POLYGLÖT

It was really good to finally hear this band and this album in particular. Logan has mentioned this record several times so it's about time I took the plunge. I'm very familiar with the great French Rio band ETRON FOU LELOUBLAN, and it's the former drummer for that band who leads VOLAPUK.This band is a trio with the other members playing clarinet, flute and violincello. Guigou the drummer also plays marimba and there is a guest violin player helping out and adding her vocals on one track. I like the bio here that describes the music as abstract yet melodic, catchy but pushing the envelope.

"Vieux Futur" sounds very interesting to start. What are those sounds ? Then bass clarinet, violincello and violin lead as drums beat away. I like the dissonant violin after 3 minutes. "Nusrat" opens with clarinet as a full sound kicks in quickly.Vocals before a minute. Great sound before 2 minutes with the violin and drums standing out. Flute follows. Vocals are back later. "Voila Puk" has a catchy rhythm to it as flute and violin play over top. "Sanza" is different sounding as marimba and taragot lead. "Tante Yo" opens with bass clarinet and violincello. Deep bass sounds are the result. Drums and violin join in. Great sound here. The violin gets a little crazy 2 minutes in. "Entre 2 Zoo" features relaxed horns leading the way. Violin then becomes prominant too.

"Technovo" is more uptempo with lots of intricate sounds. So much going on. "Marimba" is much the same but with marimba standing out surprisingly. I like when it changes around 1 1/2 minutes as the sound gets fuller. "Des Liens Invisibles" is uptempo with violin, drums and bass clarinet leading.The violin gets a little dissonant a minute in. Nice.Then it turns catchy again. "Valse Chinoise" has a clarinet led rhythm. Violin late. "Pablo" is mournful early with the strings and clarinet. It kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes. Much better ! "Medication & Yoghurt" opens with marimba and other intricate sounds as violin joins in. "L'oeuf D'apuk" is better as strings lead along with clarinet in this catchy rhythm. Spoken words come in when the music stops. Funny. This continues on and off. It turns insane after 2 minutes. Killer stuff right there. Hilarious too.

A solid 4 stars although I must admit it's going to take a while for me to fully appreciate what's going on here.