FOETUS

POTEMKINE formed in Toulouse, France early in 1971 and started like many bands simply playing covers of English rock bands like The Rolling Stones and Deep Purple. Initiated by brothers Charles and Gilles Goubin, together the two acquired a taste for the jazz rock and fusion explorations of bands like the Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Miles Davis but residing in France was also exposed to the underground sensation Magma who brought the wild world of zeuhl into existence. After many years of stumbling around eventually POTEMKINE found a true band formation with brother Philippe Goubin joining in on drums and bassist / vocalist Dominque Dubuisson also added. With the addition of violinist Xavier Vidal, the first lineup was complete and the two-track debut EP emerged in 1974.

It took two more years but the band pushed ahead and recorded its first full-length FOETUS in 1976 on lauded Pole Records better known for its wild French take on progressive electronic than jazz rock but nevertheless the release of the album found the band finding larger playing venues and exposure courtesy of the brilliant Tartempion non-profit which organized concerts. Delivering a much mellower style of jazz rock fusion with zeuhl rhythms and wordless vocals, FOETUS seamlessly melded the placidity of the Weather Report with the more French sounding zeuhl sounds of Zao only with a more robust flow of diverse cadences and musical motifs that were occasional punctuated with a bit of guitar heft for contrast. The Jannick Top style fretless bass slides gave it a distinct zeuhl flavor as do the scattered vocal appearances.

More jazz rock oriented than zeuhl, FOETUS showcases a dreamy procession of jazz-fueled workouts with scat vocals adding an extra element of support. The music mostly drifts on in slo-mo but occasional outbursts add some spice. Despite the jazzy chord progressions and nods towards varying fusionists, POTEMKINE featured no horn section or wind instruments with the bass, drums and keyboards seeing the most action. The violin creeps in from time to time for assistance in the spicing it up department and the same with the guitar so mostly FOETUS features sparse instrumentation and tends to engage in repetitive grooves that don't offer as much diversity or contrast as one would expect from anything remotely tucked into the zeuhl category. The track "Cedille" sounds more like a classical piano recital with no other instrumentation to be heard. Remote references to England's Canterbury Scene are on the fringe but never really heads in that direction.

Overall FOETUS is a bit too tame for my liking as the entire affair seems like the band as only getting its footing in its new chosen style of operation. The compositions are particularly weak and the use of the violin seems like wasted potential. While the pianist clearly showcases a competency level worthy of a the prog rock status, the rest of the musicians don't seem on top of their game. While the band hints at zeuhl it never really goes there either. It's more of a traditional and rather bland display of underwhelming jazz fusion that sounds neither cohesive nor particularly well crafted. It's not a horrible listening experience by any means but in category of progressive music that was cranking out some of the most exhilarating musical acts of all time, POTEMKINE's debut seems a bit lackluster in comparison. The only track that really gets my juices flowing is the two minute finale "Cycles." OK album but not great.