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SCHNÖRGL ATTAHK

Camembert

Jazz Rock/Fusion


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Camembert Schnörgl Attahk album cover
3.88 | 58 ratings | 5 reviews | 28% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2011

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Infinicheese (1:35)
2. Clacos Zero (0:35)
3. Untung Untungan (11:13)
4. Clacos 1: Notre Mêre à Tous (1:58)
5. El Ruotuav Ed Sram (8:16)
6. Clacos 2: Die Experimente Von Dr F Frankenschnörgl (0:48)
7. Le Meurtrier Volant (9:01)
- La Danse du Chameau (17:51) :
8. Batifolade (5:29)
9. Soif! (1:17)
10. La Tempête De Sable (4:51)
11. Rêveries Lubriques Sous Une Dune (1:09)
12. The Final Run (5:01)

Total time 51:13

Line-up / Musicians

- Vincent Sexauer / electric guitar
- Bertrand Eber / trumpet, didgeridoo (4), cowbell (7,8), voices (3,6-8), whistle (3)
- Fabrice Toussaint / tenor trombone, xybraphone, congas, tam-tam, triangle, percussion
- Guillaume Gravelin / harp
- Pierre Wawrzyniak / bass, acoustic guitar (4), voices (6,8)
- Philémon Walter / drums

With:
- Francesco Zago / electric guitar (3)
- Julien Travelletti / bass trombone (3,5,7,8), tuba (7)

Releases information

Artwork: Paolo Botta

CD AltrOck ‎- ALT 022 (2011, Italy)

Digital album - bandcamp

Thanks to alucard for the addition
and to NotAProghead for the last updates
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CAMEMBERT Schnörgl Attahk ratings distribution


3.88
(58 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(28%)
28%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(40%)
40%
Good, but non-essential (26%)
26%
Collectors/fans only (7%)
7%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

CAMEMBERT Schnörgl Attahk reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Wow! AltrOck Productions just can't miss! Yugen, Ciccada, SKE, Kurai, and now Camembert! Music is alive and well, people! And with great production all around! Refreshing, mesmerizing and, in the case of Schnörgl Attahk, humorous and upbeat. Horns, harps and tuned percussion all jamming with and off of one another! This is one group I want to see live! Haven't been back to Strasbourg since 1979 but, who knows? Maybe in the next couple of years?!

The transitional songs ("Clacos Zéro," Clacos 1" et "Clacos 2") are excellent (and often quite funny!) but the big monsters [e.g. "Untung Untungen" (10/10), "El ruotuav ed sraM" (10/10), et "Le meurtrier volant" (9/10)] are incroyable! I listen to "Untung" and "ruotuav" (Vulture from Mars) over and over and find my body and spirit reacting quite the same way I did upon first hearing MAGMA's MDK a few years ago: avec une danse joyeuse, sauvage et frénétique! It is wonderful! The pause at the halfway mark in "Untung" is so startling and such a letdown, yet it's so exciting when the music returns and builds and builds, jelling and spiraling its way in perfect collaboration up and then down to a stop--it's just like a rollercoaster ride! And one can just feel the morose Poe-like tension of "Le meurtrier."

Unfortunately, the 5-part suite which ends the album, entitled "La danse du Chameau" (7/10) doesn't succeed in conveying or evoking this same response. (Plodding like the camel for which it is named, the perfect harmony of "The Vulture of Mars" and "Le meurtrier volant" seems long past.) In the vein of its inspirateur, GONG, the band puts forth some jazzy jams, but, also like GONG, IMHO, the jamming seems a bit pointless--or ecstatic and masturbatory--depending on one's psycho-neuro-chemical state. For some reason, the band seems to have mostly abandoned the wonderful collective weaves of the amazing first 30 minutes of the album. Too bad. That was quite a ride!

4.5 stars rated up for its sheer freshness, enjoyability, and perfect sound production of its compositions.

