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I Volapuk sono un trio francese di clarinetto, violoncello e batteria, il cui
Le Feu Du Tigre (Cuneiform, 1995)
oscilla fra partiture "stravinskyane" (come la title-track,
Bach Is Back e Chandelle Verte), fanfare clownesche (come We Can e El
Sombrero), piece dadaiste (come Des Objects De La Plus Grande Importance) e temi di latin
jazz (La 7e Nuit).
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French progressive-rock is alive and well. Volapuk is a trio of clarinet,
cello and percussion that draws liberally from Frank Zappa's orchestral scores,
Stravinsky's fauve ballet, minimalist techniques, Canterbury jazz-rock, chamber
jazz, and crowns it all with bits of circus music.
On their debut Le Feu Du Tigre (Cuneiform, 1995),
the instrumental pieces, which are essentially fanfares of different
magnitude, work a lot better than the songs. What gives credibility to the
compositions is essentially the muscular infrastructure of their arrangements.
As simple and ordered as the melodic themes may sound, they are soaked in
classy gestures from a trio of seasoned improvisers.
The more ambitious the style, the more welcome and refreshing a sense of humour
is. Funny tempos rule. Counterpoint is comically perfect. Solos are lively
and crazy.
Parodies of classical and popular music abound.
Stravinsky turns into a clown in the title-track,
Bach Is Back and Chandelle Verte.
Circus fanfares erupt unashamed (We Can and El Sombrero).
Dada's philosophy permeates surreal suites such as
Des Objects De La Plus Grande Importance.
Coca Cola creates a hybrid of the Fugs and the Art Bears.
A touch of latin jazz (La 7e Nuit) dispels any lingering doubts that
these are serious musicians.
For those into more avantgarde endeavours, this progressive sound may come
through as a little too traditional, but the sheer elegance of the project
is guaranteed to win all hearts.
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Con Slang (Cuneiform, 1997)
la musica strumentale dei Volapuk eguaglia e forse
sorpassa quelle dei loro antenati transalpini (Art Zoyd, Universe Zero) sia
in fatto di composizione sia in fatto di esecuzione. Siamo ormai al limite
della musica classica piu` forbita, anche se questa e` orchestrata soltanto
per violoncello (Guillaume Saurel), clarinetto (Michel Mandel) e percussioni.
Il rock strumentale dei Volapuk si discosta dal genere di progressive-rock
classicheggiante che e` la tradizione della Francia. I loro temi ricordano
un'Art Ensemble Of Chicago senza il jazz, o un Lol Coxhill senza la banda,
o il Fred Frith di Speechless senza la chitarra.
Sono esperimenti curiosi e spesso divertenti sul modo di organizzare le note.
In questo disco il trio eccelle soprattutto nelle nervose partiture da camera
al confine fra Penguin Cafe` Orchestra e Michael Nyman,
talvolta (Dunaj) sorrette dalla ritmica piu` bislacca (un frenetico tip tap,
droni di didgeridu e acrobazie della batteria), talaltra (Taragot) imbastite
stravolgendo rondo` settecenteschi e adagi barocchi, o ancora
(Les Enfants De La Guerre) abusando melodie da bistro` intrise di spleen.
Gran parte del loro repertorio ha il piglio del teatro dell'assurdo. Apici
comici sono la musica per marionette di 2.3.4. e la musica per carovana araba
di Machine A Coudre.
Il loro semi-minimalismo buontempone si regge sui duetti fra violoncello e
clarinetto, ora petulanti ora clowneschi, ora cervellotici ora fanfaroni,
e sulle spettacolari invenzioni ritmiche.
Come precedente, il disco e` frammentato (altro fatto che li accomuna a Frith),
e molti dei quindici pezzi sono soltanto degli spunti a seguire, che il gruppo
rifiuta rigorosamente di seguire, secondo i piu` ortodossi canoni del dadaismo.
Il batterista Guigou Chevenier (ex Etron Fou Leloublan e titolare anche
dei Les Batteries con Rick Brown dei Run On)
ruba spesso la scena ai compari.
La sua statura di compositore e` garantita da piece come L'Esqulve Est
Superleure A L'Attaque, tanto sgrammaticata quanto il titolo, dalla quale
e` assente proprio la batteria.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da xxx) Se sei interessato a tradurre questo testo, contattami
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Guigou Chevenier's first solo album, Arthur Et Les Robots, was
released when he was still with Etron Fou.
Les Rumeurs De La Ville (Cuneiform, 1998) is actually performed
by Volapuk and friends but overdubbed with street musicians.
Chevenier also composed the stage music for Le Diapason Du Pere Ubu.
Volapuk's line-up of cello, clarinet, drums and now even violin
(Takumi Fukushima, ex After Dinner in Japan, now an Italian resident and
performer with French and Czech ensembles)
released its most cohesive work so far with Polyglot (Cuneiform, 2000).
What sounded like experiments now sound like classical compositions,
coldly structured but warmly conducted.
Vieux Futur mixes expressionist chamber music, eastern European folklore
and Zappa's orchestral Burnt Weeny Sandwich.
The combo's imagination flies out to ethnic and medieval fairs with
Nusrat and is herded towards Michael Nyman's minimalist laboratory
with Des Liens Invisibles.
Throw in a little Stravinsky and Ravel, as most of these pieces
(particularly the dramatic Tante Yo)
could easily evolve into fauve ballets.
Furthermore, Chevenier's proverbial sense of humour has developed into a
compositional element of its own, that surfaces in countless nods to
farcical vaudeville music, two of which stand out: the superbly nostalgic
Valse Chinoise (with a nuance of the Bonzo Band's wit)
and especially Technovo, their funniest and catchiest composition yet,
that sounds like a frenzied version of the Penguin Cafe` Orchestra.
As Chevenier's combo increases the emphasis on the orchestral and downplays
the rock band, his work does resemble more and more closely the work of
Simon Jeffes with the Penguin Cafe` Orchestra.
Chevenier conducts masterly, highlighting the dramatic tension between
percussions and string instruments.
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