Customer Reviews

Le Marriage Du Ciel Et De L'Enfer

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I haven't heard much else by Art Zoyd, but I would really like to. Unfortunately, they're not popular and they're from France, and subsequently the bulk of their albums is about as rare as dodo eggs if you live in North America. This is a shame, because from what I've heard so far we're missing killer ride. I agree with the previous reviewer who said that despite the similarities to Univers Zero there is less melody. I don't agree completely with that thought because underneath the surface of this music lies a lot of texture and yes, even melody. It's not relaxation music, but neither is it as dark as UZ tend to be. It can be very tense and this is especially obvious in the second part of the album. Mouvance 2 and 1 both have very dark piano notes often fleshed out by stark organ sounds and horn lines not to mention some very evocative viola lines that sound like whale song. The transition from Mouvance 1 to Cryogenese (Les portes du futur) is not smooth but very effectively jarring and from there the tension buildup begins. Sharp choppy piano phrasings, interspersed with machine gun like percussion and mellower horns and organs are joined by disembodied voices (think early Delerium) and an ominous clicking noise that build to towards a swirling climax. It could all become very repetitive but the elements shift around each other in a way so that never does. My first time listening to this piece I literally held my breath to see where it was going. The tension effect is hightened by an eerie steam whistle like sound. By the time the final track fades in the tension has let off and you almost feel like you're listening to pop music, because here you actually have a melody and beat and vocals that seem very normal compared to what happened before. Of course it's not, it's just an illusion.

Originally released in 1985, as this was the long running French progressive band's sixth album. A friend suggested that I check out a title by these guys. Main reason I'm giving this CD a four-star rating is because it's simply 'so' off-the-beaten track it's able to hold my full attention all the way through the entire disc of nine cuts and a duration of 68 minutes. Even listened to it a second time. A bit to artsy-fartsy for some perhaps, but Art Zoyd (geez, the name alone) is enough to draw in new fans as well as the curious. Best two tracks here, that I liked most are the eleven-minute, somewhat hypnotic "Sortie 134, Part 1" and the fourteen-minute epic "Cryogenese-Les Portes du Futur". This CD's shorter pieces didn't do all that much for me, but I thought 'Le Mariage' overall had something to say. Just not sure what. Should obviously appeal to fans of Magma, Henry Cow, Archaia, Univers Zero and possibly Soft Machine.

This IS the dark scary music (no heavy metal or death rock or gothic or whatever can come even close to these guys) that is really disturbing. Clocks that go on forever, men that cry and sob, undistiguished voices, treated sounds and noise are mixed with minimalist motifs played on (mainly) electric piano, organ, and syths (with the occassional addition of srtings, winds, chorus, etc.). Very original and interesting. But you have to like the genre. Recommended to fans of bands like Uniivers Zero, Present, the darker side of Crimson, maybe Magma, and the likes.

-- the French cannot rock! My point? They don't need to when they're as good at what they do as Art Zoyd. This is some of the most interesting classically influenced music I've ever heard, maybe the most. They're better than Univers Zero at their best (Ceux du Dehors), and that's saying a lot. Wayyy better than their countrymen Magma. They know how to add the right "something" to make the sound more propulsive than, say, Bartok. On this album (The Marriage of Heaven and Hell), the band is just starting to use some electronics to supplement their acoustic instruments. Beautiful results and quite percussive and excellent use of precision timing and "space is the place," etc. Beg, borrow, or steal. The only one better than this is probably an earlier work, Les Espace Inquiets.

This is the only album by Art Zoyd I've heard. I really like the band AZ are usually compared to - Univers Zero, mainly 'Ceux De Dehors' and 'UZED' and though there is an obvious similarity, as both bands lineups consist of piano, viola, cello, trumpet, saxophone and such, I couldn't access AZ's music. I really missed melody. Maybe 'Le Marriage...' isn't a good introduction to AZ, but if you consider purchasing AZ record because you're a UZ fan, consider twice.