Art Zoyd

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: I'd suggest you explore Univers Zero as one of the next bands if you don't know them already, they're a bit more accessible that Henry Cow and have a very strong discography. Etron Fou & Aksak Maboul can be difficult too. Samla are loads of fun.

Logan wrote: "Rock in Opposition: The music the record companies don't want you to hear." See http://www.ccutler.co.uk/rioartbearsff.htm Magma is at least RIO related. I'd actually happily count it as part of the RIO family. While it's the founder of Zeuhl, it has played RIO fests, Art Zoyd was I believe inspired by Magma (you can hear the similarities at times in those early albums) and Magma/ Art Zoyd even have a compilation together: MAGMA / ART ZOYD - MEKANIK DESTRUCTIV KOMMANDO See: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=62697 In 1976, Art Zoyd was opening for Magma. Magma may have been too popular and busy to joining the original RIO fests, and maybe wouldn't have wanted to sign on to the "movement", but yeah, Magma would have fit nicely musically, but it was also a political statement. See: https://www.squidco.com/rer/rio.facts.html From the first RIO festival (1978): It's very difficult to talk about our own music, the influences are diverse but there exists among Univers Zero a desire to recover the occidental spirit of the music. But at no price do we want to sacrifice our music by working in any established direction, either musically or socially. Music we listen to, for example, includes Captain Beefheart, Third Ear Band, Peter Brötzmann, Stravinsky, Penderecki, Huybrechts. We believe that in order to make valid music, on both the human and social levels, we must not sacrifice anything on things other than music. Humanity and music are but the same. We are trying to remain realist at every moment. Technically we are seeking to escape the preconceptions about the kinds of sounds one would expect from the instruments we use. PostScript: We are looking for a hearse in good condition, about 1940 to 1955. Please write to Roger Trigaux [...] From the second RIO festival: We would like to say 5 things: (1) The music industry can CREATE nothing- it can only exploit the real abilities of its victims. (2) The music industry wants to keep its hosts' desires at the lowest level possible because formulas are easy to reproduce while musicians with integrity can be difficult to control. (3) The music industry makes all its decisions on the basis of Profit & Prestiege... they have ears only for the rustling of money, hearts which only pump with the blood of murdered. (4) Kafka wrote only what is true. Paranoia is simply a recognition of human values under capitalism... "the point is to change it!" (5) Independence is only a valid first step if Revolution is the second. Post-RIO: ...It was determined that a collective basis should be defined to bind the bands together under RIO, and that a constitution of sorts be defined. Rock in Opposition would be a closed and small organization, but welcome to (somewhat ironically) new groups with a permanent continuity of existence, and who adhered to the following criteria: (A) That of musical excellence. This depending on their collective evaluation of the same. (B) That of working actively outside the establishment of music business. (C) That of having a social commitment to Rock.... It may have all been quite naive and idealistic, and some will say damn them Commies (not that they all were), but the history of RIO I find interesting.

What self-respecting Zappa admirer wouldn't still have some patience for, or get some enjoyment out of, this RIO band (not that R.I.O. existed when this album came out)?



Kind of funny I'm mentioning other bands when my favourite RIO is Art Zoyd.

Edited by Logan - October 09 2019 at 23:38

YESESIS wrote: Logan wrote: There are plenty of bands placed in the R.I.O. camp, and the eight bands from the first two festivals are commonly called the core R.I.O. bands. One might consider most any band that plays a RIO festival RIO in a sense, and indeed those who were influenced and are off-shoots of the core RIO may also be considered RIO, and it can describe styles of music, or, I'd rather say, an attitude to making music, which is pretty core to it. As for Ennio Morricone, I was kidding a bit, since I used to kind of go and on about Morricone and thought you might have noticed, but that was mostly before you joined (I lose track of time). I was rather hoping to get him into PA as related after getting in one of his projects called The Feedback. I've long been a very big soundtrack collector, and Morricone is a personal favourite. I have so many of his soundtracks. The first soundtrack of his I remember noticing was for The Mission (loved that film and the music). Later I got to know his 70s and 60s work, and I think he still put out very good stuff quite recently, but delving into that would be for another topic. Ian, In case I wasn't clear, I know what you meant. ;) Lewian, I only meant of historical importance for founding RIO. Art Zoyd came along soon, and in terms of its long-time output, it's very likely been the most important band to me in PA. It has meant so much to me since I discovered it 15 or so years ago. Most of my discoveries from then I lost interest in over the years, but Art Zoyd has always had pretty regularly playtime from me -- I can most always seem to find an album by Zoyd that I would like to return to at a given time. By the way, a few years before I joined this site, I was mostly into Symphonic Prog, but my tastes shifted as I experienced more and more categories. I used to listen to a lot more Avant Prog actually than I do now. I mentioned Samla Mammas Manna earlier, and I seem to think I talked with you about it before and recommended it? I don't trust my memory these days. Maltid, if you don't know it, might be one that would appeal to your Zappa sense. There's lots of fun stuff in RIO/Avant Prog as well as plenty of very serious music. Frogg Cafe is one you might like very much and one of the first post 70s albums I really got into is U Totem's self-titled, which I'd think could appeal to various symphonic prog listeners(not saying you'd like it, though you might...). As a Gentle Giant fan, Miriodor is what first opened me up to the idea that modern Prog can really appeal to me, but that's my off-beat taste. A lot of useful information, thank you again. And a lot of suggestions here.. maybe if I like listen to one album from each, and then see how many of them stick. I do really like those first three Art Zoyd albums. And if Magma is considered part of the deal then I obviously like them a lot especially MDK. I pretty much consider that a masterpiece at this point. Henry Cow, Idk I should probably try again I guess. Zappa I love but I guess he's Avant but not RIO? And lately I've been loving classical music. And I love solo Phil Collins.. ooops that slipped out, sorry everyone. Anyway, thank you again.. everyone. This has been a most helpful thread.

