Aquaserge - Any news or updates?

[thedunno]

I am revisiting some Aquaserge albums. Right now I am listening to the debut Un &Deux ; so much better then I remembered.

I just realized their latest studio offering is already more then 4 years ago. Is there any news on these guys (and gals)? Are they still active?

[Scrotum Scissor]

^ Prolly active, considering their involvement with last year's wonderful Aksak Maboul-release.

France is presently battling more than one crisis, so there could be any number of reasons why there's no immediate news.

[chalkpie]

I am revisiting some Aquaserge albums. Right now I am listening to the debut Un &Deux ; so much better then I remembered.

I just realized their latest studio offering is already more then 4 years ago. Is there any news on these guys (and gals)? Are they still active?

Totally agree - I have really grown to dig all of their stuff, but A L'Amitié is still my absolute favorite. I am totally in for any gnu album. The Guerre EP was great pithy little bugger.

[Progatron]

I was just thinking this very thing the other day! Love this band, I think it was here that I first heard of them. I'm hoping in the next year or two we are treated to some tasty new stuff.

aquaserge cds.jpg

[chalkpie]

I was just thinking this very thing the other day! Love this band, I think it was here that I first heard of them. I'm hoping in the next year or two we are treated to some tasty new stuff.

aquaserge cds.jpg

Man, you really need to get some Aquaserge CD's - looking sparse there.

[thedunno]

Totally agree - I have really grown to dig all of their stuff, but A L'Amitié is still my absolute favorite. I am totally in for any gnu album. The Guerre EP was great pithy little bugger.

I just replayed all the studio albums and I agree A l'Amitie is the best, closely followed by Laisse ca Etre. I slightly prefer Un & Deux over Ce Tres Cher Serge.
My absolute favorite is the live album Dejas-Vous? I saw them live a couple of years back with an extended horn section and they were really really great. On the studio albums they can sometimes sound a bit 'clynical' but live it all comes alive.

[Kcrimso]

I like the live album lot. It is quite short however. Kind of odd. I wouldn't think they play only 45 minute long sets?

[alanterrill]

There was a little update video from Sept 2020 although you'd need to speak French to know what it was about:

[calyx]

They've been at work on a project for a couple of years that involve them working with outside composers, of more "contemporary" leanings if I understood right. That was what Audrey told me last time I saw them perform, in late 2019. They'd had a couple of workshops going to work on the music. (Update: This seems to what what the video just above is about. Sorry.)

There were a couple of gigs planned late in 2020 that consisted of them (in their "augmented" guise, i.e. added winds) teaming up with singer Jeanne Added, another favourite of mine (worked with John Greaves, Pierre de Bethmann etc., but more recently enjoyed big mainstream success, performing to thousands of people), but I'm not sure these even took place. Sounded interesting.

[thedunno]

The Guerre EP was great pithy little bugger.

I just played Guerre again. One of the best examples I know off that you can still do original and exiting things within the 3 minute song format.

[flytomars]

According to their website, they had a live show in December (not that long ago), I wonder if that happened?

[Naytheet]

cover.jpg
🇫🇷, 2014.
Hidden?/forgotten essential french band.
French lyrics, with rolled "r"s. Gorgeous obscure album from this band whose name litteraly means Aqua serge, punningly meaning what's my utility? or so.
#1 "À l'amitié" is a covered one (radio-formatted version being #11) which "aaaah" will let most of french speaking people wondering wtf-lol.
"À quoi sers-je", the phonetical band name, is pronounced in #2 Serge Singe. The first set of tracks is a delightful singer-led one, and the whole instrumental playing / whistling / arrangement is an astounding pleasant ensemble which sound arrangement will remind those from the 70s.

[polmico]

http://castthedice.org/?p=17590&fbcl...LKEhMHYQeabIn0

New album on the way. Viddy in link. Sometimes Facebook is good for something. Sometimes.

[polmico]

Viddy (now that I'm on a computer and not an tablet):

[Steve F.]

^^^^^^^

I thought that they were on a steady incline towards greater and greater things (I have followed them since their first EP), culminating in the incredible L’Amitie, which was THE album of the year for me.

I still like their work and own it all, but everything post L’Amitie has been a little bit of a letdown for me.

This feels / sounds really strong and I am hopeful again!!

[Trane]

Named after a Morton Feldman piece, The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge is also the title of a music theatre show, which they will perform in contemporary music festivals across Europe, including Art Musica in Brussels and Aujourd’hui Musiques in Perpignan.

I'll try to catch that, as it's sunday 27/11 (except that it's ARS Musica).


https://www.arsmusica.be/fr/events/aquaserge-eon/

[chalkpie]

Great cover. The original is even obscure by Varese standards, but here it is if you've never heard it. Brilliant choice too!

[Steve F.]

^^^^^

It sounded slightly familiar, which I dismissed as another senior moment; but now I know! Thanks for the I.D.

[chalkpie]

^^^^^

It sounded slightly familiar, which I dismissed as another senior moment; but now I know! Thanks for the I.D.

I had no idea this piece existed until I got the Chailly/Royal Concertgebouw Complete Varese set. I thought I knew all of EV's music (of which there is not a lot), but there it was. I definitely prefer the piano/voice version over the orchestral version, but that is kewl too.

Do we know if this is an album of covers or is the remainder all original? BTW Steve, I bought L'Amitie completely on your praise for it back then, and it is still one of the better avant-ish prog albums of the past whatever number of years for me, just an absolutely beautiful album that can challenge and yet can be quite accessible at the same time. So cheers!

[Steve F.]

^^^^^^^^^^

Thanks for the nice words!

[Mascodagama]

Do we know if this is an album of covers or is the remainder all original?

The BC page for the Varese track has this to say:

As for Aquaserge’s new album, it’s a very special project in which the band set themselves quite a challenge: drawing inspiration from four major, atypical figures in contemporary classical music from the mid-20th century (Ligeti, Scelsi, Varèse and Morton Feldman), in order to write & record an album which joyfully blurs boundaries between rock and what used to be called ‘serious music’.

Entitled The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge (the title is inspired by that of a Morton Feldman piece), the album will be released on October 15, as part of Made To Measure, Crammed Discs’ celebrated composers’ series, which is being reactivated in 2021 after a long slumber.

I’m quite excited for it. Considering the phrasing “write and record” I wonder if there is going to be something more than just covers. Then again the process of adapting / arranging some of this music could fairly be considered writing.

[Udi Koomran]

https://aquaserge.bandcamp.com/album...from=fanpub_fb

[Hunchentootz]

anything with Ligeti and Varese - yup. I'm there.

[Mascodagama]

Damn. I really wanna get this from Bandcamp, but shipping to the UK costs more than the CD. Joy of Brexit I guess. Buying it from Amazon UK almost halves the cost.

[Naytheet]

Damn. I really wanna get this from Bandcamp, but shipping to the UK costs more than the CD. Joy of Brexit I guess. Buying it from Amazon UK almost halves the cost.

I sent them a message on their fb page see if there's any other way to get it