AUVERGNICATION

France has been killin' it in the last decade or so regarding nerdy avant-prog with a zaniness and whimsy not heard since the Frank Zappa years. The imp prog trio ULTRA ZOOK from Clemont-Ferrand has been around for over a decade and has so far released three whacked out EPs and now with its second full-length AUVERGNICATION, another slice of whacky fun prog that exists in its own little world of its making.

This trio consists of Ben Bardiaux (keyboards, vocals), Remi Faraut (drums, vocals) and Manu Siachoua (flute, vocals) and you will notice that there are no guitars to be heard. The main instrument here is the keyboards accompanied by nothing more than drums and a flute. The main emphasis is on the multi-vocal parts and in the case of this album is performed exclusively in the French language. This album features 9 tracks at 38 1/2 minutes.

On AUVERGNICATION this whacky bunch mines the traditional sounds of Auvergne, the region of France where the band originates. It wouldn't be ULTRA ZOOK if there wasn't some loopy twist though and that is that this album incorporates the traditional folk melodies into a strange avant-prog tinged dance music called the zumba which has become a popular fitness program dancing! The result is a bizarre yet playful mix of humorous complexity reminding at least in attitude of the classic Canterbury jazz bands.

There a quirky zolo-esque jitteriness to the rhythmic displays here. Lots of stop / start rhythms only teased out into a bonafide danceability and a crazier than usual syncopation between the keys and drums. Come to think of it there's no bass either. The whole thing sounds like a homemade affair what one could call bedroom prog yet there's something very endearing about the sophistication of the time signature subtleties and compositional fortitude. It sounds like a group of genius kids just letting loose and having fun.

The energetic display is something like Mr Bungle's first album only not as all-encompassing. This one has a very sparse sound due to the instrument limitation but it also showcases the band's talent in that it has to make things interesting despite these very limitations. The highlight is the intricate avant-harmonies of the vocalists who rotate between separate vocal parts and those in sync. The whole thing is extremely fun and sounds like absolutely nothing else i've ever heard although it's clearly from the demented world of ULTRA ZOOK.

The album cover is absolutely a perfect representation of what you get here. Imagine yourself as the Michelon Man having a little restful afternoon in the countryside with a smiling cow at your side while a nearby volcano erupts and what comes out is some of the zaniest and whimsical music to be heard. I can think of a million reasons why most proggers will hate this but if you are an open-minded aficionado of unorthodox out-of-the-box music that is really, REALLY weird than this latest release by ULTRA ZOOK will be right up your alley!