AURORA

Soft, tender, but also hypnotic and depths of mind touching are the words which appeared before my eyes when I listen this. But after a while, it all sounds like first track. If you're one of those lucky guys, who knows Czech Avant scene (and also RIO, but opposition here is against government), to be exact - The Plastic People of the Universe, you know what I'm talking about when I say that this reminds me their album, Pašijové hry velikonoční (or Passion Play). But when I then gave 4 stars and was totally stunned, now I don't know what to think about it.

I can't say that I'm pleased. When someone say that red square in bigger blue square is art perfection, that there can't be nothing else, then I can nod him and think to myself that he's crazy, or I can argue with him. He can be even so keen on this idea that he would be willing to sacrifice few thousands dollars to buy this "thing". Same situation is here. Or maybe I'm wrong and he's right. Someone can see 5 star worthy album here and if he'll give good reasons, he's right. I like complex and pleasant things at once if possible. I have not so big problems with weird, avant-garde, or progressive things. Problems yes, because everything new is bigger or lesser problem at first try. But I can't see nothing good here. It's so empty for me, so boring and music-free that I can't give anything else than

2(-), because it don't bring me bad feelings. It's listenable, but there's nothing to listen. However, as I said, it's no offensive, or ugly music. Just plain.

I approached this album without expectations, and welcomed its mysterious and dreamy flowing aural characteristics most warmly. Both melodic patterns and dramatic evolvements stood the test of pure listening enjoyment for me. The ancient raw style has evidently been influenced by traditional tribal music. Primitiveness of the flute scales, foreignness of the lunatic wailings and furiousness of the drumming are united as interesting artistic entity. Chêne Noir approaches musical expression interestingly within 70's art rock sound context, but refrains producing anything relating to blues rock form nor its ideology. The album is slightly similar to "Machbeth" by Third Ear Band, another ancient oriented stage music recording from the same era. Hollow calls, flute melody theme and distant drums present calmly the opening scene, upon where the lady narrator appears to recite. Then the record gains unrest in wave-formed hypnotic curves. The "death sequence" begins with a promising static wall of sound, relieving tension beautifully losing control; The lady vocalist followed by the faithful band head to the pit of Thanatos in a blissful cacophony. After the catharsis is successfully reached, the performance calms to some human whistles. These are strengthened by ghastly chants, voices, low pitched drums and wildly spinning pipe, leading the cosmic libretto forward and containing a very funny aural hidden missile in it. Later a very calm and quiet ambience pulses quietly in the infinite hallways lit by the glow of lost souls, lurking horrors get revealed and escalating signals leads back the melody theme of horns. The last moments of this album are not as interesting as the beginning, as the musical ideas run little looser without so evident logics, and the thin scale of musical elements start to be quite much used. But the start and middle parts are here quite nice mood creation in my opinion.

It would be fun to be able to see the original stage production and study the lyrics, but even with this level of documentation and comprehension ability one can associate the psychic experience of this record by personal subjective imagination. So this is a quite sympathetic recording, pleasant in its scan of lower levels of life's functions, which might be the breeding ground for the higher functions, and thus a basis of life experience. I would consider this as recommendable background music for pagan ritual imitations and solitary contemplation. I am yet at the beginning of learning the 60's/70's psychedelic and avant-garde music scene of France, but along with this record and the albums of Catherine Ribeiro & Alpes I'm motivated to proceed.