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Thread: The School of ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk

  1. #1

    The School of ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk

    I picked up Scrotum Scissor's idea :
    This whole school of ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk deserves its own thread.
    Music to lighten up a spirit.
    Conventum, L'Ensemble Rayé, Nimal, Die Knödel, Von Zamla, Archimedes Badkar, Hamster Theatre, Begnagrad, Aparecidos,
    This whole school of ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk deserves its own thread.

  2. #2
    Ha! Yeah.

    I suppose Hollmer/Samla/Zamla were originators somehow, together with certain untraditional and/or unconventional channellings of various ethnic folk forms as found with Albert Marcoeur, Pascal Comelade, the Art Bears and so on. I believe my personal first in truly experiencing a kind of revelation on encountering such stuff was when I got Même en Hiver/Comme un Pinson Dans L'Eau by L'Ensemble Rayé back in the early 90s. It totally altered my view on the sheer worth of originality in contemporary "progressive" music, and on how it is perfectly possible for the intelligently idiosyncratic and near-surreal to also be accessible as heckers. What was even more inviting about the concept was the fact that it tended to be created by small-format units (often two to three musicians), as opposed to heavy "chamber-rock" ensembles. Unlike examples of the latter, whom I still love, the expression of most "avant-chamber-folk" groups was uplifting, humbly burlesque and essentially joyful. So Yeah, for those of us who never dwelled too far into the beyonds of jazz or academic new musics, this is a thing to bring along into old age.


    Last edited by Scrotum Scissor; 11-16-2017 at 11:29 AM.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  3. #3
    For me it all starts with this
    this album is a sort of a blueprint for ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk

  4. #4

  5. #5

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor
    I believe my personal first in truly experiencing a kind of revelation on encountering such stuff was when I got Même en Hiver/Comme un Pinson Dans L'Eau by L'Ensemble Rayé back in the early 90s. It totally altered my view on the sheer worth of originality in contemporary "progressive" music, and on how it is perfectly possible for the intelligently idiosyncratic and near-surreal to also be accessible as heckers. What was even more inviting about the concept was the fact that it tended to be created by small-format units (often two to three musicians), as opposed to heavy "chamber-rock" ensembles.
    Still a Gnosis 15 for me, and one of the desert island records. This one is so warm and friendly, yet so clever and often complex, it's hard to believe such a combination is at all possible. I enjoy the entire Debile Menthol / Nimal / L'Ensemble Raye axis of bands, but Meme en Hiver is just sublime and perhaps the best thing these guys have ever done, although a few subsequent albums by L'Ensemble Raye are excellent too. It came out on AYAA label, by the way, which is worth exploring even in the context of this thread, with bands like Look de Bouk or Toupidek Limonade often venturing in the same realms.

    Quote Originally Posted by Udi Koomran
    For me it all starts with this
    this album is a sort of a blueprint for ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk
    Great call too. It's usually Un Peu de l'Ame des Bandits that gets most of the praises, but as good as it was, I always had a soft spot for Aksak Maboul's debut. Achieving maximal results with minimal means – that's what Onze Dances is about for me.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Levgan View Post
    I always had a soft spot for Aksak Maboul's debut. Achieving maximal results with minimal means – that's what Onze Dances is about for me.
    Oh, completely. But I only discovered this one many years down the line from getting the second (Aqsak) record, thus not really associating the band with much else but the monster epic which is "Cinema". Still, I got Onze Dances on vinyl here in town a couple of years back, as elaborately documented: http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...highlight=Oslo And so I concur; one of the very earliest takes on this idea.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  8. #8
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    This whole school of ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk deserves its own thread. Perhaps this should be it?
    No!
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  9. #9
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    I like all the bands mentioned so far. That's because I'm jolly folk.
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

  10. #10
    Member viukkis's Avatar
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    Ultra-quirky avant-progressive jolly folk? I guess that finally settles how to describe the music of Alamaailman Vasarat.


  11. #11
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    Great thread. Great recommendations. Can't wait to dive into some of this stuff. This is why I come to PE!

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    Member moecurlythanu's Avatar
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    Guys...Can't we wait til we're a little closer to Christmas before we break out the jolly?

  13. #13
    Ooh! - that Aksak Maboul track that Udi posted above is brilliant!

    If you don't mind, I'll just hang around here for a bit, & listen in...

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by malgeo View Post
    Great thread. Great recommendations. Can't wait to dive into some of this stuff. This is why I come to PE!
    +1. and since it's another throwback thursday today …


  15. #15
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Maybe neither of these is jolly enough?




  16. #16
    ...well, well, well...

    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  17. #17
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by moecurlythanu View Post
    Guys...Can't we wait til we're a little closer to Christmas before we break out the jolly?
    I just saw Egg Nog in the supermarket, so... (who buys egg nog before Thanksgiving?)

  18. #18
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    From Ecuador,1980.The group is Amauta.Starts off rather conventional but gets.......quirky.

    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  19. #19
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    You guys might as well be speaking Bulgarian. (Besides Fred Frith) I don't know any of these artists.

    More homework. I hate you all.

    Thanks a lot.

    The Prog Corner

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by miamiscot View Post
    You guys might as well be speaking Bulgarian. (Besides Fred Frith) I don't know any of these artists.

    More homework. I hate you all.

    Thanks a lot.

    +1

  21. #21
    This is my kinda thread.

    I guess Alec K Redfearn isn't jolly enough?

  22. #22
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    These are always the first guys I think of with this kind of stuff

    Ian

    Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
    https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/

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  23. #23
    Member Mascodagama's Avatar
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    Stormy Six must be among the early practitioners of this particular strand - in particular on Cliché, L'Apprendista, and Macchina Maccheronica.





    Last edited by Mascodagama; 11-16-2017 at 10:10 AM.
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  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Mascodagama View Post
    Stormy Six must be among the early practitioners of this particular strand - in particular on Cliché, L'Apprendista, and Macchina Maccheronica.
    Well, there's at least some trace of it. But overall I find especially Macchina a much too grindingly and militantly radical record to really fit the tag, particularly seeing how it was also a very jarringly electric sound at play there. Cliché probably had more of it though, while L'Apprendista was where their full-on contemplations on GGiant-like folky progressive came to fruitition.

    Interestingly, Tommaso Leddi's visions for Stormy Six were indeed more in line with what we're dealing in here; at least judged on the Uova Fatali release where Yugen play his material exclusively (i.e. stuff originally composed for SSix anno 1980). That's a most excellent yet for some reason almost totally overlooked work.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

  25. #25
    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kavus Torabi View Post
    This is my kinda thread.

    I guess Alec K Redfearn isn't jolly enough?
    Not lyrically!
    Steve F.

    www.waysidemusic.com
    www.cuneiformrecords.com

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    “Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin

    Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]

    "Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"

    please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.

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