With our upcoming "Nightmare Before Christmas" project beginning on December 1st, I wanted to transition into the project by sharing a couple of dark and twisted library music lps. First up is the one that immediately came to mind, and also happens to be one of my favorite library music albums - "Fantasmagories" by French Composer Camille Sauvage, released on the legendary Montparnasse 2000 library. He also released a handful of albums on Montparnasse 2000 using the alias Eric Framond, which people often mistakenely cite as his real name. I couldn't find any concrete information regarding the year this was released, but I am certain that it was released some time in the 1970s.
While Fantasmagories is a horror themed album, it isn't as horrifying as people often like to make it out to be. However, for a library music lp this is certainly a twisted album that does have its darker side. This is very abstract music, perhaps best categorized as musique concrete or avant-garde depending on who you ask. In many ways this reminds me of a cross between Wayne Bell and Tobe Hooper's soundtrack to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Japanese duo Haruomi Hosono and Tadanori Yokoo's soundtrack to Cochin Moon. Sauvage masterfully incorporates screeching out-of-tune saxophones, menacing basslines, a plethora of percussion instruments, finger-snaps, strange electronic sounds, ghostly voices, Jews harp, horns and flutes to create this dark masterpiece.
There is also a distinct jazz sound which can be heard on tracks such as "Magma", "Enfirissimo", and "Pavillon Des Agités". Although they retain the sparse and disonant mood created by the other tracks, they also sharply contrast with them in several ways. Aside from the jazz flavor, the most obvious difference is that they are lighter in mood. They also loosly adhere to a rhythmic meter, as opposed to the complete abandonment displayed on the more abstract tracks.
On a side note, this is the only Camille Sauvage album that I have had the pleasure of listening to. I have searched for the album "7 Drums Concerto" for years to no avail. If any of you could help me out I would greatly appreciate the gesture.
While Fantasmagories is a horror themed album, it isn't as horrifying as people often like to make it out to be. However, for a library music lp this is certainly a twisted album that does have its darker side. This is very abstract music, perhaps best categorized as musique concrete or avant-garde depending on who you ask. In many ways this reminds me of a cross between Wayne Bell and Tobe Hooper's soundtrack to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Japanese duo Haruomi Hosono and Tadanori Yokoo's soundtrack to Cochin Moon. Sauvage masterfully incorporates screeching out-of-tune saxophones, menacing basslines, a plethora of percussion instruments, finger-snaps, strange electronic sounds, ghostly voices, Jews harp, horns and flutes to create this dark masterpiece.
There is also a distinct jazz sound which can be heard on tracks such as "Magma", "Enfirissimo", and "Pavillon Des Agités". Although they retain the sparse and disonant mood created by the other tracks, they also sharply contrast with them in several ways. Aside from the jazz flavor, the most obvious difference is that they are lighter in mood. They also loosly adhere to a rhythmic meter, as opposed to the complete abandonment displayed on the more abstract tracks.
On a side note, this is the only Camille Sauvage album that I have had the pleasure of listening to. I have searched for the album "7 Drums Concerto" for years to no avail. If any of you could help me out I would greatly appreciate the gesture.
Year of Release: 197x
Label: Montparnasse 2000
Catalog #: MP 33
Genres: Library Music, Experimental, Musique Concrete...
Bitrate: 320kbps
Label: Montparnasse 2000
Catalog #: MP 33
Genres: Library Music, Experimental, Musique Concrete...
Bitrate: 320kbps
Track List:
A1. Terrifical Night
A2. Musique De L'Au-Delà
A3. Magma
A4. Vivisection
A5. Ectoplasme
A6. Enferissimo
B1. Charette Fantôme
B2. Le Jugement Dernier
B3. Pavillon Des Agités
B4. Rapacité Nocturne
B5. Requiem Pour Satan
B6. Rhapsodie Pour Belphégor
A1. Terrifical Night
A2. Musique De L'Au-Delà
A3. Magma
A4. Vivisection
A5. Ectoplasme
A6. Enferissimo
B1. Charette Fantôme
B2. Le Jugement Dernier
B3. Pavillon Des Agités
B4. Rapacité Nocturne
B5. Requiem Pour Satan
B6. Rhapsodie Pour Belphégor
Thanks for your "library series"! This is an amazing album indeed!
ReplyDelete7 drums concerto is fantastic. I can't make a rip at the moment, but I found some samples here:
http://iueke.com/2006/camille-sauvage-7-drums-concerto/
You can find some Eric Framond LPs online, I especially recommend Univers 2000, which is similar to Fantasmagories. I found it here:
http://fingersports.blogspot.com/2010/04/eric-framond-univers-2000.html
dispo: Thank you for taking the time to comment. I actually have Univers 2000, and it is an amazing album in my opinion. 7 Drums Concerto is the one album that has managed to elude me for a number of years though. I have heard the samples on iuke. The admin is actually a member on discogs.com and posts there occasionally. Perhaps I should ask him if he would be willing to rip the album. I have a feeling he might not want to since it could discourage people from purchasing the album from his site. You mentioned that you can't make a rip "at the moment". Does that mean that you have the album and might be able to eventually? Again, thank you for taking the time to comment. I hope to hear back from you soon.
ReplyDeleteZero, check my blog for a surprise...
ReplyDeletehttp://dispokino.blogspot.com
@Dispo: You have no idea how thankful I am to see that post. I didn't expect you to rip it so soon, but I am certainly thankful and very appreciative that you did. That honestly made my day, hell, it made my entire week. I can't wait to listen to it! I left you a more suitable comment on your own blog, but I just wanted to say thank you once again. Take care my friend.
ReplyDelete@Zero: You're welcome! I liked the Roger Roger and Umiliani albums I got from your blog so much that I wanted to give something back.
ReplyDelete@everyone: Get Camille Sauvage's 7 Drums Concerto here.