MAIS ON NE PEUT PAS RÊVER TOUT LE TEMPS

If you know of the Zeuhl genre through the likes of Magma and Ruins, you might expect music from these waters to be chanting like a druid´s convention - teutonic and staccato like an aggressive basketball player wearing a military uniform. This album though by Laurent Thibault, who in fact was the producer of Magma´s Attahk album and a bunch of other French curiosities, does successfully prove that there is more to this style of music than what meets the ear. Far more.

The beautiful artwork here is a painting called The Snake Charmer done by Henri le Douanier Rousseau, who happens to be one of my favourite painters. The parallels between the green lush and rather peaceful image and the magical music inside of Mais On Ne Peut Pas Rëver Tout Le Temps are more than anything, striking - in that intangible and dare I say esoteric manner, in which all musicians should strive their artworks and music to accomplish in unison. A connection beyond words.

I´ve always had a thing for Eastern philosophy and that good old phrase about the middle path. A path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification, which in this particular case - I feel is strongly represented in how the music comes across. Don´t get me wrong, I´m all for extremes and putting the pedal to the metal, but somehow restraint and the power of interplay does seem to reach some form of other level on here.

This album is almost instrumental, but nowhere near it. Haha! What I mean to say, is that we are not treated to any words or philosophical phrases, but there are moments of extreme beauty hiding in this album, which are set free by two different female singers. In keeping with the Eastern images, think of these female voices as a couple of Wushu practising monks - shifting through alternating stances fluently like ch´i seeking ballet dancers doing pirouettes in front of a red sun rising. I´d like to think that these two women singing resemble the most beautiful orgasming mermaids, - or if you have trouble picturing such an event, then imagine those ethereal lingering vocals from The Lord of the Rings - that every now and again speak of impending magic and sorcery. They feel like vocal frostbites delivered in the freezing winds. At other times they seem to be yodelling together with some backing masculine ones - and together they lure the music into unknown heights, that fuse the Zeuhl brand with some pretty astonishing folk snippets expressed through spiralling acoustic guitars.

Balancing these serene and crystal clear voices out and infusing warmth into the mix - is what the music is all about, and if I can redirect your focus towards the artwork once again and take in the freshness of the jungle - and the explosions of green, - then try imagining this image being expressed through acoustic guitars, bass, various wind instruments, drums and the occasional keys. When the vocals run out, it is as if a tree had died, but just like in nature - this macabre event leads to new possibilities and other structures - turning the forest floor into a hot bed of new seedlings and tiny plants. The music answers similarly, with those acoustic guitars sprinkling away like flocks of birds all flapping together simultaneously. The bass chimes in too, and shows who really is the boss here. It is front and centre, but as I explained earlier - it is never taken to any extremes - even when it unfolds itself in some rather sensuous fretless playing - kindly provided by Francis Moze. The bass is omnipresent, and works much like a musical leach - continuously jumping from elbow to knee - guitars to drums - leaving behind a small mark: The bass leach was here! Funny how some musicians are able to colour everything around them...

There is some kind of earthiness to these instruments, and yet quite the opposite. Listening to the combination of the guitars and the rhythm section genuinely makes me think of that artwork again. Those gatherings of green appearing like a thousand small brightly coloured mini cosmos, - the music is rather like that! There are so many facets to each of these instruments involved, that very similar to the subtracting chromatophors of the forest chameleon - shift colours all according to the overall feel of the music. The guitars are a perfect example of this, and although I sound completely loopy and ready for hospitalisation - they feel like they are made of light - even when the music turns Arabic in nature, where music often can turn quite muddy - they illuminate the ambiance and textures like burning torches in the night. Every time a chord is struck - be that a single string - it´s like the lights going on in a miniature L.A. in the middle of the jungle.

I´d recommend this little gem to folks with an interest in Zeuhl that incorporates everything from folk to psych - and takes you deep within the jungle where everything is greener than any form of green you´ve ever experienced before. What a trip! 4.5 stars.

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