Open the gates, let the giant panda into town!
At the end of 2016 the Belgian master of the Fender Rhodes, Jozef Dumoulin, realized an old fantasy, combining the sound and the dynamics of post-seventies alternative guitar rock with the energy and the poetic power of music played by musicians playing other instruments than the one they are trained for. Sun Ra – in his seminal «Strange Strings» with his Astro Infinity Arkestra (Saturn, 1067), already did the latter part when he asked his musicians to play stringed instruments collected from pawnshops. Sun Ra called this kind of idea «a study in ignorance».
Dumoulin called friends-improvisers from the Paris alternative scene – singer-bassoonist Sophie Bernado, pianist-electronics player Léo Dupleix, sax player Julien Pontvianne and reeds player Hugues Mayot. Dumoulin asked Bernado and Dupleix to play electric guitars alongside himself. Pontvianne was asked to play the bass guitar and Mayot the drums. As already happened with Sun Ra Astro Infinity Arkestra, it was clear right from the very first get-together that these musicians can play on anything. Just give them instruments. The new band was baptized as Trojan Panda. The band performed at the prestigious Jazz Middelheim festival in Antwerp, Belgium, and later on, the music gradually adopted a more improvisational approach. «Peau» is the debut album of Trojan Panda was recorded in August 2019.
«Peau» tells the story of Trojan Panda, beginning with its experimental improvisations («Black Madonna»), adapting Johann Sebastian Bach’s «Christus Der Uns Selig Macht» or Dumoulin’s beautiful ballad «Animal», and settling on a free-improvised interplay («Sylvie Coiffure», «Joie De Vivre»). The sound of Trojan Panda is straightforward and based on repetitive, rhythmic motives, most of the time sounding sparse and less powerful as the sound of the influential guitar bands, from Television to Sonic Youth, but still playful and equipped with healthy doses of irony. The simple grind of Trojan Panda is obviously not as elaborate, inventive, or even thorny as the sonic palette of influential free-improvisers-guitarists like Fred Frith, Marc Ducret, or Thurston Moore. But it seems that Trojan Panda was conceived in order to make some exciting fun and express the love of music in a «peculiar way», as Dumoulin calls it, and «Peau» clearly delivers such fun.
Over the last year I have been trying to extend my musical boundaries. I have had the time and opportunity to listen to more classical and experimental music, mostly thanks to Radio 3’s diverse programming. Julien Boudart’s latest release appealed to my new found interests. I am also increasingly aware of artists and musicians, past and present, who use myths of Ancient Greece as inspiration. These stories continue to resonate in our everyday lives as we recognise the global issues we have to deal with. Boudart is a French composer and musician who has been performing and composing on electronic instruments since the 1990s. His academic background is in mathematics and social science. He has developed a theoretical and philosophical aspect to his work and his approach to music and sound. This approach reflects both contemporary politics and the religious and magical aspects of musical performance. His work to date has involved collaborations with artists and musicians who are equally committed to pushing boundaries and taking inspiration from ancient myths and music. Listening to ‘Nome Polycephale’, his first solo album, it is no surprise that he has composed works for theatre, radio and multimedia performances. This piece is based on a report of an ancient lost tune, played on an aulos (a kind of Greek double flute), and mentioned by Pindar in his poems. Boudart has composed these pieces on a Serge modular synthesiser, using non linear speakers (similar to the Leslie speaker) and including field recordings. This is a sonic experience, and in keeping with the inspiration, the murder of a gorgon, (like Medusa), it is both disturbing and fascinating. It is visceral at times. Some pieces are more accessible than others, but accessibility isn’t really the point. It is a collection of compositions that should be the accompaniment to a ritual or ceremony. This is an intriguing reminder of the power of sound to shift and transform the world around it.
A quintet consisting of some of the brightest and most talented players in France, Trojan Panda’s Sophie Bernardo, Léo Dupleix, Jozef Dumoulin, Julien Pontvianne and Hugues Mayot bring rock, jazz, experimental and improvised skill to an unclassifiable and fascinating listen.
“Black Madonna” starts the listen with an adventurous 13+ minute track, where hypnotic guitar lines build into a heavily layered mashing of noise and melody that’s both firm and mysterious, and “Mythomane” follows with a calmer approach that’s percussion focused as strategic guitar lines and low bass work weave in and out of the atmospheric landscape.
The middle tracks bring us “Christus Der Uns Selig Macht”, which shimmers lightly for just an exciting minute, while the fragmented “Sylvie Coiffure” displays a cinematic quality where grit and power interact in orthodox yet hypnotic avenues.
Residing near the end, “Joie De Vivre” pushes and pulls with both tension and beauty amid its textured guitars and playful drumming, and “Animal” finishes the listen drenched in reflective beauty that’s more bare than the rest of the album, but certainly no less interesting.
Rumor has it that Trojan Panda traded in their pianos, saxophones and bassoon for guitars, drums and bass, and it wouldn’t surprise me as the artists’ atypical formula and sonically unconventional movements are clearly rooted in immense talent that you’re not going to hear anywhere else.
Put out on the circuit as cat.no. 014 of the Lyon / France-based label Carton Records is "Peau", the new, seven tracks and roughly 50 minutes spanning album by five piece outfit Trojan Panda which is centered around Jozef Dumoulin's idea to combine a 70s Alternative Rock touch with the vibe of Jazz- and otherwise classically trained musicians playing instruments they're not necessarily well versed in. Following this approach over the course of the past five years Trojan Panda fuses the sound of three guitars with bass and drums on this longplayer, resulting in an atmospherically dense, ever meandering flow of greyscale'ish desolation PostRock - think: Village Of Savoonga -, paired with echoes of echoes of dubbed out Industrial vibes, the artschool-leaning distortions and feedbacks that were also prevalent in Germany's famed Ingenious Dilletantes-movement which, especially in a cut like "Sylvie Coiffure", seem to be harking back to the era of Psychedelic Rock indeed, yet present more of a very singular and unique angle on improvisational guitar music, sitting in a timeless drawer of its own which is yet to be named but defo is speaking to followers of darkest and most experimental (No)Wave, PostPunk and abstract Hardcore from the cold war- / iron curtain-era alike. Quite a trip, this. Check.
Tre chitarre, un basso e una batteria suonate da due sassofonisti, due pianisti e un fagottista. Cosa potrà andare storto? Il suono! Nati per scherzo, i Trojan Panda hanno sviluppato un approccio improvvisato basato sul reciproco ascolto ed inseguimento. L’album d’esordio “Peau”, appena uscito per Carton Records, mostra questa peculiarità, che a seconda delle direzioni di ciascun brano, dà esiti diversi. Coraggioso dare l’apertura a “Black Madonna”, praticamente un post punk improvvisato, che spesso e volentieri finisce nel noise, e dura 13 minuti. Se uno non è pronto, forse poi non se la sente di continuare. Invece “Mythomane” è più comprensibile: una chitarra inizia a ripetere un bicordo, la seconda intona una nota che non fa parte di quel bicordo, ma che indica una possibile variazione, e infatti la prima chitarra coglie il suggerimento e si allaccia all’accordo che ne esce. La terza chitarra poi indica un’altra strada armonica, e gli altri la seguono e così via, a indicarsi la direzione, come un fluido che si fa spazio tra le righe delle mattonelle. Quando parte, il basso sotto si mantiene stabile su una nota, dando staticità ai vari percorsi (e in un certo senso annullandoli), mentre la batteria commenta il tutto con una ritmica gentile. Si sente la provenienza accademica dei componenti, in quanto decidono di prendere la corale a quattro voci di Bach “Christus der uns selig macht”, e ogni strumento esegue una delle voci. Il risultato è parossistico, beffardo. “Sylvie coiffure” è un’altra improvvisazione su basso e batteria stabili. Giocano soprattutto con le ritmiche qui, fortemente contrastanti. Se l’ispirazione