ODG082 : Tadash / Jachère

Cover art by Tadash

ODG082 : Tadash / Jachère

Third album for this French duo based in Paris (see ODG039 and ODG068). 

Still singing in French or English but with a surprise title sing in Hindi (Private Sky), still a mix of dark wave, ambient soundtrack, post-rock and post-punk! A bit darker in music and words than on their two previous albums.

Here are the words from three of the songs from Jachère which give you the general atmosphere: 

Venganza

Out of revenge, 

The shadows find the light, 

The waves lose their shine, 

Out of revenge, 

Bodies become equal, 

Tears and blood and sand. 

Out of revenge, 

The children have wrinkles, 

Hands speak to us.

La Technique

Je m'étais dit que j'ferais jamais d'la politique 

Que j'serais toujours meilleur à l'élastique 

Je m'étais dit. 

Je m'étais dit qu'avec mes bouclettes de beatnick 

J'arriverais pas à cultiver mes tendances cyniques. 

Je m'étais dit qu'avec un peu d'aérobic 

Je pourrais faire passer quelques idées pas trop techniques. 

Et maintenant je suis président de la république 

Et j't'emmerde, tête de bite. 

Je m'étais dit qu'en me rapprochant de Brigitte 

J'avais des chances de passer au niveau olympique. 

Je m'étais dit qu'avec cet air si sarcastique 

On me prendrait plus au sérieux, la technique. 

Je m'étais dit qu'avec ces intonations lyriques 

On aurait plus confiance en moi, la technique. 

Et maintenant je suis président de la République 

Et j't'emmerde, tête de bite. 

fainéants, salauds, illuminés, scélérats !

A l’Envers

Ils nous réservent une nouvelle forme de désespoir 

A base de statistiques, de roman national, de neurones miroirs. 

Dans ton rêve érotique, ils ont plongé leurs doigts dans l'encre noire, 

Pour en tirer le suc, et laisser les corps vides et hagards. 

Dans un moment de doute, tu aurais faire semblant d'y croire. 

Egaré dans les flux, avec pour seul refuge un vieux manteau noir. 

Dans ton âme anarchique, ils ont tenté de planter leur étendard, 

Pour en tirer le suc, et te recouvrir de vide et de fard. 

A l'envers.

Tadash 

Digitally released on the 1st of June 2018.

Track listing:

1: Venganza

2: Control

3: La Technique

4: Private Sky

5: A l'Envers

6: The Ghost Road

ODG084 : Ghettovators / Ghettomorphosis

Cover art by Shane McBrain

ODG084 : Ghettovators / Ghettomorphosis

Ghettovators is a 3 piece power trio from Surrey, British Columbia. 

Their sound draws influence from a wide variety of genres (ska, post, punk, prog, avant fun...), often applying light hearted humour to controversial subject matter, frequent key and tempo changes, alternating time signatures and complex lyrical placement over bass driven tracks. 

Enjoy or dont. It's not for everybody... but it's for everybody!

Justin Sullivan-Brown: vocals, guitars,saxophone, keys, percussion

Toxic Mike: vocals, bass, kazoo, tap dancing, percussion

Taylor Johns: drums, percussion

pic by Rod Grim

One song and the original cover:

And the band performing live:

Digital release on the 25th of May 2018.

Track listing:

1: Ghettomorphosis

2: Strange

3: In Prog We Trust

4: Pigeons

5: Suspiciously Overpriced Chili Dog

6: Nightwatch

7: Jackakheneriov

8: Scrap Mirage

9: Outro

And on Bandcamp:

OUC012 : Ben Bertrand / NGC 1999

Covert art by Zeloot

OUC012 : Ben Bertrand / NGC 1999

Ben Bertrand (see also ODG065 and OUC004) is armed with a bass clarinet and backed with sound effects, aiming in the direction of the contemporary classical section of your record collection. 

Dreamlike compositions that take you to his warm and minimal world. 

In the musical sauna, Ben Bertrand sits in between Gavin Bryars and Jon Hassell. 

For ‘les albums claus’, Ben Bertrand made 5 compositions overflowing in a musical crescendo, unfolding it’s character and talent in an unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques.

Ben Bertrand was influenced by fellow minimalists such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley, and in his work, he combines simple musical patterns, offset in time, to create a slowly shifting, cohesive whole. 

