JOHN ZORN

JOHN ZORN
CHIMERAS, REVISED EDITION (2010)
320 KBPS

Newly revised, this is the definitive version of a Zorn masterpiece! Loosely inspired by the remarkable worlds of Henry Darger, Lewis Carroll and Unica Zürn which throw childlike innocence against a backdrop of violence and perversion, Chimeras is one of Zorn's greatest works in the classical tradition. A work of fantasy and imagination scored for a Pierrot Lunaire ensemble plus percussion, the work has been resequenced, remastered and a brief, fleeting newly recorded postlude has been added. Dramatic and colorful, Chimeras is a work filled with femininity, innocence, beauty and violence.

1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. Four
5. Five
6. Six
7. Seven
8. Eight
9. Nine
10. Ten
11. Interlude
12. Eleven
13. Twelve
14. Postlude

UNIVERS ZERO

UNIVERS ZERO
RELAPS (2008)
320 KBPS

Founding members of the Rock In Opposition movement, Univers Zero have continued to change and grow and develop over their entire career, while still keeping a ensemble sound and spirit that is easily recognizable. Relaps presents something that Univers Zero's fans have been hoping for for decades; a peek into the recorded archives of one of the greatest avant-rock ensembles since mid 1970s! This CD documents the final 1980s line-ups of Univers Zéro before the band's long sabbatical from recording and touring. The live sound is excellent throughout and the CD features a 16 page booklet with a informative history of the band during this time period as well as rare, never-seen photos. The line-ups featured on Relaps are the quintet who recorded UZED and the septet who recorded Heatwave. The material is drawn from those two albums, with the live setting providing some different arrangements and even greater fire to the pieces; I found the pieces taken from Heatwave to be particularly inspiring and outrageous. There is also a short, otherwise unheard composition included here. While UZ continue to play truely awesome gigs and develop the material that will be found on their next studio album, Relaps provides a chance for the listener to catch up with some never-released and exciting recordings from a truly classic band!

1. L'Etrange Mixture du Docteur Schwartz
2. Presage
3. Parade
4. Ligne Claire
5. Emanations
6. Heatwave
7. The Funeral Plain
8. L'Etrange Mixture du Docteur Schwartz (free-style version)

KRAFTWERK

KRAFTWERK
TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS (1977)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Although Autobahn was a left-field masterpiece, Trans-Europe Express is often cited as perhaps the archetypal (and most accessible) Kraftwerk album. Melodic themes are repeated often and occasionally interwoven over deliberate, chugging beats, sometimes with manipulated vocals; the effect is mechanical yet hypnotic. Thematically, the record feels like parts of two different concept albums: one a meditation on the disparities between reality and image ("Hall of Mirrors" and "Showroom Dummies" share recurring images of glass, reflection, illusion, and confused identities, as well as whimsical melodies), and the other the glorification of Europe. There is an impressive composition paying homage to "Franz Schubert," but the real meat of this approach is contained in the opening love letter, "Europe Endless," and the epic title track, which shares themes and lyrics with the following track, "Metal on Metal." The song "Trans-Europe Express" is similar in concept to "Autobahn," as it mimics the swaying motion and insistent drive of a cross-continent train trip. What ultimately holds the album together, though, is the music, which is more consistently memorable even than that on Autobahn. Overall, Trans-Europe Express offers the best blend of minimalism, mechanized rhythms, and crafted, catchy melodies in the group's catalog; henceforth, their music would take on more danceable qualities only hinted at here (although the title cut provided the basis for Afrika Bambaataa's enormously important dancefloor smash "Planet Rock").

1. Europe Endless
2. The Hall Of Mirrors
3. Showroom Dummies
4. Trans Europe Express
5. Metal On Metal
6. Abzug
7. Franz Schubert
8. Endless Endless

