New April & May Releases/Distributed Titles From Musea
Date: Saturday, April 09 @ 18:30:00 UTC
Topic: Album Release News


The latest batch of Musea releases or distributed titles reveals a diverse array of styles including jazz and "new music." We begin this item with a progressive rock/metal release, In Lingua Mortua - Salon Des Refusés: In Lingua Mortua's sophomore effort, Salon des Refusés, has been a long time coming. So it's no wonder it's a perfectionist's dream of a metal album. Featuring the absolute cream of the crop of musicians hand-picked both from the metal, prog and avant-garde scenes of Scandinavia, Salon des Refusés is the kind of album that is guaranteed to leave you breathless and speechless and even nauseous at the end of a listen.

Lars Fredrik Frøislie (known from Norwegian prog giants Wobbler and White Willow as well as sessions for Xploding Plastix, Shining (SW), Angst Skvadron, Finn Coren and countless other artists) employs his full arsenal of analogue keyboards and synthesizers, and also unleashes the talents of Jørgen Munkeby (of Norway's no. 1 avant metal export, Shining), as well as Niklas Kvarforth (Shining (the Swedish one)), Thebon (Keep of Kalessin) and Ketil Einarsen (Jaga Jazzist, Motorpsycho). To top it off, there's a legion of guitarists on the album. Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow), Hallvard Hagen (Xploding Plastix, Kvist) and Trondr Nefas (Urgehal) just to name a few.

Even though this really is the kind of album that defies description, it is safe to say that Frøislie's love of everything from 90's black metal, via 70's prog and electronic music, to soundtracks, classical, jazz and punk all shine through in Salon des Refusés. The influences include King Crimson, Univers Zero, Yes, Magma, Miles Davis, Goblin, Kraftwerk, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Darkthrone, Burzum, Santiago De Murcia, Mussorgsky, Ligeti and more.

Lyrically, Lars has used 19th century naturalistic literature as a starting point, also drawing inspiration from diverse sources like Nietzsche, Pollock, Munch and Rubens. Mixed and produced in his usual audiophile fashion by Frøislie, the album is also an aural delight with a huge, wide soundstage and outstanding clarity - a rather rare treat in the world of metal.

Judy Dyble - Talking With Strangers: Legendary Judy Dyble (Fairport Convention, King Crimson) is ready with a solo album, Talking With Strangers, which is so star-studded that half had been enough. From King Crimson, she brought maestro Robert Fripp, Ian McDonald and Pat Mast Lotto. In addition, there are musicians and singers from the major folk-rock bands: Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and The Trees. The album is produced by Tim Bowness, known for his collaboration with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson in their duo No-Man, and also as one of the singers in the Norwegian project, The Opium Cartel. When the album was released in England the critics went off the shaft. BBC recommended the album in particular and said: "the fragile clarity of Judy Dyble's vocals can be followed like some elusive ley line burrowing through sometimes tangential discographies that include progressive rock, folk, trance, electronica, ambient, indie pop, the Canterbury Scene, and post rock... a sophisticated triumph." And according to Record Collector: "All the elements are fully in place. This is a splendid album."

For Judy this album has been a unique experience. "Talking With Strangers has been the first time that I have felt fully part of the creative process. I knew that there was something very new and different and special about this collaboration," she says.

Britain's Judy Dyble is a legend in British folk-rock. She was the first vocalist in Fairport Convention - on their first and, according to some, best album. Shortly after she became the lead singer of King Crimson, before Robert Fripp decided on a "Gentlemen only" policy. Then she started the band Trader Horne (named after John Peel's nanny ...), whose album is now among the most sought after and highest priced folk-rock albums of the seventies. She also sang on the Incredible String Band's legendary psych-folk album Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. During her early career, which has been the subject of a hour long "biopic" on the BBC, she shared the stage with, among others, Jimi Hendrix, Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd, Yes and Genesis.

Then, in 1973, she disappeared from music to focus on family life and a librarian job... Until today. In the 2000's, Judy made a bright comeback. Among other things she has done a single with the British band The Conspirators which went to No. 7 on the official UK indie singles chart. She has also released a few critically acclaimed solo albums, but Talking With Strangers takes a quantum leap ahead, and already regarded by critics for her "definitive statement."

Thierry Payssan - Dans La Maison Vide: Thierry Payssan is no other than the half of Minimum Vital, one of the most perticuliar and appreciated progressive rock bands of today's scene. One used to say that twins always act the same: Thierry Payssan may have waited six years before making his own great escape, but he also shows a taste for romanticism and minimalism (!) not unlike his brother, Jean-Luc Payssan. Guitars are just replaced by keyboards here. Written, produced and performed by the artist, Dans La Maison Vide (Musea, 2011) has been created as the soundtrack for a journey inside an empty house, the perfect place for ghosts of the past, from dusk till dawn. Piano plays the major role here, sometimes accompanied by organ, vocals or sythesizers. Just splendid!

Pythagoras - The Correlated ABC: Pythagoras is the name of a Dutch progressive rock band, founded in the year 1979 in Den Haag, centered around young keyboardist Rene De Haan and experienced drummer Bob De Jong. Helped by various guests, our two fellows created, almost on their own, two opuses now regarded as electronic progressive rock milestones: Journey To The Vast Unknown (1980) and After The Silence (1981). About a quarter of a century after Pythagoras' demise, Musea publishes The Correlated ABC, a double-album including unreleased tracks from the 1983-1985 period, as well as a live performance captured in Delft in May 1983. A true gem!

Ring of Myth - Ring Of Myth: A trio raised in the year 1990 by singer-bassist-keyboardist Danny Flores, guitarist George Picado and drummer Scott Raider, Ring Of Myth evolves between Gentle Giant and Yes-flavoured progressive rock, with that typical American approach. "Unbound" is full of vivacity and elaborated constructions, with nicely harmonized vocals, a bit in the style of Jon Anderson. And what about those guitar parts, sounding so much like Steve Howe's? Ring Of Myth likes to take its time working on each new album: about nine years were required to release Weeds (2005), while the third self-titled opus had to wait six more years to see the light of day on the Musea label. The same elements are used here: an inspiration clearly rooted in Yes, a sophisticated playing and a song format. One might even think of Blue Shift at some point. Here are nine tracks highly energetic, that should appeal to the most people out there. Not to be missed!

Aljo - Rough Cuts & Silent Snapshots: Keyboard player John Carson shows an amazing ability to generate great sounds with edgy synth effects creating a wonderful appreciation of space, melody and improvisation as he lays down imaginative and beguiling solos. Drummer Alex Plavsic, from Australian symphonic/prog band Sebastian Hardie, displays his skills with a solid and distinctive drumming style that sets the foundation for the evolving melodies. The strong rapport and sense of humour that these two musicians share reveals both interesting and captivating moments in each track of this impromptu session. Both players have a unique ability to synchronize and capture various tempos expressing a love of melodic interpretation from the lazy feel of "Tripping" to the more uptempo "Get It Right," "Caravan" and "Rough Cuts."

BOHP4 Quartet - Terres: Founded in 2010 by the drummer Fabien Humbert, BOHP 4 quartet offers an uncommon concept: piano, accordion, contrabass, drums. The alchemy of sounds associated to the musical osmosis of a quartet offer a music full of contrast inviting us to travel on the "fields" of their musical imagination. Frédéric Baldo (accordion), Jean-Claude Oleksiak (contrabass), Sébastien Paindestre (piano, keyboards) and Fabien Humbert (drums), signing the major part of the compositions, practice some jazz music which melodies are carried by a culture of rhythm drawing from progressive rock of the seventies as well as from Brad Meldhau, Pat Metheny or Enrico Pieranunzi’s colored universes.

Jean Lapouge - Plaything and Temporäre: In the time between Hauts Plateaux and his latest effort Temporäre, Jean Lapouge, founder of Noetra, played in a trio setting with Kent Carter (double bass) and Jeff Boudreaux (drums) for nearly a decade. The band went into the studio three times over this period. The musical context -- resolutely jazz -- allowed Jean to explore new directions in his compositions and guitar playing, the latter reveling in newfound freedom. The rhythm section is, simply put, brilliant. Plaything, the CD album compiled from those recording sessions, bears testimony to the three musicians' dedication to what counts: the music. Temporäre, the latest album and current musical project of Noetra founder Jean Lapouge, offers an unconventional instrumentation: guitar, vibraphone (Christian Paboeuf – who doubles on oboe on two tracks) and trombone (Christiane Bopp). Recorded in May 2009, the album reflects the band's live work. The accent here is on the tracks' simplicity and their inherent poetry... For the composer, the album strikes the delicate balance between composition and improvisation.

Sylvain Cathala Trio - Moonless: Created in 2005, here is the latest release by Sylvain Cathala (leader of Print) which includes Sarah Murcia (bass) and Christophe Lavergne (drums). Together they develop a rich music, fluid, powerful and sophisticated, whose poetry is evident from the first notes. Interested by rhythm as well as by the harmony and actual forms, the trio developed a collective independent of the notion of soloist.


Zarboth - Kwakiutls: Writing and performing in various projects throughout the past 15 years, Phil Reptil has had a longterm project called La Theory du Reptil. Phil has performed in countless groups, theatre and dance companies from electronic music to experimental, jazz, rock or world music, playing guitar, keys, or creating sound-design landscapes. Etienne Gaillochet has been the drummer/vocalist & driving force of We Insist! for the past 16 years. With a particular fascination towards odd time-signatures and discordant melodies ranging in style from metal to jazz, Etienne brings his trademark solid, yet experimental, percussion skills to Zarboth. Zarboth explores the contemporary fields of rock, blending jazz-core, experimental, noise and songwriting, while working on sound textures with delight. The duo moves between densely complex writing and improvisation, and then tries to reunite those two territories. Their broad influences range from Ruins to The Claudia Quintet, from Zappa to No Means No, from Fred Frith to Pantera, from Zu to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.







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