LES ESPACES INQUIETS

I'm afraid I can't really say that I'm an Art Zoyd fan, despite the French band's reputation as one of the most significant, prolific and influential forces in the world of RIO and avant-garde music. Their approach to composition is intelligent, but rarely creative. Their sound is original, yet repetitive and lacking in variety. And on the whole, their music sounds cold and lifeless, which quickly translates into boredom. While this formula may work for soundtracks, on it's own it's hardly

These criticisms are aimed at all Art Zoyd works I've heard, and 'Les Espaces Inquiets' is no different. Generally, it's quite an accessible effort, with conventional melodies far outweighing the dissonance. However, it's mostly quite sparse and minimalistic, and rarely rises above pale, unmemorable motifs - although such moments do occur, most notably on 'Ceremonie' (which is conveniently offered as a streamed mp3 sample on this site). The intro is truly gorgeous, with striking, majestic organ progressions aided by soaring trumpet passages. The dense, slightly jazzy mixture of guitar strumming and sharp bursts from the brass section that follows is quite an experience as well. But the track is by far the most active and engaging on the disc, leaving the rest quite disappointing: the 'Images' series is little more than a collection of weak musical ideas, while 'Migrations' could've been something decent had it not been stretched to it's 13 minutes.

Thus, what we have here is a sinister, yet empty affair consisting largely of weak "background" music (although 'Ceremonie' certainly can't be labeled such). While this formula may sometimes work for soundtracks, it's quite ineffective on its own.

3,5 stars really!!!

Fifth disc for these Northern French, and a fair change of musical direction. If one thought Art Zoyd was already difficult, wait until you get a load of this album. In their first three albums, AZ was evoking a XXth Modern classical work, much similar to Univers Zero (Bartok and Stravinsky), but also Magma-tinged, but with this album, they get even sombre and took a more ambient turn also. With this album, the writing balance between the historical leader Gerard Hourbette and the up-coming Zaboitzeff is now tipped in favour of the second one. This album sees the return of Patricia Dallio on piano

Not that the two styles are much different anyway as they both seem to write in complement of each other, but it seems that the decision to make a rockier album than previously was common. Here, for the first time we can speak of a rhythm section in the rock sense of it, even if the musicians playing it are . Hourbette and Zaboitzeff. Weird for the usual string players, uh?!?! Book-ended by two highly atmospheric Légende pieces, the record's three main tracks are the focus of the album. Cérémonie is an early Russian-inspired piece somewhere between Prokofiev or Moussorgski oeuvre, with JP Soarez's trumpet piercing your eardrums in calling into a war-like march (not unlike the typical Present beat) until the halfway mark when the tracks veers into an almost musique concrete atonal passage. The Hourbette 3-part 13-min+ mini-suite Images D'une Ville Poussière (again this post-catastrophe or revolutionary urban theme) starts out on a doomed piano-led landscape before the second movement veers to total insanity and schizophrenia. The third movement is an incredibly tense but gradually more serene climate. Migrations (again penned by Zaboitzeff) and there is a very surprising passage where clearly, they were influenced with Wyatt's Rock Bottom, especially when Soarez comes in with his trumpet. The whole track is somewhat more up-lifting and slightly more "straightforward" than the rest of the album. Clearly the best moment.

Not really my favourite AZ record, but still another classic album of theirs, although rather tougher to really get into (but maybe ultimately more rewarding), but definitely worth the time investment, and since time is money.

Art Zoyd was/is one of the better groups in Avant-Prog. One of the greatest things to come out of France. They are similar in sound to Univers Zero but are generally more eclectic and weird. They formed in 1968 and originally were influenced by the Mothers Of Invention and Captain Beefheart. The first album was self-released in 1976. This is Zoyd's fifth album(not including the 1980 remake of the debut).

Leave it to Art Zoyd to start one of their albums with the most avant song on it. The first "Legendes" song, subtitled "La Foret Qui Avance", is a strange and mysterious piece. It's mostly strange noises and creepy voices whispering. The only real music here is the strings which come and go. One of the reasons I like this album so much, despite the odd beginning, is that it has two of my favourite AZ songs here: "Ceremonie" and "Migrations". Those two songs are really great prog music for 1983; they make Neo-Prog sound like Duran Duran in comparison. Of course with Duran Duran we're talking about a completely different "Rio".

"Ceremonie"(which you can listen to on PA) begins with dramatic organ before going into the main part of the song. Simple but effective bass playing with jangly acoustic guitar and some percussion. Then there is some great trumpet before some almost metal-like screeching from electric guitar. The end of the song is very avant though, with some weird Magma-esque vocals. "Migrations" is a song that every progger should hear at least once in their life. This song has some great bass from Thierry Zaboitzeff(why isn't he on PA yet?).

About 4 minutes in there is a great section with bass and a repeated piano part. Eventually we get another piano playing over top with viola, then some organ before it goes back again. This leads to a dissonant section with trumpet and more organ. Around 7 1/2 minutes we get a drum machine pattern with some very nice piano playing. Overdubbed trumpets appear. Later we get a very bizarre sound that goes back and forth in the left and right channels. I can only describe it as a cross between hearing a train go by and a bowling ball knocking over pins.

Of the three "Images" songs, "Cortege Des Officiels" is the most interesting. The last song and second "Legendes" piece, "La Bruit Du Fer", has some programmed drumming which almost sounds like the real thing. The bass part is unique sounding; this reminds me of a song that Einsturzende Neubauten did in the 90s. Art Zoyd are one of the only "rock" groups without a drummer. Beginning on this album they use drum machines and synths. Previously they were an almost acoustic group with electric bass and occasionally electric guitar and electric piano. After this album they dove headfirst into synths and programming, but not quite abandoning the violins and trumpet just yet.

Art Zoyd is a group that should be more known. It doesn't help that their music is expensive. Les Espaces Inquits is not their most consistent album but has some of the best music they did. For 1983 this is very heady and adventurous stuff. 4 stars.

ART ZOYD's fifth album is in my opinion one of their best. I'd rate it in my top five with "Haxan", "Generation Sans Futur", "Le Mariage Du Et De L'Enfer" and "Musique Pour L'Odyssee". This one clicked with me right away as the dynamic duo of Hourbette and Zaboitzeff have once again created an album that takes me to dark places which are full of adventure. Apart from the usual instruments we get cello, viola, violin, tapes, trumpet, flugelhorn, sax and vibes. This was recorded in Switzerland at Sunrise Studios back in August of 1983 and it clocks in at under 43 minutes.

"La Foret Qui Avance" is a top three and I love that they opened with such an experimental track. Check out the intro with that distortion and experimental sounds. It's eerie as strings start to come and go slicing away. Whispered voices also come and go in this creepy and scary section. In fact hair-raising might be the right description. "Ceremonie" is another top three for me. This has three main sections over it's over 9 minute length. I was actually reminded of ELP to start with the sound of that organ as it's quite powerful. You can hear the horns join in as there's lots of depth to the sound here as the rhythm almost pulses. It does settle back before 2 minutes and there's so many intricate sounds here and still plenty of depth. The piano joins in followed by strings. So much going on. Love the huge bass sounds from Zaboitzeff and also the guitar as he has it crying out 4 1/2 minutes in. So good! A change after 5 minutes as it brightens yet it's still dark and melancholic. Love this! Another change before 7 minutes as horns blast and deranged vocals speak and yell in this more stripped down section. A brilliant piece of music. "Errance" opens with laid back piano as a horn joins in crying out of the darkness over and over. It calms down even more before 3 1/2 minutes with sparse piano and horns until we get more life before 4 minutes as sounds come and go to the end.

"Cortege Des Officiels" features more of that powerful organ again bringing ELP to mind. The song feels like it's starting to take off with piano outfront but then it settles back with more organ and deep sounds. A frenzy after 3 minutes as we get an uptempo piano led melody but then it settles back again. "Au Dela Des Vallees" starts with piano as strings then horns join in. This is really good. It's building after 2 1/2 minutes as we get lots of suspense here. "Migration" is my final top three. Strings to open as piano helps out then the horns arrive droning away. There's more depth after 2 1/2 minutes as we get a piano led outburst that will come and go. There's a steady and determined sound around 4 minutes in then this cool little melody arrives that's repeated. That piano led outburst is back after 6 minutes then we get a change after 7 minutes as the organ returns with this almost buzzing soundscape. Percussion follows as the piano and more join in. Check out the blasting horns before 9 minutes. Some creepy electronics 10 1/2 minutes in as the horns continue to blast with percussion and more. An amazing track. "Le Bruit Du Fer" starts with percussion, bells and more. Horns and strings will also join in this short 3 minute closer.

I can't get enough of this stuff, they are such an adventerous band always brimming with ideas.