FAUST

FAUST
IV (1974)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Coming on the heels of the cut-and-paste sound-collage schizophrenia of The Faust Tapes, Faust IV seems relatively subdued and conventional, though it's still a far cry from what anyone outside the German avant-garde rock scene was doing. The album's disparate threads don't quite jell into something larger (as in the past), but there's still much to recommend it. The nearly 12-minute electro-acoustic opener "Krautrock" is sometimes viewed as a comment on Faust's droning, long-winded contemporaries, albeit one that would lose its point by following the same conventions. There are a couple of oddball pop numbers that capture the group's surreal sense of whimsy: one, "The Sad Skinhead," through its reggae-ish beat, and another, "It's a Bit of a Pain," by interrupting a pastoral acoustic guitar number with the most obnoxious synth noises the band can conjure. Aside from "Krautrock," there is a trend toward shorter track lengths and more vocals, but there are still some unpredictably sudden shifts in the instrumental pieces, even though it only occasionally feels like an idea is being interrupted at random (quite unlike The Faust Tapes). There are several beat-less, mostly electronic soundscapes full of fluttering, blooping synth effects, as well as plenty of the group's trademark Velvet Underground-inspired guitar primitivism, and even a Frank Zappa-esque jazz-rock passage. Overall, Faust IV comes off as more a series of not-always-related experiments, but there are more than enough intriguing moments to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, it would be the last album the group recorded (at least in its first go-round).

Disc 1
1. Krautrock
2. The Sad Skinhead
3. Jennifer
4. Just a Second (Starts Like That)
5. Picnic on a Frozen River
6. Giggy Smile
7. Läuft...Heist das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft
8. It's a Bit of Pain

Disc 2
1. The Lurcher [BBC Session]
2. Krautrock [BBC Session]
3. Do So [BBC Session]
4. Jennifer [Alternate Version]
5. The Sad Skinhead [Alternate Version]
6. Just a Second (Starts Like That) [Extended Version]
7. Piano Piece
8. Läuft...Heist das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft [Alternate Version]
9. Giggy Smile [Alternate Version]

[RE-UP] JOHN ZORN

JOHN ZORN
ANGELUS NOVUS (1998)
320 KBPS

John Zorn has shown us many sides of his eclectic musical vision (some may think too many), but here is a side of Zorn's work that has pretty much remained hidden - his compositions for classical chamber ensembles. This CD marks the first in a series documenting these pieces, commissioned by some of the world's leading ensembles and appearing on CD for the first time.
The works here span over twenty years, and include Christabel, a student piece written in 1972 inspired by the romantic mystic poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the wind octet Angelus Novus composed for the world-renown Netherland's Wind Ensemble and dedicated to the Jewish cultural theorist Walter Benjamin, the dynamic chamber symphony For Your Eyes Only and Carny, a virtuosic solo piece that receives an impassioned and breathtaking performance by pianist Stephen Drury.
The Callithumpian Consort of the New England Conservatory (conducted by Stephen Drury) perform this challenging music with startling clarity and intensity on this CD that will surprise and delight Zorn fans and detractors alike.

1. For Your Eyes Only
2. Christabel Part 1
3. Christabel Part 2
4. Carny
Angelus Novus
5. Peshat
6. Tzomet
7. Aliya
8. Herut
9. Pardes

JOHN ZORN

JOHN ZORN
IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS (2010)
320 KBPS

Inspired by esoteric spiritual practices, white magic, ritual, traditional myths and ancient legends, Zorn brings together a life long interest in mysticism with powerful lyricism to fashion this dynamic and evocative series of Odes for the New Millennium. Featuring the landmark extended composition The Magus, one of Zorn's most exciting new works, the music takes on a scintillating new edge-dramatic, hypnotic and mysterious. Performed by the remarkable Alhambra Trio enhanced by special guests Kenny Wollesen on vibraphone, Carol Emanuel on harp and Shanir Blumenkranz on Fender bass, In Search of the Miraculous is a deeply moving listening experience-ecstatic music for young and old that touches on the sublime.

1. Prelude : From A Great Temple
2. Sacred Dance (Invocation)
3. The Book Of Shadows
4. Affirmation
5. The Magus
6. Hymn For A New Millenium
7. Journey Of The Magicians
8. Mythic Etude
9. Postlude : Prayers And Enchantment

MORTON FELDMAN

MORTON FELDMAN
IVES ENSEMBLE
STRING QUARTET (2007)
320 KBPS

The string quartet has a special place in classical music, second in importance among ensembles only to the orchestra.The string quartet repertoire is rich, ranging from the 18th and 19th century Classicists and Romantics—Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert most prominently—to Modernists of the past century—Bartok, Shostakovich, and Milhaud among the most prolific and respected. Even iconoclasts like Schönberg, Berg, Babbitt, and Carter confirmed a connection to the tradition and created works which adhered to the formal logic and dramatic ambience of those of their predecessors while incorporating their own compositional procedures. But there have been exceptions as well, extremist composers who rejected the genre outright, or distorted it beyond recognition. Morton Feldman fits into the latter category...or does he?

