Cover art By Alexis Sgouridis
OUI010: Poppins / The Norwegian Blue Parrot
Poppins, a jazzy art-rock quartet from Geneva in Switzerland, was active between 2003 and 2009, when this city was still one of the most squatted cities in Europe, offering many venues for bands to play live and experiment. The quartet's music is inspired by progressive rock and contemporary/free jazz and creates atmospheres oscillating between uncanny melancholy and raw energy: manic depression is touching my soul as Hendrix once sang. Their album “The Norwegian Blue Parrot” was recorded in 2008.
About time to discover this pearl!.
Frédéric Minner is a bassist, saxophonist and composer based in Zürich (Switzerland). He’s a member of the dark jazz duo Mademoiselle Plume Rouge and of the improvisation collective Insub Meta Orchestra. He played in various progressive rock, jazz, metal and experimental bands and toured in Europe. Poppins was his brainchild.
Stéphane Povitch Augsburger is a guitarist, composer and writer living in Geneva (Switzerland). He has recorded 4 albums with the band What’s Wrong With us? (working amongst others with producers like Bob Drake and Martin Bisi), with which he has toured in Europe and the USA. He’s also a member of the dark jazz duo Mademoiselle Plume Rouge, with which he released 2 albums.
See their duo under Mademoiselle Plume rouge here - ODG149.
John Menoud is a composer, guitarist, saxophonist, and electronic musician based in Geneva (Switzerland). A prolific musician with heteroclite musical tastes (classical music, improvisation, free-jazz, death metal, exotica, rock, surf), he’s active in a dozen of bands among which Giallo Oscuro and Flok Nazor. He composes for classical contemporary ensembles and for the theater or the cinema. He is a founding member of the Vortex ensemble. He also played with Les Legroup and Imperial Tiger Orchestra, with which he toured in Europe, East Africa and Japan, and released 4 albums.
Julien Israelian is a drummer, composer, producer and performer in different musical bands since 1998, among which Les Legroup, Dead Brothers, What’s Wrong With us?, Imperial Tiger Orchestra, Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, Pierre Omer's Swing Revue, and Gros Oiseau. He toured in Europe, Africa, Japan and the USA. He composes music for the theater and the cinema and makes his own electro-artisanal music: the Samsonite Orchestra.
The original cd artwork:
Frédéric Minner: bass
Stéphane Povitch Augsburger: guitar
John Menoud: alto saxophone
Julien Israelian: drums
Credits:
All music by Frédéric Minner and Poppins.
Recorded and mixed by Antoine Petroff at Studio Silo, Renens, Switzerland
Mastered by Grégoire Dubuis at Studio du Flon, Lausanne, Switzerland
Graphic design by Alexis Sgouridis
Thanks to Post Tenebras Rock for their generous support.
Digital release on the 8th of September 2023.
Track listing:
1: Like A Woodpecker
2: Scarecrow
3: Bloody Mary
4: Queer Mother
5: Lesboretro
6: L'iguane
7: Les Blés
Itunes, Spotify, etc.:
And on Bandcamp: