UNDERWATER ELECTRONIC ORCHESTRA

After releasing his debut album under the M. Frog moniker in 1973, the French electronic wizard JEAN-YVES LABAT spent the next few years playing on Todd Rundgren's solo albums and the debut for Utopia as keyboardist and producer but in 1976 LABAT returned with his second set of solo works which were both released under his real name this time around. Relegated to the obscurity bins as were his other releases, UNDERWATER ELECTRONIC ORCHESTRA was released in 1976 after LABAT parted ways with Rundgren who had the aspirations of carving out a solo career.

Unlike the debut under M. Frog which was a bizarre mishmash of 60s bubblegum pop and crazy experiment electronic sounds, UNDERWATER ELECTRONICA ORCHESTRA adopted all kinds of genres. Basically a strange mix of mutant disco and progressive electronic, the album features danceable yet syncopated bass grooves but instead of guitar riffs, focuses on all kinds of strange quirky electronic sounds that range from the bizarre oscillating moog synthesizer to simple melodic runs that simulate vocals. Odd choices of tunes include "Little Drummer Boy" which means you can celebrate Christmas with an instrumental electronic version now! There are the occasional lead guitar lines that come from nowhere. Even a saxophone pops in from time to time and the stylistic approach is much more varied.

The album is really very strange as there are moments of pure electronic ambience with no grooves, beats or any traces of rock, disco or anything but then it will jump into dance floor friendly mutant disco complete with rapped lyrics in French. The bass becomes quite funky. The A side is pretty much instrumental while the B side features LABAT on vocals but he isn't singing but rather rapping before hip hop was a thing and probably about the same time Grand Master Flash was launching the rapping vocal technique into greater awareness. One of the strangest tracks has to be the near 8-minute "The Flight of Kromak" which eschews the usual electronic shtick and sounds more like a voodoo ritual with heft African drumming and what sounds like a voodoo priest exorcising the demons outa someone!

The album begins and ends with the same moogspoitation sounds of the "Matrix 16" which is pure unadulterated electronica but what lies between is all over the map with lush space ambience one minute and then freaky mutant disco the next and then who knows what! While very melodic for the most part with intricate rhythms and fortified with all kinds of interesting sounds, UNDERWATER ELECTRONIC ORCHESTRA may not be the below water rendition of a symphony that it insinuates but rather is one of those crazy freaky albums of the 70s that was just "too" something for everyone. Too avant-garde for the disco crowds. Too disco for the progressive electronic crowds. It's unlikely many even had the chance to heard LABAT's solo works as this was underground then and remains firmly so even today. The album has never seen an official reissuing beyond its original 1976 vinyl pressing.

Overall this is one of those artists that existed in a world of his own making. Where he was in total control and took elements of this and that and decorated his musical fortress in an idiosyncratic methodology that only he alone totally understood. While many progressive types will surely hate the disco aspects of this one, i actually love me some good disco and the freaky nature of this one coupled with the disco only makes it more freaky! Definitely one of those bizarre artists that should've been on the Nurse With Wound list. LABAT would release one more solo album before suffering an injury that prevented his musical career from continuing. A novelty for sure but if you're into the weird and unorthodox, this one is quite satisfying!