1. String Quartet (I)
2. String Quartet (II)
3. String Quartet (III)

ALBERT MARCOEUR

ALBERT MARCOEUR
PLUSIEURS CAS DE FIGURE (2001)
320 KBPS

Compared to the two previous Marcoeur posts here at Moodswings, "Plusieurs Cas de Figure" may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with Albert's evolution through the years. True enough, it would be quite worrying if a 2001 release sounded exactly like one from 1976 or 1978 and, indeed, this album may have been from a different artist or, at least, from another life of the same artist. Of course, Albert's wacky humour is still here but the music is more relaxed and... accessible. Not to say "Plusieurs Cas de Figure" is for every set of ears, it surely is not, but, for those of us able to stomach the weirdest avant-garde, the most extreme noise barrages it almost sound like Bon Jovi does to a heavy metal fan. That said, Marcoeur's art still bears a real artistic ambition too few French artists diplay and "Plusieurs Cas de Figure" shows that perfectly. If one would want to enter Albert's world, this album would be the easier way to do so.

1. Ulysse et Linus
2. Anne chez elle
3. de Pierre à Jean-Paul
4. Le pyjama
5. Mon petit neveu
6. B.B.
7. L’argent des gens
8. Que c’est beau !
9. Album de photos
10. Lady Di
11. Robert et les insectes
12. Ulla, Lula, Lola
13. Eddie

UNIVERS ZERO

UNIVERS ZERO
UNIVERS ZERO (1977)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

Some very peculiar rock music hybrids emerged in the 1970s, but none was any more peculiar than Univers Zero, a classically influenced group of primarily Belgian musicians. Sometimes compared to the slightly earlier and enormously influential King Crimson, Univers Zero was actually much more extreme. While Crimson used Robert Fripp's lead guitar and Ian McDonald's Mellotron to approximate a symphonic rock sound rooted in the 19th century romantic tradition of Richard Strauss, Mahler and Wagner, the earliest versions of Univers Zero were not only more purely classical in their instrumentation (bassoon, violin, viola, cello, harmonium, spinet piano), but much more contemporary in their musical appropriation of the dissonant, jagged 20th century classical styles of Stravinsky, Bartók, Ligeti, and Penderecki, among others. The other constant and distinguishing quality of Univers Zero was the longtime preoccupation of drummer/leader Daniel Denis with the early 20th century fantasy/horror writer H.P. Lovecraft — as indicated by the names of his two predecessor bands, Arkham (the mythical town where most of Lovecraft's stories were set) and Necronomicon (a mythical Lovecraft book of forbidden secrets). Some critics regard Univers Zero's music as pretentious and gloomy, but it's never pretentious in the easy, predictable manner of most progressive rock, and as for the gloom, there's actually a kind of jaunty gallows humor in many of the pieces on this debut — particularly in the two by guitarist Roger Trigaux, which feature march rhythms somewhat suggestive of Shostakovich or Prokofiev. The rhythmic energy and dissonant riffs, the distinctive sound of the bassoon and strings, and the tricky, fragmented time signatures make for a challenging and highly distinctive listening experience.

1. Ronde
2. Carabosse
3. Docteur Petiot
4. Malaise
5. Complainte
Bonus Track
6. La Faulx (Live)

LIGHTNING BOLT

LIGHTNING BOLT
EARTHLY DELIGHTS (2009)
320 KBPS

For the uninitiated the mighty Bolt are art students from Providence, Rhode Island. Brian Gibson plays bass and Brian Chippendale plays drums, often with a mask made out of a pillowcase on his head and a mic in his mouth so he can ‘sing’. Together they make a sound not unlike an angry volcano god jizzing hot magma into your ears. Live they are kings of the guerrilla gig, playing at intense volumes in the middle of their crowd, often causing pandemonium. On record some of this context is lost, but the band make up for it by plumping for overdriven, live-in-the-studio performances. Out of the lo-fi punk/hardcore/black metal bedrock clatter of sound they create, lysergic and buzzing riffs clarify gloriously before melting back into chaos.

