Well ... Mr. P.C. C.P. has clearly taken a peek at my “Holy Grail” list - in it, nestled amongst such unattainable classics as Karel Appel’s “Musique Barbare”, Paul Boisselet’s “Le Robot”, and Il Gruppo Nuova Consonanza’s ill-fated Cinevox-label album is the LP in question; a split release featuring a pair of pieces made at the tail-end of the 1960s at the GRM by Jacques Lejeune and Christian Clozier, respectively. Released as part of EMI / Pathe Marconi’s mythical “Perspectives Musicales” series - parodied by Sonic Youth via their “SYR-Series” - this lovely Creel Pone reproduces by far the hardest-to-find title in a series known for being elusive to collectors of “Contemporary Music.”
Which isn’t to over-emphasize the scarcity of the object - this is one of the most “happening” sets of Musique Concrète in the entire INA-GRM canon. Lejeune’s killer “Petite Suite,” especially, rocks with its ruthless plundering of first the lone free-time hi-hat, then the entire drum-kit of a studio “Funk” drummer, interspersed with blasts of processed guitar & full-on Psych-rock. Coupled with the sparse electronics & plunderphonic choir of “D’Une Multitude en Fete” you certainly begin to get a sense of the sheer scope of Lejeune’s compositional vision. Christian Clozier’s “Dichotomie” uses familiar elements from the Concrète lexicon - mutated / extended instrumental techniques & percussion, heavy use of phasing and tape-speed effects, tons of close-mic’ed / distorted sounds interspersed with distant, reverb-laden atmospheres - it’s the dense tapestry that makes the sparse "Llettre a une Demoiselle” seem so barren in comparison.
Once again - and for the last time in a few months; or so i’m told - this lovely Creel Pone edition puts an outststanding suite of hitherto unheralded Early Electronic genius into the hands / ears of enthusiasts whom most likely would never have even heard of this music. If you’re feeling “Blanche Neige” this will be right up your alley.
Originally released by Les Industries Musicales Et Electriques Pathé Marconi in 1970 as part of the Perspectives Musicales series.