emmanuelle parrenin: pérélandra

CD edition of Pérélandra, a collection of unreleased songs from the Maison Rose era. It was some line-up, even for the most open-minded: Emmanuelle Parrenin and her musicians, in 1981, opened for the Clash in Paris, at the Zénith! Unsurprisingly, the crowd roared the name of the English band as soon as the French musicians appeared on stage. Didier Malherbe responded with a saxophone improvisation with all the others joining in behind. If we believe the musician improvising, rather than following the cult playlist of 1977's Maison Rose, was what saved them. Created from previously unpublished recordings from 1978, 1981, and 1982, Pérélandra is a wonderful array of the experiments so unique to Emmanuelle Parrenin. Rather than being improvised, like the legendary show at the Zénith, these experimental tracks have a more composed instrumental form and were conceived for choreographers: mainly Pérélandra, staged with dancers from Carolyn Carlson's troupe, but also Nomade, some of the sonic environment of which can be discovered here in (superb) bits and pieces found on cassettes. In total, just under a dozen tracks are presented, including contributions on bandoneon from the Argentinian Juan José Mosalini, electric piano from the ex-Double Six Jacques Denjean, or elsewhere great electroacoustic work from the wonderful and ever-faithful Bruno Menny. All of this steeped in a sonic mix typical of the most way-out acid-folk freak-outs of the 1970s. Didier Malherbe (who just before was still playing in Gong with Daevid Allen) is on three tracks, his heady graceful agility instantly identifiable, adding to a magical and spiritual universe created with spinet dulcimer, flute, hurdy-gurdy, and other-worldly vocals (amongst other ingredients). Though very difficult to label, Pérélandra could evoke a meeting between Trees Community, Heron and Robin Williamson with Ellen Fullman, Meredith Monk and Ligeti. The whole thing is steeped in an atmosphere as intense as the ecstatic hymns of Hildegard von Bingen. Emmanuelle Parrenin continues to explore similar territory in her concerts, always surprising with, Detlef Weinrich (Tolouse Low Tracks), Etienne Jaumet, Cosmic Neman, Ghedalia Tazartes, Quentin Rollet, Pierre Bastien, or Jandek. Licensed from Emmanuelle Parrenin.