1. Sound Guardian
2. Nation of Boar
3. Colossus
4. The Sublime Freak
5. Flooded Chamber
6. Funny Farm
7. Rain On Lake I'm Swimming In
8. S.O.S.
9. Transmissionary

ALBERT MARCOEUR

ALBERT MARCOEUR
ARMES & CYCLES (1978)
320 KBPS

On "Armes & Cycles", the last Albert Marcoeur to be released in the demented era that were the 70's and last album from this one of a kind artist before a 5 years long silence, the artist still digs the same hole while not forgetting how important it is for an artist to evolve. Returning with the same musicians that helped him craft his tasteful second album, 1976's "Album à Colorier," "Armes & Cycles" sees albert sticking to the "chanson" format still retaining his quirky way to do things. Indeed, A&C is an easier album to "get", mainly because the music is more evident (and accessorily more accessible) but don't get me wrong, this is not for every pair of ears. As it happens, Marcoeur is still very much rooted in some kind of Dadaist avant-garde (so much that assimilating him to the Rock in Opposition scene is almost an insult to his maverick talent) and, believe me, we wouldn't want anything else from France's most unique artist!

1. Ici
2. Emploi du temps
3. La dame qui est assise à côté de moi
4. Linge sale
5. Histoire d'offrir
6. Ampoule grillée
7. Réveil
8. Son sac
9. Micheline
10. Bonjour Monsieur Monsieur

JOHN ZORN

JOHN ZORN
MYCALE: BOOK OF ANGELS VOLUME 13 (2010)
320 KBPS

Get ready for a whole new approach to Masada music! Expressive and passionate, Basya Schecter, Ayelet Rose Gottlieb, Malika Zarra and Sofia Rei Koutsovitis are four of the most creative vocalists around. Each the leader of a dynamic band of their own, they come together here in an intimate a cappella setting to interpret eleven songs from Zorn's remarkable Book of Angels. With lyrics in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, French and Arabic drawn from Rumi, Fernando Pessoa, The Hebrew Bible and more, the Masada vocal project is perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful installments in the entire Angels series. Dynamic and evocative New Jewish Music from four powerful women vocalists!

1. Uzziel
2. Ahaha
3. El El
4. Tehom
5. Moloch
6. Balam
7. Melech
8. Tarshish
9. Asaph
10. Rumiel
11. Natiel

UNIVERS ZERO

UNIVERS ZERO
CLIVAGES (2010)
320 KBPS

Founding members of the original "Rock In Opposition" [R.I.O.] movement and the inventors of "chamber rock", Univers Zero have continued to change and grow and develop over their entire career, while still keeping a ensemble sound and spirit that is easily recognizable. Clivages is their first studio album in over five years, but much more importantly, it is their first studio release in over 20 years - since 1986's Heatwave - to feature the energy and sound of a working, rehearsing, live ensemble performing in the studio! And it shows! It features the current line-up of the group who have been playing concerts and working together for quite some time now: Michel Berkmans (bassoon, English horn, oboe), Kurt Budé (clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax), Pierre Chevalier (keyboards), Daniel Denis (drums, sampler), Dimitri Evers (bass), Martin Lauwers (violin) with guest Andy Kirk (guitar and percussion).
Univers Zero are rightly famous for finding the perfect balance between classical and rock influences and drawing on musicians from both worlds. In terms of this, Clivages is possibly their best-balanced release, featuring a couple of small chamber works for the trio of strings, reeds and double reeds of the group. The rock side has not been ignored in any way, however and in addition to compositional contributions from band members Denis, Budé and Berckmans, Clivages features Andy Kirk's 12' piece "Warrior", which harkens back to the sound of the band circa Heatwave! A tremdously strong work from a band who have a very full catalog of essential discs!