Review by zravkapt
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars When a band from France calls itself Camembert and names an album Schnorgl Attahk (with the obligatory umlaut over the "o"), you are going to expect some influence from two of France's most important groups: Gong and Magma. Indeed the influences of both are all over the place here, along with a strong Zappa influence as well. The Magma influence is most notable in the darker, moodier parts which usually have the rarely used wordless vocals. The Gong influence comes from both the spacey Daevid Allen lead Gong as well as the vibes-heavy Pierre Moerlen version of Gong. The Zappa influence is mainly from his mid-70s jazz-rock/hard rock hybrid era but also from his big band era just before that.

The sound of the music is jazzy and spacey and slightly Zeuhlish. In addition to the vibes there is also a lot of harp used on this album. The parts that sound the least like Zappa/Magma/Gong incorporate some acoustic guitar. The mastering of the album is sort of on the loud side but I doubt that is the fault of the members themselves who do a great job performing this music (but don't expect any drumming as good as Moerlen). There does not appear to be any keyboards here, just guitar / drums / bass / horns / vibes / harp. This is the groups first album, having released an EP previously. There are shorter interludes between the longer tracks on the album. Some of these interludes are the spaciest and most Zeuhl sounding parts of the album.

The album opens with "Infinicheese" (ha!), a spacey intro which has some creepy Zeuhl like vocals. "Untung Untungan" is the first major song which sounds like a mix of Zappa and post-Allen Gong. Goes into a Zappa style reggae vamp near the end. "El Ruotuav Ed Sram" is more Zappa and Gong inspired jazz-rock. Some slap-bass in this track. Gets dissonant before getting louder at the end. "Le Meurtrier Volant" starts out on a darker Magma note. Gets more Zappa in serious instrumental mode. A slow-paced blues-rock groove in the middle. Nice chorused guitar during the second half, before it gets louder and more intense.

The 5-part "La Danse du Chameau" closes the album. Part one "Batifolade" features some chanting. Musically it is a mix of jazzier Magma, fusion Gong and Zappa's horns. Some Santana style percussion later on. Part three "La Tempete De Sable" starts off sounding unique: some kind of avant-jazz-rock. Then it gets more Zappa sounding. Towards the end is slightly Magma sounding before it switches to a laid-back groove. Part five "The Final Run" starts off like a cross between Magma and Santana then switches to more of a Zeuhl groove with a harp solo. During the secong half it gets more festive and Latin American sounding.

Being a big fan of Zappa, Magma and Gong I would rather listen to those three than this. For those of you interested in what a combination of the three would sound like, this would be right up your alley. It's an enjoyable and fairly consistent album but it wears it's influences on it's sleeve. The use of harp and acoustic guitar stands out and is a nice touch. Not one of the best releases of the year but nowhere near the worst. I give this a 3.5 but will round it down to 3 stars.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars With a name like CAMEMBERT and the fact that they are from France you know GONG has to be an influence. I would say Frank Zappa comes across as even more of an influence when I listen to this. Lots of vibes and xylophone while the guitar brings Frank to mind at times. I mean some of these passages really come across as a homage to Frank's music. MAGMA is also an influence as we get a few passages that are clearly Zeuhl inspired. Besides the usual instruments and the ones I've mentioned already we get harp, trumpet, didgeridoo, tuba, bass trombone, tenor trombone and congas.

They are on the Altrock label and some Italians from that label help out as we get Zago from YUGEN adding guitar on one track along with two guys from SKE helping out. This was three years in the making and the reason I've been spinning this all week is because they have just recently released a brand new album called "Negative Toe" which is getting some rave reviews already. Man what a wacky science fiction concept this is even though this is an instrumental album. I can see how GONG inspired such a story(haha). A pretty cool story at that and other reviewers have touched on the concept.

"Infinicheese" is haunting and dark and headphones are a must in this experimental soundscape. Love this stuff as sounds start to pulse loudly as different sounds come and go. It blends into "Clacos Zero" where the same sound continues. Horns blast in a powerful way to end it.

It's almost funny the way it goes from this serious soundscape to all these vibes, xylophones and percussions with horns taking over on "Untung Untungan 2.0". Very Zappa like even the horns. Powerful and punchy sounds befoe it settles with bass before 2 minutes and builds. So good! Great sound 3 1/2 minutes in as it turns somewhat jazzy with electric piano, a beat and bass. Soon the horns come in blasting over top. A calm just before 6 minutes with picked guitar and harp as the bass and drums join in. It's building. Love those horns just before 7 minutes. A change to a strong Zappa vibe just before 9 minutes. It turns powerful just as it ends.

"Clacos 1: Notre Mere A Tous" features sounds that echo and this fits in well with those two short intro tracks as we get lots of atmosphere. Some picked guitar and horns late in this interesting soundscape. "El Ruotuav Ed Sram" is mellow with guitar and cymbals before we get a full sound rather quickly with horns, vibes and more. This really sounds like Zappa around 4 1/2 minutes. A calm before 6 minutes. It's building after 7 minutes. I'm so impressed with all of this. "Clacos 2: Die Experimente Von Dr. Frankenschnrgl" has these dramatic sounds and mad laughter like out of a movie, lots of horns too.

"Le Meurtrior Volant" starts off dramatically with a nod to Zeuhl. Dark with powerful outbursts and electric piano. Nice. The Zappa vibe takes over before 1 1/2 minutes but then it settles into a haunting mood with sounds coming and going. There's that Zappa sound again as contrasts continue. A lazy guitar solo arrives before 4 minutes surprisingly. It ends around 5 minutes. I like when it settles right down with sparse sounds as it drifts along with harp, drums and more. Horns arrive after 7 1/2 minutes blasting then an almost silent calm takes over around 8 minutes. More harp too then it kicks back in with a heavy rhythm. Nice.

Next is the closing four piece suite called "La Danse Du Chameau" and the first part is called "Batifolade". Uptempo guitar melodies to start but they are blown away by this Zeuhl army marching into battle. Horns just before a minute as the march continues. It will end at 1 1/2 minutes as the tempo picks up with horns over top. Check out the guitar before 3 minutes that will continue to the end as it goes on and on.

"Soif!" has these dramatic outbursts that come and go. Horns start to blast as discordant piano joins in this avant soundscape. "La Tempete De Sable" opens with punchy sounds as it builds. I like that guitar. Horns eventually join in as well as those punchy sounds continue. It's more powerful around 2 1/2 minutes and the guitar sounds even better. The song starts to wind down before 3 1/2 minutes. Nice ending.

"Reveries Lubriques Sous Une Dune" has sparse guitar, a bass line and harp before that Zeuhl army arrives. It all stops late but for the bass line and guitar. Soon it's powerful to end it. "The Final Run" has guitar just like the previous section with powerful and dark atmospheres. Outbursts of power follow with percussion. Soon it picks up with a great sounding rhythm. Love the drums, percussion and bass with harp over top. It settles right down with percussion before 2 1/2 minutes. Soon horns and more join in. It turns more upbeat around 3 minutes. Some brief Zeuhl vocals before 4 1/2 minutes signals a change as it calms right down with a horn and a light beat to end it.

A must for those into adventerous music, I can only imagine how good the new one must be. Hopefully I will be able to let you know soon.

Latest members reviews

4 stars Great debut from French fusioneers Camembert. Obviously endebted in title to the pothead pixies, this album plays like an easy listening Frank Zappa record. Big Band riffs, xylophone runs, incessant tempo changes trademark the package. A fabulous record that's thrilling and easy listening a ... (read more)

Report this review (#1049024) | Posted by Suedevanshoe | Monday, September 30, 2013 | Review Permanlink

3 stars If you like bands such as GONG, MAGMA, FROGG CAFÈ, ZAMLA MAMMAZ MANNA and FRANK ZAPPA, certainly will appreciate the French band CAMEMBERT, bur in my opinion their first and only studio work " Schnoergl Attahk ". seems to me a type of tribute to all above mentioned bands, due to how strong is ... (read more)

Report this review (#600570) | Posted by maryes | Saturday, December 31, 2011 | Review Permanlink

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