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CHARLY / BYG

Musica Elettronica Viva

The Sound Pool

    Formed in Rome in the late 60s, the ever shifting collective Musica Elettronica Viva included such luminaries as Fred Rzewski, Alvin Curran and Richard Teitelbaum among others, and aimed to conduct the most radical experiments in sound possible. Although the above were primarily composers they were greatly inspired by avant-garde jazz titans such as Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane and were intent on drawing on any sound source, from keyboards and drums to cans and plates of glass. Like a volcanic eruption and ensuing lava flow The Sound Pool is a masterful electronic music opus that retains all the heat and light of the kind of performance associated with a stellar improviser. Constantly changing shape and density the music veers provocatively between the distinctive curls and squelches of synthesizers and the crash and stomp of household or industrial objects that are amplified and manipulated to conjure all the imagery of a marathon piece of physical theatre. This re-mastered version of The Sound Pool confirms Musica Eletttronica Viva as one of the most original artists of the late 20th century. The ensemble blurred the boundary between electrics and acoustics and conventional and unconventional instruments to create something that still sounds as if it is on the cusp of the present and the future.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. The Sound Pool (1ère Partie)
    2. The Sound Pool (Untitled 1)
    3. The Sound Pool (2ème Partie)
    4. The Sound Pool (Untitled 2)

    Archie Shepp

    Yasmina, A Black Woman

      Of all the African-American jazz musicians who arrived in Paris at the end of the ‘60s Saxophonist Archie Shepp was arguably the most influential. Still resident in the French capital to this day, he became an integral part of the European scene and struck fruitful working relationships with the likes of German pianist Joachim Kuhn. Shepp also recorded important albums for BYG, and Yasmina, A Black Woman is one of the most compelling from both an intellectual and musical point of view. The title track is a praise song for a ‘soul sister’ with an Afro-Arabic name, which signals a move way from Eurocentricity or undue focus on the West. It features the kind of impassioned playing from Shepp and a band that has a number of significant figures drawn from very different scenes in the States. Saxophonist Hank Mobley and drummer Philly Joe Jones, two of the great heroes of hard bop, found themselves alongside soloists frequently associated with the avant-garde, such as pianist Dave Burrell, trumpeter Lester Bowie and saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, the latter two being members of Art Ensemble Of Chicago. A supergroup was in the group. Together all these players perform an admirably varied repertoire that reflects the interest Shepp had in the whole history of black music in America, from blues and swing through to free improvisation, as well as his increasing fascination with African rhythms as well as post-colonial politics. The result is a set that bubbles with defiant energy and also conveys a deep sense of romanticism and unabashed tenderness.

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Yasmina
      2. Sonny’s Back
      3. Body And Soul

      Archie Shepp

      Blasé

        Florida-born saxophonist, composer, poet, actor and playwright Archie Shepp was one of the most articulate exponents of politicized black culture in the late ‘60s, a time of enormous upheaval and radical thought. Relocating to Paris he made a number of highly influential albums, such as Blasé, that broached the essential themes of freedom and racial equality, and tapped into the bedrock of African-American music. Gospel and blues were a major part of the work, which also had a strong avant-garde sensibility. The band featured stellar vocalist Jeanne Lee and members of Art Ensemble Of Chicago. These trailblazing artists who combined jazz, poetry and radical politics made a definitive musical statement. “This re-mastered version of a seminal album still has great musical and emotional power... “ Kevin Le Gendre

        TRACK LISTING

        1. My Angel
        2. Blasé
        3. There Is A Balm In Gilead
        4. Sophisticated Lady
        5. Touareg

        Various Artists

        Beautiful Young Generation

          Based on original 1967 BYG sampler. 

          BYG were a pioneering independant record company, one of the first labels to actively promote diversity and support black African-American musicians and multi-cultural artists worldwide during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Beginning in March 2022, BYG will reissue their now rare and collectable original albums. Newly remastered from the original BYG tapes, each album will be released on LP facsimile-edition & CD with exclusive sleeve notes by Kevin Le Gendre and John Masouri, in high-definition digital audio, downloads and streaming formats. “BYG were passionate in supporting diversity, against prejudice and narrow-mindedness so I am proud we fought for all our artists and their music, no matter what they were, who they were or where they were from [...] This sampler is a testament to their creativity...” Jean-Luc Young, 2021.

          TRACK LISTING

          SIDE 1
          1. Alice - Le Nouveau Monde
          2. Areski & Brigitte Fontaine - Ragilia
          3. Gong - Change The World
          4. Aynsley Dunbar - Willing To Fight
          5. Coeur Magique - Le Cocotier (Part 2)
          6. Daevid Allen - Time Of Your Life
          SIDE 2
          1. Sun Ra And His Solar-Myth Arkestra - Ancient Ethiopia
          2. Aart Ensmble Of Chicago - Dexterity
          3. Don Cherry - Terrestrial Beings
          4. Archie Shepp - Blasé

          Areski Belkacem & Brigette Fontaine

          L'INCENDIE - 2022 Reissue

            Vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Areski and singer Brigitte Fontaine are a legendary French musical couple that rose to prominence in the ‘60s, making a series of albums that showcased a boldly unorthodox approach to the art of song. While their defiantly esoteric style, which could veer from North African folk to Brazilian samba to subversive takes on French chanson, was striking their lyrics were no less provocative, broaching anything from mental health to social injustice. “This re-mastered version of a timeless work is a must-hear for open minds and open ears ...” Kevin Le Gendre, 2022

            TRACK LISTING

            1. Le 6 Septembre
            2. Ragilia
            3. Il Pleut Sur La Gare
            4. Déclaration De Sinistre
            5. Les Murailles
            6. L’engourdie
            7. Nous Avons Tant Parlé
            8. Les Borgias
            9. Les Petites Madones
            10. L’abeille
            11. Après La Guerre
            12. La Tête Bandée
            13. Le Chant Des Chants
            14. Ça Va Faire Un Hit
            15. Quand Les Ghettos Brûleront

            Alice

            Alice - 2022 Reissue

              Formed in the late 1960s Alice was arguably the most interesting of the crop of French bands that put their own spin on the blues rock scene born in Britain and America. Playing a gaggle of instruments, including woodwinds and vibes, the combo had a sound that often departed from guitar-led grooves to incorporate European classical music and South American folk. “This re-mastered version of Alice’s auspicious BYG debut provides an opportunity to reassess a band that deserves wider recognition ...” Kevin Le Gendre, 2022

              TRACK LISTING

              1. Axis
              2. Onurb
              3. Le Nouveau Monde
              4. L’arbre
              5. Valse
              6. L’enfant
              7. Extraits Du “Cercle” Final / Thème
              8. Venez Jouer I
              9. Mexican Song
              10. Venez Jouer Ii
              11. Tournez La Page...
              12. Fumée Grise Et Marrons Chauds
              13. De L’autre Côté Du Miroir
              14. Viens
              15. Le Nouveau Monde (Single Version)
              16. Que Pouvons-Nous Faire Ensemble ?
              17. Je Voudrais Habiter Le Soleil
              18. Il Viendra


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