è l’acconciatura di questa Sylvie, deve avere una capigliatura d’avanguardia, con pesanti sforbiciate! “Karolientje in haar blootje” sono 39 secondi di andamento zoppo, tra accordi che si bloccano nel silenzio, mentre “Joie de vivre” dev’essere un titolo ironico, dato che la batteria è cadenzata, una chitarra tira pigramente le corde con la leva, una ribatte un accordo rivolto dando proprio la sensazione di “buttarlo là”, mentre la terza si agita ansiosa. Invece “Animal” tranquillizza, come in un finale rasserenante, dopo un’odissea di paure e dolori. Bisogna ascoltarlo tutto, questo disco, ed allora si uniscono i punti. (Gilberto Ongaro)
Gilles Poizat uit Lyon was bezig met het schrijven van een choreografie, getiteld ‘La Séance’. Het is een stuk van Benjamin Coyle en zou opgevoerd worden door de Cie. Kopfino. Zijn zoektocht naar passende instrumentale muziek gemaakt met trompet en modulaire synthesizers beviel hem dermate dat hij besloot om ‘Champignon Flamme’ in te blikken, zijn allereerste puur instrumentale werk. Eerder maakte hij al platen met onder meer Mazalda, dat meer pop en liedjesgericht was. Na een paar platen in diverse hoedanigheden besloot hij uiteindelijk om ook deze andere muzikale weg te bewandelen. Het zorgde er meteen voor dat hij nu ook deel uit maakt van zowel Spat’Sonore als Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp. Avant-gardistische elektronica is de noemer waaronder Poizat zich graag wil scharen. Een beetje kort door de bocht want de zes relatief korte stukken (samen drieëntwintig minuten) liggen een stuk beter in het oor dan zijn hokje doet vermoeden. Het is muziek die doet verlangen naar meer en wat ons betreft een weg die Poizat verder mag bewandelen en exploreren.
Attivo dagli anni Novanta, Julien Boudart, con alle spalle una lunga carriera passata tra free party, teatro e radio, mette in musica il mito di Nome Polycephale.
Basato su un racconto di Pindaro, Nome Polycephale / Ancient and ModernMyths vol. 1 in uscita il 9 aprile 2021 via Carton Records, racchiude in nove tracce di musica sperimentale l’uccisione di una gorgone, l’invenzione di uno strumento musicale, il potere dei suoni del serpente, lo stato di trance e la possessione, la pura distruzione.
Nome Polycephale è il risultato di un lavoro iniziato nel 2015 che vede protagonista il sintetizzatore modulare Serge con i diffusori non lineari. Ne scaturisce un lavoro di ricerca sonora tra musica concreta e ambient.
Un breve intro spalanca la strada a Gorgo. Una produzione carica di tensione pervasa da un sibilo elettronico, un riferimento ai serpenti che le gorgoni avevano al posto dei capelli. In sottofondo Boudart sviluppa un profondo drone checontribuisce a creare un’atmosfera sinistra. Sonorità lente e gelide trasmettono nell’ascoltatore un senso d’inquietudine mentre scorrono le sinusoidi a dente di sega.
Un paesaggio meno estremo del precedente, To the land of Hyperboreans è caratterizzato da uttuazioni cosmiche e granulose. Un processo in continuo divenire che rende la materia sonora estremamente vivida e pulsante. At the edgetowards the night è un marea in tempesta di sinusoidali che s’increspano, cambiano forma, per una traccia astratta dall’atmosfera rarefatta.
Di tutt’altro aspetto Perseus (spondeion): un loop ipnotico che nella sua staticità diventa ipnotico grazie ad un gioco timbrico ossessivo.
L’album si chiude con la catartica Song of libation, il rituale del vino ripreso attraverso un pattern ritmico ripetuto no a provocare una sensazione di rintontimento.
Nome Polycephale / Ancient and Modern Myths vol. 1 è un lavoro articolato che difcilmente sarà apprezzato da un vasto pubblico. Dal canto suo Boudart rappresenta il mito di Nome Polycephalecon una tavolozza di suoni così dettagliata da riuscire a coinvolgere n da subito con una narrazione avvincente.
Nome Polycephale / Ancient and Modern Myths vol. 1 est le premier album solo de Julien Boudart, électronicien français qui se déploie de projet en projet depuis la fin des années 1990. Notre playlist se conclut par une séance de défrichage à quelques années lumières d’ici.
Французский музыкант Жюльен Будар занимается электронной музыкой с середины 90-х годов. В начале нулевых Жюльен на какое-то время перешел к акустическим проектам в сфере свободной импровизации, но затем вновь вернулся к электронике, причем с 2015 года его любимым инструментом стал модулярный синтезатор Serge. Надо добавить, что Жюльен чрезвычайно социально активный человек, ведущий свое политико-философское ревю и чутко откликающийся на жгучие вопросы современности. Правда, его новый альбом, первый в серии «Античные и современные мифы», вроде бы уносит нас под звуки неизменного Serge и аккомпанемент конкретных звучаний во времена очень далекие и вроде бы с днем сегодняшним не очень связанные, но это вам только кажется…
Опираясь на «Двенадцатую пифийскую оду» древнегреческого поэта Пиндара, Жюльен вспоминает рассказ о том, что после того как герой Персей убил медузу Горгону, Афина, впечатлившись жалобными криками ее сестер, изобрела музыкальный инструмент аулос (что почему-то часто и неправильно переводят, как «флейта») и решила сыграть на пиру у богов. Но боги только смеялись над тем, как она забавно надувает щеки при игре. Разгневанная Афина выбросила аулос, который подобрал сатир Марсий и научился так хорошо на нем играть, что вызвал на состязание Аполлона. Для бедного Марсия и одобрившего его игру царя Мидаса этот «музыкальный конкурс» закончился печально. Мидас отделался появившимися у него ослиными ушами, а вот с Марсия Аполлон просто содрал кожу… Такое вот античное Евровидение!
Я не большой знаток и ценитель электронной музыки. Могу лишь отметить, что часть пьес, исполненных в этом альбоме Бударом тяготеет к экспериментальной музыке, а другая ближе к более традиционному развитию, хотя и передаваемому электроникой и полевыми записями. Во всяком случае, мне было весьма интересно слушать альбом в целом, а от таких пьес, как To the land of Hyperboreans или Golden rain даже получить вполне определенное эстетическое удовольствие. Ну, а философскую связь древних жестоких мифов с не менее жестокими современными реалиями призываю вас поискать самостоятельно: она определенно есть! А Жюльен Будар тем временем подыщет нам новые античные и современные истории…
Improvizira tudi francoski kvintet Trojan Panda. Za njihov prestop iz jazzovskega ansambla v kitarski impro bend je „kriv" pianist Jozef Dumoulin. Nekega dne je prišel na zamisel, da bi njegovi jazzovski kolegi prijeli za kitare, bas in sedli za bobne namesto za klavir in igrali na saksofon. Iz nepremišljene šale je nastal dokaj resen projekt, saj so Trojan Panda nedavno objavili album Peau. Nedvoumno so njihov glavni vpliv dolge instrumentalne pasaže Sonic Youth, torej se iz dokaj preprostega vzorca glasba hitro odpre in razvija v vse smeri. Skupaj jih drži le malce neroden, a dovolj enakomeren boben. Ta večinoma določa okvir, preko katerega razpuščena igra treh kitar ne prestopi. Vsakič se vrnejo v izhodišče, če jih žar igre povleče predaleč. Zaenkrat tule ni slišati presežka, morda ne bi bilo slabo, če bi vseeno vključili še tisto, kar najbolje znajo. Saksofon in klavir bi zagotovo popeljala njihovo godbo na višjo izvedbeno raven, pa še kanček izvirnosti bi dodala.
Bei TROJAN PANDA ist Dumoulin einer von gleich drei Gitarristen, "Peau" (Carton) klingt oft wie Sonic Youth in Jazz, leistet sich aber mit dem Bach-Choral "Christus der uns selig macht" auch eine kleine akustische Finesse. 5
Tijdens Jazz Middelheim 2017 lichtte Jozef Dumoulin een tipje van de sluier over zijn leven als gitarist. Op ‘Peau’ krijgen we een eerste afgewerkt verhaal met verder in de hoofdrollen Sophie Bernado, Léo Dupleix, Julien Pontvianne en Hugues Mayot.