"Rock in Opposition: The music the record companies don't want you to hear." See http://www.ccutler.co.uk/rioartbearsff.htm

Magma is at least RIO related. I'd actually happily count it as part of the RIO family. While it's the founder of Zeuhl, it has played RIO fests, Art Zoyd was I believe inspired by Magma (you can hear the similarities at times in those early albums) and Magma/ Art Zoyd even have a compilation together: MAGMA / ART ZOYD - MEKANIK DESTRUCTIV KOMMANDO See: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=62697 In 1976, Art Zoyd was opening for Magma. Magma may have been too popular and busy to joining the original RIO fests, and maybe wouldn't have wanted to sign on to the "movement", but yeah, Magma would have fit nicely musically, but it was also a political statement.

See: https://www.squidco.com/rer/rio.facts.html

From the first RIO festival (1978):

It's very difficult to talk about our own music, the influences are diverse but there exists among Univers Zero a desire to recover the occidental spirit of the music. But at no price do we want to sacrifice our music by working in any established direction, either musically or socially. Music we listen to, for example, includes Captain Beefheart, Third Ear Band, Peter Brötzmann, Stravinsky, Penderecki, Huybrechts. We believe that in order to make valid music, on both the human and social levels, we must not sacrifice anything on things other than music. Humanity and music are but the same. We are trying to remain realist at every moment. Technically we are seeking to escape the preconceptions about the kinds of sounds one would expect from the instruments we use. PostScript: We are looking for a hearse in good condition, about 1940 to 1955. Please write to Roger Trigaux [...]

From the second RIO festival:

We would like to say 5 things: (1) The music industry can CREATE nothing- it can only exploit the real abilities of its victims. (2) The music industry wants to keep its hosts' desires at the lowest level possible because formulas are easy to reproduce while musicians with integrity can be difficult to control. (3) The music industry makes all its decisions on the basis of Profit & Prestiege... they have ears only for the rustling of money, hearts which only pump with the blood of murdered. (4) Kafka wrote only what is true. Paranoia is simply a recognition of human values under capitalism... "the point is to change it!" (5) Independence is only a valid first step if Revolution is the second.

Post-RIO:

...It was determined that a collective basis should be defined to bind the bands together under RIO, and that a constitution of sorts be defined. Rock in Opposition would be a closed and small organization, but welcome to (somewhat ironically) new groups with a permanent continuity of existence, and who adhered to the following criteria: (A) That of musical excellence. This depending on their collective evaluation of the same. (B) That of working actively outside the establishment of music business. (C) That of having a social commitment to Rock....

It may have all been quite naive and idealistic, and some will say damn them Commies (not that they all were), but the history of RIO I find interesting.


Edited by Logan - October 09 2019 at 22:35

There are plenty of bands placed in the R.I.O. camp, and the eight bands from the first two festivals are commonly called the core R.I.O. bands. One might consider most any band that plays a RIO festival RIO in a sense, and indeed those who were influenced and are off-shoots of the core RIO may also be considered RIO, and it can describe styles of music, or, I'd rather say, an attitude to making music, which is pretty core to it.

As for Ennio Morricone, I was kidding a bit, since I used to kind of go and on about Morricone and thought you might have noticed, but that was mostly before you joined (I lose track of time). I was rather hoping to get him into PA as related after getting in one of his projects called The Feedback. I've long been a very big soundtrack collector, and Morricone is a personal favourite. I have so many of his soundtracks. The first soundtrack of his I remember noticing was for The Mission (loved that film and the music). Later I got to know his 70s and 60s work, and I think he still put out very good stuff quite recently, but delving into that would be for another topic.

