[CP 073-173 CD] Françoise Barrière, Christian Clozier, Jacques Lejeune; Lettre À Une Demoiselle, Dichotomie, Petite Suite, D'Une Multitude En Fête, Cordes-ci, Cordes-ca, La Discordatura

2021 rédition combining both CP 073 & CP 173 into a single Double-Disc set, with the (new) addition of two extended, chronologically appropriate bonus pieces by Clozier & Barrière composed for the ceremony of the 1972 Munich Olympic Games (at the behest of Josef-Anton Riedl, no less) tacked onto the end of each disc, respectively; enjoy!

[CP 073) Well ... Mr. P.C. C.P. has clearly taken a peek at my “Holy Grail” list - in it, nestled amongst such unattainable classics as Karel Appel’s “Musique Barbare”, Paul Boisselet’s “Le Robot”, and Il Gruppo Nuova Consonanza’s ill-fated Cinevox-label album is the LP in question; a split release featuring a pair of pieces made at the tail-end of the 1960s at the GRM by Jacques Lejeune and Christian Clozier, respectively.

Released as part of EMI / Pathe Marconi’s mythical “Perspectives Musicales” series - parodied by Sonic Youth via their “SYR-Series” - this lovely Creel Pone reproduces by far the hardest-to-find title in a series known for being elusive to collectors of “Contemporary Music.”

Which isn’t to over-emphasize the scarcity of the object - this is one of the most “happening” sets of Musique Concrète in the entire INA-GRM canon. Lejeune’s killer “Petite Suite,” especially, rocks with its ruthless plundering of first the lone free-time hi-hat, then the entire drum-kitof a studio “Funk” drummer, interspersed with blasts of processed guitar & full-on Psych-rock. Coupled with the sparse electronics & plunderphonic choir of “D’Une Multitude en Fete” you certainly begin to get a sense of the sheer scope of Lejeune’s compositional vision.

Christian Clozier’s “Dichotomie” uses familiar elements from the Concrète lexicon - mutated / extended instrumental techniques & percussion, heavy use of phasing and tape-speed effects, tons of close-mic’ed / distorted sounds interspersed with distant, reverb-laden atmospheres - it’s the dense tapestry that makes the sparse "Llettre a une Demoiselle” seem so barren in comparison.

Once again - and for the last time in a few months; or so i’m told - this lovely Creel Pone edition puts an outststanding suite of hitherto unheralded Early Electronic genius into the hands / ears of enthusiasts whom most likely would never have even heard of this music. If you’re feeling “Blanche Neige” this will be right up your alley.

[CP 173] Reproduction of this 1972 split release on Pathé Marconi EMI by the GMEB - Groupe de musique expérimentale de Bourges - founders & wife-and-husband team of Françoise Barrière & Christian Clozier. This is the first issue of Barrière's work & only the second of Clozier's after the Perspectives Musicales "Lettre À Une Demoiselle / Dichotomie / Petite Suite / D'Une Multitude En Fête" split w/ Jacques Lejeune (Creel Pone #073).

Barrière's three-part "Cordes-Ci, Cordes-Ça" coats the A-side, electronically warping her Harpsichord stylings , Violin playing by Clozier, & contact-mic'ed Hurdy-Gurdy by the Swiss musician Rene Zosso - responsible for the fantastic Le Chante du Monde LP "Chante & Vielle" & the collaborative Harmonia Mundi duo LP with Anne Osnowycz, "Musique A Bourdon" from a decade later - into a master-stroke of Musique Concrète.

Similarly, Clozier's seven-part suite "La Discordatura" treats clipped solo & ensemble playing to studio processing ranging from subtle, almost imperceptible edits & pitch-extensions to full-bore re-synthesis & scatter. Along with "Lettre À Une Demoiselle" & "Dichotomie" this piece forms the center of his early work.