CLIC

Among the many records Bernard Falaise recorded for the Ambiance Magnetique label, he generally took care of doing things musically very different than Miriodor, the group he joined in the mid-90's, but here with Clic, for some reasons, he chose to make some heavy hints in Clic. Again a clever all-cardboard sleeve depicting rough and greasy drawings of machines, the music is definitely more accessible (read melodic and rhythmic) than usual. The first few tracks are reminiscent of bigger Miriodor (there are four brass players as guests), evoking the Klezmer-Manouche music of his main group, while the next few are more experimental, slightly dissonant, but nothing a "normal person" couldn't deal with. Bernard plays all guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion instruments (except Marimba and drums) and "devices & manipulations" and buddy Derome plays saxes and flutes. The tracks are being kept fairly short (between one and five minutes, bar Neuf which clocks at seven and a half), in the Miriodor fashion and are all named by four-letter words, bar Tricheur, which does exactly that: cheater. There are moments of pure beauty (the groove of Lime) or grace (the succession of dissonant passages interrupted by pure symphonic lines ala Anglagard of Tour), and Falaise's electric guitar interventions can resemble some early Frippian solos.

Clic (add a "k" for the English translation) is definitely one of the more accessible AM label releases and if you're into Mirodor (one could even go as far as saying that this prefigures Miriodor's Avanti album), this album is right up your alley. Easily Ambiance Magnetique's best album in their catalogue since the early Wondeur Brass albums. Electric and eclectic, slightly whacky and definitely worth the detour.