He makes use of his clarinet - effects and loop pedals - to construct modal, hypnotic grooves, over which he plays microtonally-inflected clarinet phrases. The use of loops

permits to phase patterns on which simple and audible processes let him explore musical concepts. Rich harmonies are built, always increasing in density, before the whole thing gradually fades out leading the auditor back on earth.

a nice review in Vital weekly :
"Les Ateliers Claus in Brussels is a fine space to see exciting concerts... Bertrand’s 
music is not as loopy or bouncy as the early works of the American pioneers. In the five pieces on this album Bertrand is more interested in playing a mellow tune, more ambient and the comparisons made by the label to Jon Hassell and Gavin Bryars make in that respect quite some sense. The bass clarinet is not always easy to recognize here; most clearly it sings in ‘V380 Orionis’, with some nice melody played over a repeating phrase. In ‘Sanctus Hubble’ the bass clarinet is introspective and the loops is kept simple. In the three other pieces the clarinet sound is much obscured by these effects and it becomes a bit blurred but in a very pleasant way. This is some truly fine minimal ambient music...
Hopefully there will be a follow-up album soon then! (FdW)".

The album was also part of the ninth MOJO playlist of 2018 along with new records of Brian Eno and Jim O'rourke !

Ben Bertrand by Julie Calbert

Composition, arrangement, bass clarinet, electronics : Ben Bertrand.

Voices on Post Scriptum to Valentina Tereshkova by Anne-Charlotte Bisoux & Manah

Depauw.

Recording, mixing and mastering by Christophe Albertijn.

Recorded live at les ateliers claus, October 2017.

This debut album comes out on vinyl and cd in a limited edition of 300

copies on the Les albums Claus label, cat lac011. 

All compositions are made and played by Ben Bertrand solo.

The design has been made by Dutch graphic designer Zeloot (New Yorker, DeMorgen, VrijNederland) and has been silkscreened.

A video for 'Malkauns on Kitt Peak':

Digital release on the 18th of May 2018.

Track listing:

A1 - Orion Molecular Cloud

A2 - V380 Orionis

B1 - Malkauns on Kitt Peak

B2 - Sanctus Hubble

B3 - Post Scriptum to Valentina Tereshkova

And on Bandcamp:

OVD021 : Pierre Vervloesem / The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 4

Cover art by A.L., pic by Pierre Vervloesem

OVD021 : Pierre Vervloesem / The Art of Going Nowhere

Final part of Pierre's tetralogy ' The Art of Going Nowhere' (see Part.1&2 on OVD019 and Part. 3 on OVD020) is another 40 minutes long masterpiece. 

This time Pierre is enlarging the ambient atmosphere with a lot of drums and percussions making this part almost danceable and the more commercial of the four. 

He's using also his guitar in a more agressive way which gives a very different vibe to this Part than the 3 other ones.

The best way to enjoy this Part is like the three previous ones: in your house or in the fields, in the dark or in the daylight, quietly or at full volume!

Try also to play the four Parts as one long album... it's quite an experience!

This our Pierre as we like him!

Digital release on the 16th of May 2018.

Track listing:

1: The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 4

OVD020 : Pierre Vervloesem / The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 3

Cover art by A.L., pic and feet by Pierre Vervloesem

OVD020 : Pierre Vervloesem / The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 3

Third chapter of the tetralogy 'The Art of Going Nowhere' is another 46 minutes long piece of bravery multi guitars layers, ambient noise and synthesizers. After the Part.1 and 2 (see OVD019), Pierre Vervloesem shows again that he is probably one of the most brillant musician in Belgium! Again to listen in the dark, in the day time, quietly or at full volume, through speakers or headphones, but definitively to listen to! Enjoy!

The inimitable Pierre

Digital release on the 11th of May 2018.

Track listing:

1: The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 3

OVD019 : Pierre Vervloesem / The Art of Going Nowhere, Part.1 and 2

Cover art by A.L., pic by Pierre Vervloesem

OVD019 : Pierre Vervloesem / The Art of Going Nowhere, Part.1 and 2

Another masterpiece in 4 parts from Belgian maestro Pierre Vervloesem! 

The idea behind this new project was to record 4 pieces of exactly 40 minutes of ambient  and avant-garde ambient, numerous guitar layers played in one shot or note after note treated each in a different way, synthesizers and mellotron!

This first release (the 2 other parts are coming next and the week after) are the 2 first parts of this amazing project: inspiring music and typical Pierre virtuosity, though you have some heavy moments with drums, percussions and a Moroccan band! 

To listen quietly or at full volume, in the day time, in the dark, in your bed or in your car, but to listen for sure and enjoy for 40 or 80 minutes of pure pleasure!

Mister(y) Pierre!

Digital release on the 4th of May 2018.

Track listing:

1: The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 1

2: The Art of Going Nowhere, Part. 2