1. Les Kobolds
2. Warrior
3. Vacillements
4. Earth Scream
5. Soubresauts
6. Apesanteur
7. Three Days
8. Straight Edge
9. Retour de Foire
10. Les Cercles d'Horus

ALBERT MARCOEUR

ALBERT MARCOEUR
ALBUM A COLORIER (1976)
320 KBPS

ALBERT MARCOEUR, French multi-instrumentalist/composer, was born on December 12 1947, in Dijon, France. While embracing the 'avant-garde' in the true sense on of the word, Marcoeur's compositions took a tight but balanced approach, giving even the most absurd noises a homely feel. Smitten with humour, Marcoeur has more than once been hailed the French reply to Zappa (though less prolific). Historically his influence cannot be denied.
Marcoeur's second album would have you believe it's got a lot to do with his debut, because the artwork is related to its predecessor. But life is not so easy! Yes indeed we're still in Marcoeur's improbable and whacky world of Looserland, but the personnel is completely different, even down to the technician, while retaining the same recording facility. The tracks are also much shorter on the average, pushing the interplay to smaller songs that emphasize the goofy atmosphere rather than privilege instrumental interplay, even if it doesn't alter Marcoeur's ability to write weird but complex stuff, although Zappa 's comparison might be a bit over-done. Still, Marcoeur will please the more curious and, even if you don't understand the language, it's a weird delight too few have heard about.
To buy the albums from this one of the kind artist go to: http://www.marcoeur.com/.

1. Monsieur Lépousse
2. Le Fugitif
3. Le nécessaire à chaussures
4. Le Père Grimoire
5. Doctrine
6. Le jus d'abricot
7. La cueillette des noix
8. Elle était belle
9. Fermez la porte
10. Là D'dans
11. Ouvre toi

DAVID SIMONS

DAVID SIMONS
FUNG SHA NOON (2009)
320 KBPS

David Simons is an enigmatic figure in the Moondog/Partch mold who has been doing things his own peculiar way for decades. An instrument builder and virtuoso thereminist, David has written music for theater, dance, film, sound installations and classical concert ensembles. The pieces for his second Tzadik CD are some of his most ambitious to date, and feature compositions for large ensemble, string quartet, gamelan, theremin, garbage cans and empty bottles. Complex music at the nexus of classical and world music by this remarkably unique musical thinker!

1. Odentity
2. Uncle Venus
3. Music for Theremin and Gamelan II
4. Music for Theremin and Gamelan II
5. Chain Of Incident

UNIVERS ZERO

UNIVERS ZERO
THE HARD QUEST (1999)
320 KBPS

After an absence of over a decade, Univers Zero has returned, and more invigorated than ever. The slate has been wiped clean, now with a mix of old and new chalk for drawing. Original member Michel Berckmans has returned after having last played with UZ 18 years previously on Ceux de Dehors. Dirk Descheemaeker, from the band's last albums in the 80s, is also back. These veterans represent the fortified woodwinds section. The members who handle the strings, both new, are Reginald Trigaux (related to the band's original guitarist and Present founder, Roger Trigaux) on guitar and Igor Semenoff on violin. At the center of it all, of course, is drummer Daniel Denis, who on this outing does double-duty, playing the keyboards as well.
The compositions are tighter and more accessible than previous albums, almost as if Denis had written the album keeping in mind with the prospect of luring a new generation of potential fans. Texturally and compositionally, this might be the most diverse Univers Zero album to date. The keyboard sounds generated include the now-reinstated harmonium, as well as organ ("Affintite") and even harpsichord ("Civic Circus"). On "Vieux-Manants," sparse bass drum and tambourine create (as Brandon notes in his review) a medieval feel, while other tracks feature tuned percussion ("Civic Circus") and Denis' traditional drum kit. Denis even loosens up to play a straight 4/4 on the middle-Eastern "Xenantaya"; always wondered if he could do that!
With the excellent recording quality coupled with a return to the more organic sound of the band's earlier albums, I would very much recommend this as a top consideration for those starting off in their exploration of the band, as well as old-time fans who are well in-the-know. This is Univers Zero. This is what they do.

1. Vieux-Manants
2. Civic Circus
3. Affinité
4. Rouages
5. News From Outside
6. Rébus
7. Kermesse Atomique
8. Succès Damné
9. L'Impasse du Choléra
10. Xenantaya
11. L'Oubli

AHLEUCHATISTAS

AHLEUCHATISTAS
OF THE BODY PRONE (2009)
320 KBPS

It’s like a full moon madness when one of your favourite bands has a new release on your favourite label. Asheville, NC power trio Ahleuchatistas‘ (pronounciation tip : the name comes from the Charlie Parker song “Ah-leu-cha”) fifth full length called Of the Body Prone is hands down the best mathcore/improv album this year to grace your speakers, and it might be the most balanced of their full buffet. Ahleuchatistas takes math rock’s erratic features to extreme levels while retaining melody and musicality, only to destroy it a few bars later and found something new. For the untrained ear it might be hard to follow, because of the hectic pace, but repeat listens put forth the complexity and compositional power. There’s a whole bunch of intellectualism on reviews, name dropping Gödel, Deleuze and Adorno, you might head to their myspace if you want to delve further into theory, but these two lines are enough talk about the music, say I.

