffin Joe lookalike. Comelade plays his guitar upon a three-headed horse.
Comelade is invariably cast as an outsider musician, a sort of naïf that cannot help but be weird. His rare live appearances help foster this view, but the music itself is hardly inaccessible and hes a master of elegiac melody and unsettling mood. Its just that he chooses to make his music with instruments that arent the norm: the musical saw and toy piano are favourites. Strip-Tease De Mosque En Patinet showcases the musical percolator, with Comelade making bubbly Eraserhead baby noises through water.
The title track opens with fairground noise and a squall of pipe organ that gives way to a trumpet-led melody and mid-tempo waltz rhythm of such mournfulness that you know this sideshow is threadbare, pathos-filled. The treated guitar surfing over the top wouldnt have been out of place on Enos Here Come the Warm Jets. Mood set, The Return of Lux Interior the Magician could soundtrack a slowed-down strip-tease with wobbly saw, clarinet and accordion. Two Maniaco-Depressive Beatnicks Squabbling over a Jane Russell Mozzarellas Stereokini (whatever that means) is the marriage of parping sax and toy piano texture that accompanies plate spinning. This music invariably conjures visuals. Then theres a take on the MC5s version of Ramblin Rose that sounds like kids plastic guitars battling with toy pianos and a cheapo miniature sax which is actually what it is. Whatever the means and medium, A Freak Serenade is a joy throughout, a fantastic ride through a fantastically fertile mind." Rcokfort
Jonas Reinhardt - Mask of the Maker
Just in case anyone else has not bought this yet but might, note that you can save by getting the last track for free here.
Comments
All Young Girls are Machine Guns - s/t
Omaha bands 2/3. Female fronted, ukelele indie pop. A bit twee, but still enjoyable.
Craig
Sarah Benck & the Robbers - Neighbors Garden
Omaha bands 3/3. Bluesy, bar band rock. Fairly generic.
Craig
Got this years back on emusic, still my favorite SubtractiveLAD album. I see he has a new one out.
- "In the 25 years since his first album, Fluence, Catalan auteur Pascal Comelade hasnt compromised his music or his vision. Theres no courting the mainstream. Hes still fond of toy instruments. Integral to the fabric of Frances music, he steers the overt experimentalism of Jac Berrocal towards the friendlier end of Yann Tiersen. The all-instrumental A Freak Serenade his second non-comp album for Because is more straightforward than he can be: therere no one-minute versions of The Kinks Sunny Afternoon. Cast as a recital, A Freak Serenade is a programme that unfolds like a show. And if the wonderful drawings by Dupuy Berberian (the creators of M. Jean) are taken at face value, the show would be for two-headed cat-dog hybrids, little devils, two-headed women and a Coffin Joe lookalike. Comelade plays his guitar upon a three-headed horse.
Comelade is invariably cast as an outsider musician, a sort of naïf that cannot help but be weird. His rare live appearances help foster this view, but the music itself is hardly inaccessible and hes a master of elegiac melody and unsettling mood. Its just that he chooses to make his music with instruments that arent the norm: the musical saw and toy piano are favourites. Strip-Tease De Mosque En Patinet showcases the musical percolator, with Comelade making bubbly Eraserhead baby noises through water.
The title track opens with fairground noise and a squall of pipe organ that gives way to a trumpet-led melody and mid-tempo waltz rhythm of such mournfulness that you know this sideshow is threadbare, pathos-filled. The treated guitar surfing over the top wouldnt have been out of place on Enos Here Come the Warm Jets. Mood set, The Return of Lux Interior the Magician could soundtrack a slowed-down strip-tease with wobbly saw, clarinet and accordion. Two Maniaco-Depressive Beatnicks Squabbling over a Jane Russell Mozzarellas Stereokini (whatever that means) is the marriage of parping sax and toy piano texture that accompanies plate spinning. This music invariably conjures visuals. Then theres a take on the MC5s version of Ramblin Rose that sounds like kids plastic guitars battling with toy pianos and a cheapo miniature sax which is actually what it is. Whatever the means and medium, A Freak Serenade is a joy throughout, a fantastic ride through a fantastically fertile mind."
Rcokfort
Jonas Reinhardt - Mask of the Maker
Just in case anyone else has not bought this yet but might, note that you can save by getting the last track for free here.
See Bandcamp thread for more details
Followed by:
Info. @ Emusers
Their new album is out today - already at the usual places - I shall wait and see if emusic have it, using up most of my last credits.
I'm surprised, this came onto emusic on its release day. That leaves me another 16 tracks before going on hold.
Animal Collective - Monkey Been To Burn Town
loscil - Hundreds
Nate Wooley & Mazen Kerbaj Live at ISSUE, 9/2012