RIO/Avant Drop-In Centre

French TV This Is What We Do........one of my favorites in this genre

SaltyJon wrote: Worth the price if you like their style of music, though - I put it off forever because of the price, but once I got it I LOVE it.

I do, but as you say, the price puts me off.  Especially since I never watch music DVDs.

Barbaro is expensive!

SaltyJon wrote: If you like Leg End, I'd say pick up its successor before Western Culture - Unrest is not only my favorite HC album, but it's also a bit of a smaller step into their later era.  Western Culture left me cold for a good while, originally, so I'd keep that in mind.  And if you like the darkness of Univers Zero, don't hesitate in finding a copy of the 2-for-1 of Present's first two albums.  The first album (Triskaedekaphobie) has my absolute favorite chamber prog piece (Promenade), one of my top pieces of music period.

My problem as a newbie with the albums between Leg End and Western Culture was Dagmar's vocals. I love them now but they took forever to get my head round.

Totally agree on the Present 2-1, those two albums are great. Though I probably like Barbaro more due to the stellar DVD concert footage.

Padraic wrote: The Doctor wrote: Just recently purchased my first real RIO album in UZ's Heatwave, after hearing a discussion in one of the 80's polls about the song Funeral Plain.  Thinking of picking up UZed next.  Maybe checking out some Cow. Make sure to pick up UZ's debut, Heresie, and Ceux de Dehors. Start with Henry Cow's debut Leg End.

Good recommendation, I'd add Henry Cow - Western Culture.

Padraic wrote: The Doctor wrote: Just recently purchased my first real RIO album in UZ's Heatwave, after hearing a discussion in one of the 80's polls about the song Funeral Plain.  Thinking of picking up UZed next.  Maybe checking out some Cow. Make sure to pick up UZ's debut, Heresie, and Ceux de Dehors. Start with Henry Cow's debut Leg End.

The Doctor wrote: Just recently purchased my first real RIO album in UZ's Heatwave, after hearing a discussion in one of the 80's polls about the song Funeral Plain.  Thinking of picking up UZed next.  Maybe checking out some Cow. Plenty of Magma and Caravan in my collection, but wouldn't exactly call them RIO.

Magma can definitely be counted amongst the avant scene even if they have their own genre, zeuhl. Caravan definitely not, I think they were there more to boost ticket sales rather than for their RIO quotient. The same thing happened last year with Belgian Lounge Singer Arno, at least Caravan appealed more to this audience.

Some of this years bands were distinctly odd selections with a smell of being booked to fill out a bill and being cheap to book. The top three bands were outstanding so I have no complaints of how Michel goes about making the financials work.

Man With Hat wrote: RIOfest happening...certainly males in possession of headware not there.

I was F'ing fantastic, I had a wonderful weekend.

30000 ft review

Firstly - loads of wonderful friendly people there, met old friends and made new ones so a wonderful experience before the music even started.

Day 1
Kafka - interesting experimental opening with ambience flowing to post rock power. Enjoyable B+
Caravan - strangely lacking presence even though I'm a big fan, loved the old stuff including epc 9ft Underground B-
One Shot - wonderful instrumental zeuhl extremely heavy and in the pocket all night . Excellent A
Day 2
Spoke Orchestra - French slam poetry would have been better if I understood French only lasted 2 songs as did many D
We Insist - straight ahead good post rock with energetic vocalist drummer. Enjoyable B+
Thinking Plague - spectacularly wonderful performance, much stronger than Cuneiform where Elaine was I'll. Magnificent A+
Magma - speechless ....... A+++
Day 3
RIO movie - excellently received very well executed with cameo from Englishman in UZ shirt drinking beer
C Vander masterclass - interesting
FAT32 - high energy keyboards and drums duo with masses of energy and humor. Entertaining B
Eric Baron - ambient electronic soundscapes - very Zen B

Yeah, those are available on Wayside soon...may be making an order to pick up some I've wanted for a while plus one or two of this batch of SZ.

I love RIO from what I've heard so far, but I haven't heard a whole lot yet. I've become obsessed with Slapp Happy and pretty much everything Dagmar Krause does in the last year. Would Slapp Happy be considered RIO? I know they're closely associated with other RIO bands, but I'm not really sure if they are (except of course during their collaboration with Henry Cow).