KLIMPEREI - AU JARDIM BOTANIQUE

KLIMPEREI - AU JARDIM BOTANIQUE

SPH0019 - Cassete C46

Release: 1991

Reissue: 2021

"Le Tissu" is an odd thing, threatening collapse with it's ephemeral construction - booming out backing synth, flat piano, other instruments. "Au Bord De L'eau" is a non-beat thing of harmonica, piano, acoustic guitar which somehow manages to hold itself together. "Paysage 1 Bis" is piano played by a madman - and somehow it works, an audio equivalent of the stroboscope. "Sous Les Peupliers" is a fully constructed piece which might sound well on the soundtrack of a 'romantic' film. "Salle Des Fêtes" is a sort of Tango of harmonica, guitar and piano. "Mon Coeur Amourex" is a quiet thing although it sounds more than slightly off-kilter with piano in slow cascade and harmonica grating through. "C'est Du Cinéma" is another thing only just hanging onto its construction by its fingertips. There are voices (presumably from a film soundtrack) credited to G.CARDON, breaking through the slow and reflective structure. "Elsa" is full of pomp, like something by KURT WEILL. "Le Fleurs Fanées" is a delicate little thing suggestive of rainy weather, although there is a slightly menacing undercurrent. "Les Nuttins Dans Les Maisons" is a familiar little thing which has (arr. from trad.) after the title - if you don't know it by name, then you'll probably recognize it anyway. Side one closes with "Dimanche, La Ville", a brief piano heavy tune verging on collapse.

Side two starts off with another 'trad. arr.' piece called "La Coline", which is a sort of off-key version of the "Last Post", and its also surprisingly atmospheric. "After Removal" comes next on wooden block rhythm and skeletal piano/glockenspiel to form an almost mechanical piece. "Écorché" is a complex piece of Neo Classical music - high speed playing. "Escapade" is another piano heavy composition with slightly off-key playing and strange synth sounds (for those who live in the UK, it sounds a little like something LES DAWSON might play). "S'en Va" is a slow, dramatic and atmospheric piece, reminding me a little of those filler tracks on THE CURE's "17 Seconds". "La Fenêtre" is another piece which gains it's own strange atmosphere by being solo. "Klimperei Trés En Vacances" is a full and 'up' sounding piece of music, almost joyful and Summery, as is "Tout Seul Sur La Plage En Hiver", although the latter survives without the up tempo 'whole' sound of the former. "Ravines" moves almost painfully through the speakers, a full sound around a surreal structure. "Noir Ou Jaune" is next, an almost caliope sound, melting into other structures as it grew and changes. "Fille De Banlieue" is apparently taken from "LOS PARANOS" whatever that may be! Its another of their 'up' pieces, yet retains an odd atmosphere sounding again like JAPAN. The final track is "Les Joyeux Ouvriers", a short, almost Oom Pah Pah sound.

They are clearly talented composers / musicians taking chances by leaning out further across the void than most would dare. While its not really my taste in music, you might well enjoy the album - its recorded well, as are most albums on the SPH label. SPH are clearly putting out some classic material.

Soft Watch.