1. 2/3 Consensus On The Un-Finite Possibilities
2. Owls
3. Those With Guns
4. Why Can't We Be In Jamaica?
5. Racing Towards The Hard Kernel
6. Eastside Uptight
7. Dancing With The Stars
8. Total Nightmare In A Deep Dive
9. Making The Most Of The Apocalypse
10. Map's Tattered Edges

STRINGS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

STRINGS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
OUR MOON IS FULL (2007)
320 KBPS

In experimental circles, electronica-related and otherwise, the mid-2000s marked a slight return to the song format. Call it the logical extension of the underground folk revival or more simply a desire to apply experimental findings to genres of wider appeal, the fact remains that noisy textures, electronic constructs, and post-rock anthems permeated into the song realm, to a point where some reviewers started writing about "electro-acoustic pop." Strings of Consciousness' debut full-length marvelously illustrates how artistically successful this approach can be. The international collective blends acoustic instruments (sax, cello, trumpet, harp, vibraphone) and computer treatments; melodies and texture layers; narratives and abstractions. The group's lineup features seasoned experimentalists Hervé Vincenti, Stefano Tedesco, and Philippe Petit, Spaceheads/Pere Ubu's Andy Diagram, the Sea and Cake's Alison Chesley — and that's only part of the group's core. Also present are the guest vocalists: Foetus' J.G. Thirlwell, Girls Against Boys' Scott McCloud, and the almighty Barry Adamson, again just to name a few. The music does not blend only sound sources (acoustic/electronic), but genres, too: folk, industrial (the Current 93-tinged "Crystallize It"), even Western in "In Between," featuring a captivating recitation by Pete Simonelli. If the album contains occasional moments of brightness (the short "Defrost_Oven" with wordless vocalizing by Lisa Smith-Klossner), most of it is pretty dark, including the disc's two undisputed highlights: "Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness," featuring Oxbow's Eugene Robinson, and "While the Sun Burns Out Another Sun," with the post-beat poetry of Black Sifichi. Our Moon Is Full adopts the song format; however, it never becomes about catchy tunes. On the contrary, this moody album requires a few listens to sink in because, even though it presents a cohesive personality, its beauties are so numerous and subtle that they take time to unfold. A serious contender for year-end lists across the board.

1. Asphodel
2. Crystallize It
3. Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness
4. Sonic Glimpses
5. Defrost_Oven
6. While the Sun Burns Out Another Sun
7. In Between
8. Midnight Moonbeams

CLUB FOOT ORCHESTRA

CLUB FOOT ORCHESTRA
WILD BEASTS, KIDNAPPED AND MORE (1995)
320 KBPS

Anyone interested in the early history of the Club Foot Orchestra can hardly do better than to snap up this CD. Included are all tracks from their first two hard-to-find Ralph Records releases, plus a pair of tracks that only appeared on a very obscure sampler of bands that played the avant-garde Club Foot in San Francisco. The first and last track are from the compilation, and both are bit raw thanks to the widely varying skill levels within the band, but nevertheless they're exciting and show the potential of the group. The tracks from Wild Beasts are numbers two through eight, and they show the band energetically mixing swing, post-bop, lounge music, and dashes of rock. On most tracks the brass creates a melody and counter-melody, with unorthodox percussion and minimal guitar. The guitarist in this case is Snakefinger, so what guitar listeners do hear is elegantly played, but while he shapes some of the tunes unobtrusively, he's not a featured player here. The best track from those sessions, "Suerte de la Noche," mixes mariachi-style trumpet playing, Cuban percussion, klezmer saxophones, and ties it all together with a martial-sounding theme. It's an unimaginable combination that works perfectly, and it's captivating. The tracks from Kidnapped have slightly different personnel and a bit more rock in the mix, though it's a rather twisted sort of rock. There are even vocals on a few tracks, such as the whimsical Latin/ska fusion of "They Say Over There." Snakefinger died suddenly just before this album was recorded, so two other musicians played his guitar parts. They're both good and work well within the framework of this ensemble. The pairing of Wild Beasts and Kidnapped on one CD is very apt, as after these releases the Club Foot Orchestra became more focused on music for silent films, which demanded a more melodramatic, fractured style. Wild Beasts, Kidnapped, and More documents a band with a unique style and intriguing harmonic ideas, and it's well worth seeking out.

