Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Thu, 1 Oct 1992 13:02:00 CDT
From:         schneider@MDCGWY.MDC.COM

Subj:	Independent Progressive and e-Music Reviews

From:	NAME: Henry E. Schneider
	FUNC: J745
	TEL: (713) 280-1775                   <SCHNEIDER.HENRY@A1@SSDHOU>
To:	WINS%"<ALLMUSIC%AUVM.BITNET@VM1.NODAK.EDU>"@MDCGWY@MRGATE,
	WINS%"<TADREAM@CS.UWP.EDU>"@MDCGWY@MRGATE


Here are reviews of some recently released new and reissues music.  Please
use the contact addresses to inquire further about ordering info if any of
these reveiws strike your fancy.

Support the Indie Pain Dance!!!

Henry Schneider 10/1/92


Moving Gelatine Plates Moving Gelatine Plates
(Musea FGBG 4062.AR) CD:  51:52
Moving Gelatine Plates is another obscure French progressive
band from the early 70s given new life on CD by Musea.  MGP
consisted of Didier Thibault on bass and vocals (later with Gong),
Gerard Bertram on guitar, Gerard Pons on drums, and Maurice
Helmlinger on keyboards, sax, flute, and trumpet.  This CD
reissue includes their entire debut album (5 songs), original
cover artwork, extensive band history, lyrics (such as they are),
and 4 bonus tracks from MGP's 1980 album Moving.  The cover
art, a hand holding an exploding plate of gelatine, suggests
today's industrial bands rather than 1970 progressive music.  In
fact the opening track London Cab has a great "industrial" intro.
MGP is a refreshing glimpse into the past.  These four guys really
cook!  Their music mixed a dash of Soft Machine, King Crimson
(Lizard), and Pink Floyd (Atom Heart Mother) with a dab of Iron
Butterfly (In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida drums).  Fast breaks, complex
rhythms, virtuoso playing, and weird lyrics combined to produce
innovative music ahead of its time.  The lyrics are one of the
many surprises in store for you.  Suddenly, in the middle of an
energetic jam, you hear a processed voice reciting Three Blind
Mice!  Disconcerting, and in the immortal words of Mr. Spock,
"Fascinating!"  Don't pass on the opportuniay to buy this CD.
[Musea, 68 La Tinchotte, 57117 Retonfey, FRANCE] - Henry
Schneider

Nightrider Nightrider
(Musea FGBG 4059.AR) CD:  37:51
Nightrider is another in Musea's series of French progressive
reissues.  Nightrider was a French 6 piece band from the late 70s
with the English vocalist Bob Salazar, 2 keyboards, guitar, bass,
and drums.  Musea kicked out the jams on this CD:  original
cover art; a 12 page booklet with photos, history, and lyrics; and a
color picture CD of Nightrider in concert.  Nightrider, like
Kansas, crossed 70s hard rock with progressive music producing
exquisite instrumental breaks featuring Herve Guido's and
Frederic Rossini's elaborate keyboard chops and John Woolloff's
tremendous electric guitar licks.  Unfortunately in 1979, French
sales of their album were low.  Nightrider eventually broke up
in 1981, never to release another album.  If you long for those
days of Kansas/Styx styled progressive rock, Nightrider is for
you.
[Musea, 68 La Tinchotte, 57117 Retonfey, FRANCE] - Henry
Schneider

Laurent Thibault Mais on ne peut pas rever tout le temps
(Musea FGBG 4054.AR) CD:  31:29
Laurent Thibault, producer, sound engineer, and Magma's first
bass player, composed and recorded this solo album in 1978.  He
called on his musician friends to assemble an impressive group:
Francis Moze (ex-Magma and Gong) on bass, Dominique
Bouvier (ex-Transit Express and Rose) on drums, Amanda
Parsons (ex-Hatfield) and Lisa Bois (ex-Magma) on vocals, David
Rose on violin, Jacqueline Thibault (his wife) on keyboards,
Lionel Ledissez (ex-Ergo Sum) on vocals, and Richard Raux (ex-
Magma) on sax.  This concept album was Thibault's musical
interpretation of Douanier Rousseau's paintings contrasting
dreams with reality.  The music ranges from beautiful bucolic
passages (Oree) to aggressive Magma-like sonic barrages on the
title track.  Yet certain musical themes repeat throughout,
interspersed with various ethnic musics.  A delightful musical
suite!  A nice feature provided by Musea is the CD indexing that
allows you to zero in on a specific passage within each of the
four pieces.  Again, as is usual with Musea reissues, there is an
extensive 14 page booklet with history and photos.  In this case,
because of Thibault's musical career, you also receive a nice slice
of Magma history.  My only gripe is that at roughly 31 minutes,
the CD is JUST TOO SHORT!  More of Thibault's music would
have been great, but would no doubt disturb the flow and
ambience of the album.
[Musea, 68 La Tinchotte, 57117 Retonfey, FRANCE] - Henry
Schneider