Met Trojan Panda veroorlooft Jozef Dumoulin zich een bijzondere fantasie, namelijk muzikanten uit hun comfortzone halen. Niet door hen een ongewoon repertoire voor te schotelen (zijn compagnons zijn top improvisators uit de Franse alternatieve scene) maar door hen elk een instrument te laten bespelen dat ze zelden hanteren. Twee pianisten, twee saxofonisten en een fagotspeler worden plots omgetoverd tot drie gitaristen, een bassist en een drummer. Zelf koestert hij een wilde droom als gitarist sinds Jean-Yves Evrard (Mâäk) hem in 2005 een gitaar schonk.
Gezamenlijke composities/improvisaties zijn aangevuld met twee nummers van Jozef Dumoulin en een stukje Bach (‘Christus Der Uns Selig Macht’). Dat laatste is slechts een kort interludium tussen de capriolen van het vijftal en is vooral bedoeld om een link te leggen met het vierstemmige uit de klassieke muziek aan de hand van vier snareninstrumenten. Ondanks deze specifieke samenstelling trekken ze geen muur op zoals Glenn Branca. Ze ontlenen eerder aan het lexicon van Elliott Sharp, Marc Ducret en Fred Frith, gitaarwizards die er evenmin voor terugdeinzen op extreme wijze hun boodschap over te brengen.
De muziek van Trojan Panda is vooral ook gebaseerd op repetitieve patronen die laag per laag opgebouwd worden en telkens in grandeur winnen, al dan niet met de obligate versnellingen en vertraging. De postrock van twee decennia geleden is bij dit alles niet zo veraf. Dat Sonic Youth en de Pixies twee favoriete groepen van Dumoulin zijn als het op rock aankomt, hoeft dan ook niet te verbazen. Verrassende zet is de mijmerende afsluiter (‘Animal’) waarmee ze openden in Middelheim en die zo uit het repertoire van labels als granvat of Aspen Edities geplukt lijkt.
Relativeren doen ze aan de hand van de nodige humor. Of wat te denken van titels als ‘’Karolientje In Haar Blootje’ (een knipoog naar Dumoulin zijn ‘Carolientje En Haar Bootje’ voor de groep B.O.A.T.) en ‘Sylvie Coiffure’? Op de binnenhoes van de digipack staat een tekening van Dumoulin zijn zoontje. Of deze gebaseerd is op de muziek laten we in het midden. “An artist in progress”, net zoals het kwintet? “You must let go of the illusion of control,” zoals de schildpad uit de film ‘Kung Fu Panda’ zei.
Twee opnamen komen uit het concert van Jazz Middelheim (terug te vinden op YouTube). De andere zijn studiotakes van verschillende data (februari 2017, augustus 2019). Mixing en mastering was in handen van Joe Talia die we kennen van zijn werk met en voor Jim O’Rourke, David Shea en Giovanni Di Domenico. Uitgebracht bij het Franse Carton Records dat gerund wordt door drummer Sébastien Brun en te vergelijken valt met Teun Verbruggen zijn label RAT Records.
© Georges Tonla Briquet
Cet album n’est pas un album solo contrairement à ce que le nom pourrait le laisser penser. C’est bien un album de Julien Boudart mais en compagnie de Serge. Je précise Serge n’est pas une personne. Serge Modular pour son nom complet, est un synthétiseur que développa un certain Serge Tcherepnin en Californie dans les années 70. Avec ce compagnon quinquagénaire, Julien Boudart s’enivre et expérimente des territoires nouveaux et escarpés. Adepte d’un field recording aux aspérités multiples, aux sonorités hétéroclites, Julien Boudart parvient avec Serge à faire de cette matière quelque chose de qui doit autant de la transcendance qu’à une forme de communication entre des entités qui ne pouvaient se croiser. Il y a à la fois un échange entre les époques, mais aussi une forme de dialogue imaginaire entre des peuplades devant autant à la légende qu’aux envies d’une humanité possible en filigrane. Œuvre au premier abord exigeante, elle deviendra au fil des écoutes une expérience ludique, une symbiose entre un compositeur fureteur et une machine qui en étant en avance sur son temps sait construire des passerelles que Julien Bodart arpentera avec une gourmandise communicative.
O compositor francês Julien Boudart, anunciou a edição do seu novo álbum “Nome Polycephale / Ancient and Modern Myths vol. 1” para 9 de Abril de 2021 através da Carton Records em formato CD e de todas as plataformas digitais.
Julien Boudart (Serge Modular synthesizer, field recording, nonlinear speakers), has been performing and composing on electronic music instruments since the mid 90’s. He made his first musical experiments on crude diy circuits, a modded radioshack toy organ and a pair of cassette decks. He has been active in the parisian free party scene until the beginning of the 00’s. He then focused more on collaborations with acoustic performers, often in context of collective improvisation. The Korg MS20, which he has been playing since 1996, has long been his instrument of choice. Modular synths, particularly the Serge, have been taking an increasing role in its music since 2015. Aside his solo works, he is involved in a handful of regular bands, works for theater, radio and multimedia performances.
Nome Polycephale is the result of a work on the Serge Modular with nonlinear diffuseurs, started in 2015 at la Muse en Circuit, continued at Elektronmusikstudion. It is the first volume of an «ancient and modern myths» series.
Based on an ancient lost tune and on a myth told by Pindar, Nome Polycephaleis about: the murder of a gorgon. The invention of a musical instrument. The power of snake sounds. Trance and possession. Pure destruction. Civilizing gods and heroes fighting reptilian figures of chaos and being haunted by them. “Civilization” being essentially identical to its fantasized ennemies. All those things being clear to us again, living as we are in an age of global terror and devastation.
Julien Boudart (Serge Modular synthesizer, field recording, nonlinear speakers), has been performing and composing on electronic music instruments since the mid 90’s. He made his first musical experiments on crude diy circuits, a modded radioshack toy organ and a pair of cassette decks. He has been active in the parisian free party scene until the beginning of the 00’s. He then focused more on collaborations with acoustic performers, often in context of collective improvisation. The Korg MS20, which he has been playing since 1996, has long been his instrument of choice. Modular synths, particularly the Serge, have been taking an increasing role in its music since 2015. Aside his solo works, he is involved in a handful of regular bands, works for theater, radio and multimedia performances.
Nome Polycephale is the result of a work on the Serge Modular with nonlinear diffuseurs, started in 2015 at la Muse en Circuit, continued at Elektronmusikstudion. It is the first volume of an «ancient and modern myths» series.
Based on an ancient lost tune and on a myth told by Pindar, Nome Polycephaleis about: the murder of a gorgon. The invention of a musical instrument. The power of snake sounds. Trance and possession. Pure destruction. Civilizing gods and heroes fighting reptilian figures of chaos and being haunted by them. “Civilization” being essentially identical to its fantasized ennemies. All those things being clear to us again, living as we are in an age of global terror and devastation.
Gilles Poizat avait fait ses armes auprès de grands groupes tels que l’Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp entre autres. Suite à cela, le musicien a bâti son nid au fil des années afin de devenir un des artistes les plus reconnus. Cette année, il présente sa première œuvre solo nommée Champignon Flamme.
Il s’agit d’un mini-album où le musicien ira arpenter des contrées plus expérimentales qu’à l’accoutumée. Gilles Poizat nous entraîne dans des allées sinueuses et fascinantes sur des compositions hypnotiques que sont « Galet Dérivant » en guise d’ouverture mais encore « Traversée de la table » et « Cérémonie de la brume » avoisinant les six minutes. Armé de sa trompette et de ses synthés modulaires, le musicien nous ensorcelle tout au long avec « Visite de la brume » et la conclusion nommée « Lignes de fuite » faisant de Champignon Flamme un disque méditatif nous emmenant loin.
Note: 7/10
Lançado ontem, Mainstream Desire, é o terceiro álbum do trio parisiense Abacaxi, lançado sob o selo da Carton Records. É uma obra profundamente inspirada no rock artístico do final dos anos 60, com muitas camadas de experimentalização pelo meio, fazendo lembrar um quanto a sound art. No fundo, o trio, constituído por Julien Desprez, Max Andrzejewski e Jean François Riffaud, criou uma escultura sonora letalmente eletrificante, usando os mecanismos do rock para fazer um festival de barulho clarinho que perdura ao longo de ambas as faixas.
Este disco já está disponível em todas as plataformas streaming, mas pode ser ouvido abaixo.