1. Theme From Club Foot
2. Elk's Dance Hit
3. Visions
4. Wild Beasts
5. Hip Hopi
6. Chinese Flowers
7. Time Axe Bag Dad
8. Suerte de la Noche
9. Entrance
10. They Say Over There
11. Take It to Mars
12. Kidnapped Coed
13. Zoogaloo
14. Thrashinsky
15. Innocent
16. Clair
17. Dveil in My Soup
18. Neolithic Female Goddess
19. Theme From Club Foot: Medley

JOHN ZORN/CRACOW KLEZMER BAND

JOHN ZORN
THE CRACOW KELZMER BAND
SANATORIUM UNDER THE SIGN OF THE HOURGLASS (2005)
320 KBPS

John Zorn's Masada songbooks have surrendered themselves to many modern genres and styles—free jazz with the original Masada Quartet, contemporary improvised music with the Masada String Trio and the duo of Mark Feldman and Sylvie Courvoisier, 1970s electric fusion meets today's electronica with Electric Masada, power rock with Rashanim, and a dozen others in the various tributes to the first Masada songbook (Masada Guitars; Voices in the Wilderness; and The Unknown Masada, all Tzadik, 2003). But only now, with the release of the Polish Cracow Klezmer Band's fourth disc on Tzadik, are they interpreted in the Old World Eastern European klezmer form. Many Masada interpretations have referenced, abstracted, or suggested new readings of this genre which is so identified with Jewish music.
The four members of the Cracow Klezmer Band—leader, arranger, and bayan (accordion) player Jaroslaw Bester; violinist Jaroslaw Tyrala; bayan player, clarinetist, and percussionist Oleg Dyyak; and violinist Jaroslaw Tyrala—are augmented by singer Grazyna Auguscik, who has collaborated with them before, not only to tackle John Zorn's Masada Songbooks One and Two, but also to use these tunes to paint a heartfelt tribute to the Polish-Jewish writer and artist Bruno Schultz (1892-1942), whose character still inspires contemporary writers like the Israeli author David Grossman (See Under: Love) and Americans Cynthia Ozick (The Messiah of Stockholm) and Phillip Roth (The Prague Orgy). This release is named after Schultz's second collection of short stories, published in 1936, and its official title is The Cracow Klezmer Band plays the music of John Zorn—Sanatorium Under Sign of the Hourglass: A Tribute to Bruno Schultz.
The Cracow Klezmer Band's beautiful arrangements are faithful to the original versions. In the opening track, "Meshakh," and on "Regalim," these four musicians even manage to capture the same dynamic telepathic coordination that is so identified with the original Masada quartet. But soon as Tyrala begins his magnificent solo on "Galgalim," you realize that their music is more faithful to the klezmer tradition than any other Masada incarnations or interpretations: klezmer music as a high art concert music that must be performed with subtlety, finesse, and great passion.
"Tirzah," with Auguscik's dreamy wordless vocals, and "Hamadah" both succeed in capturing the sensual atmosphere of Schulz's fantastical stories. Tyrala introduces "Adithaim" with a virtuosic, lyrical violin solo, slowly turning the piece into a gentle dance tune. "Pagiel" is the only tune from Zorn's second Masada songbook, Book of Angels, and is performed as a passionate Astor Piazzolla tune. "Meholalot" is interpreted slightly differently than the version the Cracow Klezmer Band did on Voices in the Wilderness, this time stressing its driving rhythms, as its Hebrew title suggests, and highlighting the captivating vocals of Grazyna Auguscik.
A brilliant release that blends Old World with New World, an almost vanished culture with a vital resurrecting one, by one of the world's most extraordinary new klezmer outfits.

1. Meshakh
2. Galgalim
3. Tirzah
4. Yesod
5. Pagiel
6. Adithaim
7. Hamadah
8. Regalim
9. Demai
10. Meholalot