Noetra Neuf Songes
(Musea FGBG 4034.AR) CD:  69:01
Even though the title of this CD reissue is Neuf Songes (Nine
Musings), there are actually thirteen.  Noetra recorded these
thirteen thought provoking "musings", one to ten minutes in
length, between November 1979 and August 1981.  Noetra, a
large ensemble, featured:  Jean Lapouge (composer) - guitar,
Christian Paboeuf - flute and oboe, Daniel Renault - drums,
Denis Lefranc - bass, Pierre Aubert - violin, Pascal Leberre -
clarinet and soprano sax, Francis Michaud - tenor sax and flute,
Denis Vollet - violincello, Claude Lapouge - trombone, Jacques
Nobili - trombone, and Laurent Tardif - alto flute.  Noetra
successfully straddled the interface between rock, classical
chamber music, and jazz without creating background music or
falling prey to avant garde excess.  Neuf Songes reminded me of
the album Un Certain Pays by another obscure French band
Human.  Both bands created a unique blend of these musical
styles.  If bands like Art Zoyd, Third Ear Band, and Universe
Zero stimulate you, but you prefer music a bit more in the
mainstream, then Neuf Songes is for you.
[Musea, 68 La Tinchotte, 57117 Retonfey, FRANCE] - Henry
Schneider

Tonart Eins
(Tonart Berlin) CD:  60:03
Tonart is both Lars Stroschen's (aka Propeller Island) new lable
and the musical efforts of Conrad Schnitzler, Lars Stroschen, and
Jorg Thomasius.  Eins is the first in a series of privately released
CDs by these three Berlin e-music composers.  Each composer
gets roughly 18 minutes to explore the realms of avant garde e-
music and present his ideas.  Eins is not really a collaboration,
nor is it a compilation.  All three composers are on the same
wavelength but with unique styles.  All three explore the facets
of percussive avant garde e-music, with the following
differences:  Lars bases his pieces around low rumbles and bass,
Conrad's music is "orchestral" metallic percussion accompanied
by a mad man on chime piano, and Jorg's music is a "calm"
mixture of analog and digital synths.  The liner notes state "For
the following tracks (10 - 12) each composer used exclusively
material of this CD composed by the other two."  I think this
statement means that, for example, Jorg used excerpts of Lars'
and Conrad's music on this CD to create a new piece.  It is
difficult to tell since each track and composer is unparalleled!
Eins is powerful digital avant garde e-music in the tradition of
Morton Subotnick and Karlheinz Stockhausen.  You know you
are in for a treat when you pop in the CD and you are slammed
against the wall by the first 3 seconds of the opening track by Lars
Stroschen "Good Morning Mr. Friend".  A successful debut
project perfect for the adventurous listener!
[Tonart Berlin, Paulsborner Strasse 10, W-1000 BerlGERMANY] - Henry
Schneider

Tim Boone Worlds of Another Color Vol I & II
(Neon Tetra BT001/002) C45/C64
Tim Boone, half of the former Texan duo Square Wave, just
released this exquisite double cassette of floating cosmic e-music.
Volume I consists primarily of stand alone mood pieces while
Volume II picks up the tempo with driving sequencers in the
vein of mid-period Tangerine Dream.relaxing after a hard day.  His slow
moving music envelopes you
in a soft cushion of sound.  The photos of beautiful abstract
unfocussed color washes appearing on the J-card are an apt
visual description of the music.  Tim is also adept at picking
descriptive titles for his "songs".  One of the high points is
"Event Horizon", it will literally sweep you away and push you
over the event horizon.  An excellent solo effort that can stand
on its own merits.
[Neon Tetra Productions, P. O. Box 876, Hot Springs, Arkansas
71902 USA] - Henry Schneider
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU