Art Zoyd - Generation Sans Futur

[Kcrimso]

This is great album. La Ville especially is a fantastic piece of music.

[Kai]

I'm one of those people who counts Häxan as one of Art Zoyd's best works. Probably because I like the electronic minimalism of this, and to a degree of Nosferatu, better than the acoustic attack of the first two albums, even though both contain great musical moments. Generation sans futur tops those earlier works, and on Phase IV the introduction of electronics is a huge improvement, starting a fusion which reaches its zenith with La mariage du ciel et de l'enfer, the group's finest work, IMO.

Les espaces inquiets is the odd one between the two, somehow sparser and less visceral than its successor, though it is quite good an album. I suppose Berlin stands apart from the crowd, too, being another transition towards more electronic sound and not that succesful, IMO.

I haven't heard anywhere near everything after Häxan, but it seems that their high tide has passed. On u.B.I.Q.U.e the minimalism is far too dry to be engaging, and Metropolis only strikes fire at places.

As I'm not an expert of RIO/avant and not necessarily a biggest fan of many of the groups lumped under that rubric, I'm not going to recommend any single work for a beginner. My tastes are far from being align with the average opinion on Gnosis, for example. But I think Art Zoyd are a great band, and there is a good chance that you'll love whichever album you choose. Or at least hate its guts!

[Scrotum Scissor]

Does that include Berlin? Others have said the first five or six, which doesn't include Berlin

For me, Berlin was their last truly great album. But, as others have mentioned here, it's an untypical one - not only due to the amount of vocals, but because of its overall conceptual foundation. Granted AZ - who were for the most part educated musicians with major funding for their projects - had done grand stage concepts before (Le Mariage was composed for and commissioned by none other than renowned French ballet choreographer, director and producer Roland Petit), but Berlin was all their own work yet still had that overt theatrical aim to it. I remember playing this to a friend of mine sometime in the early 90s who was a huge fan of Laibach, Neubauten et al., and he remained calm and quiet for a long while before uttering something like "And here was I thinking ME to be the one with the fucked-up music preferance".

[Zeuhlmate]

One more toot for Marathonnerre - Thierry Zaboitzeff is still with them (Is he the 'Brian Jones' of AZ?)

[chalkpie]

Oddly enough, this is a band I haven't fully got on board yet, which is odd since I love classical/chamber especially 20th century so much. Maybe its the drummer who missed the bus and didn't show up? Dunno.

So, here it is, hit me with your 3 favorite Zoydian desert-island tracks, and I will go in again with a fully open mind and see if I can get on board. Danke.

[Zeuhlmate]

In this clip you have Daniel Denis on drumkit - Univers Zero & Art Zoyd live at the "Jazz Pulsation Festival" (1980)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hd9M71DGtI

[zravkapt]

So, here it is, hit me with your 3 favorite Zoydian desert-island tracks

Migrations
Generation sans futur
Masques

[selfextraction]

Re: Their discography. IMO everything they did up to Berlin is great. Next to that run, Faust and Haxan are also great albums. Again IMO, they became less interesting and enjoyable after Zaboitzeff left after Haxan.

Pretty much agree with this.

Regarding Haxan. Gerard's track (basically side 1) is where he began to get interested in really "cold" sounding music which kind of pointed the direction to where AZ went after and still is at (in my opinion, of course). The second half of Haxan is all Zaboitzeff and I think it's pretty great.

[Prehensile Pencil]

Frankie:

Musique Pour L'Odyssée (1979)
Le Mariage Du Ciel Et De L'Enfer (1985)

[Udi Koomran]

Frankie do not miss Phase IV

[mellotron storm]

I guess i'm one of the few that rates Le Mariage Du Ciel Et De L'enfer very highly, probably in my top three with Geration Sans Futur and my favourite Haxan.

[remoraes]

I will cheat, because I am choosing 4, but I will tell why

I will pick 2 from Generations Sans Futur

Generations Sans Futur and Diverstissement, as they make 2 extremes, most variation, going from beuty to intense explosion and freedom going to a few minutes of pure beuty!

Migrations - a perfect mix of acoustiv and electronic

Sleep No More - one of the best eletronic compositions

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I'm the strange one that prefers mid period Zoyd (Let's say...Le Mariage... to Haxen) more than early period AZ. I also prefer the original recording of Symphonie Pour... so I must really be fucked in the head.

[Udi Koomran]

I also prefer the original recording of Symphonie
That bone dry mix
that bass
the vibe

[saulgoodman]

I also prefer the original recording of Symphonie
That bone dry mix
that bass
the vibe

Was the reissue on SubRosa from a few years back-the original or re-recorded version?

[chalkpie]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I've been hitting Phase IV and making some headway, although I'm not blown away by any means. This music is like a really good dish but no salt. I will elaborate later on.