Ian, In case I wasn't clear, I know what you meant. ;)

Lewian, I only meant of historical importance for founding RIO. Art Zoyd came along soon, and in terms of its long-time output, it's very likely been the most important band to me in PA. It has meant so much to me since I discovered it 15 or so years ago. Most of my discoveries from then I lost interest in over the years, but Art Zoyd has always had pretty regularly playtime from me -- I can most always seem to find an album by Zoyd that I would like to return to at a given time.

By the way, a few years before I joined this site, I was mostly into Symphonic Prog, but my tastes shifted as I experienced more and more categories. I used to listen to a lot more Avant Prog actually than I do now. I mentioned Samla Mammas Manna earlier, and I seem to think I talked with you about it before and recommended it? I don't trust my memory these days. Maltid, if you don't know it, might be one that would appeal to your Zappa sense. There's lots of fun stuff in RIO/Avant Prog as well as plenty of very serious music. Frogg Cafe is one you might like very much and one of the first post 70s albums I really got into is U Totem's self-titled, which I'd think could appeal to various symphonic prog listeners(not saying you'd like it, though you might...). As a Gentle Giant fan, Miriodor is what first opened me up to the idea that modern Prog can really appeal to me, but that's my off-beat taste.

Edited by Logan - October 09 2019 at 21:06

Edited by Man With Hat - October 09 2019 at 17:00

Well it was a RIO/Avant World Cup and Frank is on the site as Avant so I could hardly omit him, it was a bit of fun, nothing serious. Art Zoyd are a pretty important Avant band with or without the RIO historical significance.

Frank Zappa is not and never should be thought of as part of the RIO big five, and I wouldn't have ever thought of him as part of RIO period (seen many call him RIO).

Art Zoyd is a second string Rock in Opposition band (i.e. not an original member of the "movement"), but then Frank Zappa was never part of the movement (an influence, sure). I don't think he would have signed on to their manifesto or would fit in (very different...). Your series was not just about RIO, though as I recall, but avant prog generally. I've thought that Frank Zappa, by the way, would fit Eclectic Prog better than Avant Prog, but that's another issue.

The core RIO, for those that don't know from the first RIO festival (1978) is:

Henry Cow (England)
Stormy Six (Italy)
Samla Mammas Manna (Sweden)
Univers Zero (Belgium)
Etron Fou Leloublan (France)

Then for the second festival (1979), these came in:

Art Zoyd (France)
Art Bears (England, which consisted of former Henry Cow members)
Aksak Maboul (Belgium)

Much as I love Art Zoyd, and the others from the second festival, I do think the big RIO five should be the ones from the first festival, and Henry Cow should be number one for historical reasons. A lot of people don't seem to know the history of RIO who use it meaning avant-prog generally. In filmic terms, RIO quite reminded me of Dogme 95.

So actually, Art Zoyd scored fourth as a RIO band. Good to see that of the top five, four of them are RIO.

Edited by Logan - October 09 2019 at 10:05

Logan wrote: Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: Paging Dr. Nogbad...... Weeelllllll  I actually go through the first six as essential through Le Mariage Du Ciel Et De L'Enfer, of those Generation Sans Futur is probably my favorite. I agree on Haxan & Phase IV I've had you pegged as much more of a Univers Zero/ Present guy than Art Zoyd as those can really chamber rock. ;)

Edited by Nogbad_The_Bad - October 09 2019 at 08:06

It's not one I would deliberately recommend lightly. I think I got into it via discovering Miriodor (that's one I'd recommend checking out and I guess you might well already know Samla Mammas Manna, if not Maltid) which I got into via getting into Gentle Giant.

I'm particularly into Art Zoyd's albums up to and including Berlin, as well as Faust and Haxan from the mid 90s which I adore, and Metropolis from the 2000s, but I do like other albums very much as well.

When we've had Art Zoyd polls, I've often voted for Génération sans futur, but I actually can't really choose a favourite. I've often cited it as my favourite band. I liked the different phases. I enjoy the earlier warmer "chamber" material and the colder later releases. I might recommend you try Berlin next.

As you've listened to the earlier classics, this is another side of the band that I love, but the albums are colder than the early ones (the first is off Les espaces inquiets, one of my Art Zoyd faves, but not many seem to like the album nearly as much as I do and is the second lowest rated of the 80s ones, the rating has gone up considerably since I last looked methinks):







By the way, have I recommended Ennio Morricone?

Edited by Logan - October 09 2019 at 06:06