la marmite cosmique V
progressive rock / fusion / soundtracks
5 track album - lenght : 32 : 61
1) Zöhr
2) new dawn
3) mandarine
4) kinky boots
5) theremoon
composed by Arnaud Bukwald
Cherry Pob : vocals (tracks 1 & 4)
recorded between London, Cambridge, Paris & Burgundy
© Arnaud Bukwald 2019. All rights reserved.
buy/listen to the full album
progressive rock / fusion / soundtracks
5 track album - lenght : 32 : 61
1) Zöhr
2) new dawn
3) mandarine
4) kinky boots
5) theremoon
composed by Arnaud Bukwald
Cherry Pob : vocals (tracks 1 & 4)
recorded between London, Cambridge, Paris & Burgundy
© Arnaud Bukwald 2019. All rights reserved.
buy/listen to the full album
Master synthesist of familiar musical styles Arnaud Bukwald is back with the fifth installment of his fascinating "La marmite cosmique" series of album releases--all of which seem to choose several prog subgenres or specific artists from the past to emulate. What makes Arnaud's work so unusual and enjoyable, though, is that though you recognize the sounds and the styles within each song, the compositions and performances are all so fresh--it's as if he has discovered old tapes or manuscripts from past masters that no one has ever heard and then performed and published them himself.
I think his work genius. Whereas on previous "marmite cosmique" releases he has masterfully replicated the sounds of such stalwarts as Frank Zappa, Greg Lake, Genesis, Camel, Mike Oldfield, Pink Floyd, as well as many, many Canterbury and Krautrock artists (as well as many modern artists), this one presents some Zeuhl, modern West Coast Psychedelia, Berlin School, as well as electronic masters like JEAN-MICHEL JARRE.
1. "Zöhr" (12:27) opens like POPUL VUH before presenting the theatricality of MAGMA and then turning into the engaging melody-delivery medium of BRAINTICKET, this song rocks like CAMEL and it surprises and it sucks you in like KLAUS DOLDINGER's PASSPORT with its grooves, twists and turns, instrumental sounds and skills, not to mention its multiple earworm melodic hooks and ecstatic choral Zeuhlish parts. The best prog epic I've heard so far in this year of 2019. (24/25)
2. "New Dawn" (2:05) West Coast funk on the level of STARVING DAUGHTERS and BRIAN ELLIS. Awesome! Another little gem of Arnaud's that I wish went on and on. (That's why we have repeat and playlist mixes.) (5/5)
3. "Mandarine" (5:46) wonderful Kosmische Musik of the Berlin School ilk. (9/10)
4. "Kinky Boots" (3:58) funky psychedelia that doesn't work as well as "New Dawn." Nice elements but they don't gel as well as I'd like. (7.5/10)
5. "Theremoon" (9:24) opens with some light, playful fairy-like TANGERINE DREAM or JEAN-MICHEL JARRE synth play which is then joined by dobro, percussion and another wooden flute-like synth playing mostly in the lower registers. I can't quite peg the influences/references, but I like it. A lot. Cool space weave. Maybe KITARO or Larry Fast's SYNERGY or Patrick MORAZ's I (or a combination of all of the above) are also appropriate comparisons. Just before the 4:00 mark a truly spacey synth makes a brief appearance before African hand drums enter. While the song never really goes anywhere too exciting or unexpected, it contains great weaves throughout and incorporates genius sound/instrument selections. (18/20)
Total Time 33:40
Five stars; a minor masterpiece of wonderfully creative, nostalgic instrumental progressive rock music.
review by Drew Fisher
prog is alive and well / progarchives
Francouzský multiinstrumentální avantgardní solitér, jenž sám sebe nazývá „undergroundovým trubadúrem a astronautem“, začínal jako hudební ryze živý performer s mišungem všemožných jazzových odnoží, odchylek či výhybek.
Po čase takovýchto povětšinou improvizačních experimentů s klubovým diváctvem bylo nabíledni zaznamenat a vyrobit nějaké záznamy regulérních kompozic pro hudební badatele, takže od roku 2010 nahrává a vydává alba. S výjimkou Moondragore – ethnic collection (2010), na němž svůj mimo-jazz s užitím nejrůznějších akustických nástrojů včetně sitáru ohýbá směrem k world-music, na dalších deskách pracuje osobitě rozmarným a nepředvídatelným přístupem ke kompozici. Jelikož zvládá široké nástrojové spektrum od kláves a kytar či bicích po všeliké dechy – od fléten přes saxofony po tubu, můžeme vysledovat zappistické orchestrální stopy, psychedelii kalifornských hippíků, vaudevillské legrácky (na Bizarremporium, 2011), rychloprsty Herbieho Hancocka, německý hypno-krautrock, a ovšem plno unikátních jinde nevystopovatelných divností.
Od roku 2016 nás Bukwald postupně zásobuje sérií alb ze svého vesmírného nádobí – La marmite cosmique je v překladu Kosmický hrnec. Tady se od „Hrnce č. 1“ stále víc odklání mimo dřívější jazzovou bázi, nicméně i ta je zde coby koření cítit, k plnější až progrockově hutné sytosti, zjemněné příchutěmi filmových melodií, přítomnosti symfonicky voňavého tuku, štiplavosti elektroniky i příměsemi přírodních zvuků, a v letošním pátém hrnci jsou všechny chutě již fúzně prolnuté jako v řádně odleželém guláši. Pět skladeb je jako jedna dlouhá kompozice s odbočnými meandry. Místy velmi dramatická, dokonce melodramatická, místy i funky hravá, jinde dumavě zamyšleníhodná. Předchozí kusy prozatímní pentalogie se možná zdají být objevnější, nicméně i novinka V hraje svou roli a přesně zapadá do sady Kosmických hrnců v hudebně-badatelské řadě výletů tohoto mistra imitace všeho druhu.
review by Petr Procházka
kulturní magazín Uni
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The first track is "Zohr" (12:27) and is the longest track on the album. A sustained synth provides a light drone and the word Zohr is repeated with Bukwald and Pob harmonizing in dissonant manner. Rolling and crashing cymbals build tension, and finally percussion, psych organs and keys, and some brassy instruments work together to play a nice progressive, jazzy music that has a nice psychedelic ring to it. The mostly instrumental track is driven mostly by synths and brass with occasional appearances of guitar. The rhythm switches up throughout the track to keep it from getting too stagnant, even slowing up a bit in the middle section, removing percussion and then reverting to that strange zohr vocals again. Finally at 8 minutes, different words come into play for a short time before it switches back to mysterious instrumentals provided by synth and brass, this time adding in some cool effects. Soon, the keys start a rhythmic pattern, and more repeated singing of the word zohr. The tracks first half was definitely much more interesting as the 2nd half doesn't really ever catch hold, but kind of meanders about.
"New Dawn" (2:05) starts off with birds and natural sound effects before the beat kicks in and a jazzy and slightly cinematic sound kicks in with the synth providing a melodic line. The sound has a 70's funky vibe to it with a Herbie Hancock-style vibe.
progarchives
Les incantations liminaires du premier, «Zöhr» - la grosse pièce de plus de 12’ -, invoquent Magma, tandis que son premier chapitre, jazzy et canterburien, nous ramène aux sons cuivrés - entre le vieux rose et le gris - d’Arkham, ce mythique groupe (belge) qui ne nous a laissé aucun enregistrement studio et dont les musiciens formeront les piliers du groupe de Christian Vander et d’Univers Zéro. Excellent morceau - et la reprise finale en est un exemple.
progcensor