LISA GERRARD (ABO #316)

LISA GERRARD
TO THOSE WHO CARE

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Lisa Gerrard (born April 12, 1961) is an Australian musician, singer and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with former music partner Brendan Perry.
Her career began in 1981 and she has been involved in a wide range of projects. Gerrard received a Golden Globe Award for the music score for film Gladiator, on which she collaborated with Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt. The movie also received an Academy Award nomination for best music score, but only Hans Zimmer was nominated. Both Gerrard and Badelt were deemed ineligible for the nomination. She also sings and is an instrumentalist for much of her work, most prolifically using the yangqin (a Chinese hammered dulcimer).
This baistophe, crafter by our collaborator Diod, displays both her solo works and collaborations for soundtracks and other projets. Enter the dream.

RIYL:
Dead Can Dance, Irfan, Loreena McKennit

STEVE REICH (ABO #288)

STEVE REICH
PHASING AND PULSE

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Following in the footsteps of La Monte Young and Terry Riley, composer Steve Reich is widely considered the third major pioneer of minimalism; credited as the innovator behind phasing -- a process whereby two tape loops lined up in unison gradually move out of phase with each other, ultimately coming back into sync -- his early experiments in tape manipulation also anticipated the emergence of hip-hop sampling by well over a decade.
Baistophe's new collaborator, Diod, came up with this compilation. Rather than a spectrum of Reich's long and adventurous career, it's a striking introduction to the man's work and a worthy addition for anyone who hasn't yet explored his universe.

RIYL:
Terry Riley, Philip Glass, John Cage

MAX RICHTER (ABO #270)

MAX RICHTER
THE RICHTER VARIATIONS

It was not an easy task to sum up Neo-Classical/Ambient composer Max Richter's five album on one 80 minutes compilation. Not that his music is very diverse, just that the whole must pay a real tribute to the man's art. I think I've managed to give a full spectrum of what he showed as of today: quality neo-classical that is equally influenced by Philip Glass, Brian Eno and Arvo Pärt. But Richter's emotional soundscapes are more than the sum of their parts and I hope you will realize it while listening to the Richter Variations. Enjoy.

My MAX RICHTER List
1 - The Blue Notebooks (2004)
2 - Memoryhouse (2002)
3 - Waltz With Bashir (2009)
4 - Songs from Before (2006)
5 - 24 Postcards in Full Colour (2008)

RIYL:
Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Brian Eno

KLAUS NOMI (ABO #240)

KLAUS NOMI
DO YOU NOMI?

This strange little man from Essen, Germany became somewhat of a cult idol after his tragic death in 1983. He was, back then, at the beginning of a promising career which was sadly interrupted by AIDS. Relocated on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, his falsetto voice, strange costumes, otherworldly aura all created a character which became a favourite of New York City's arty/new wave late 70s scene. It took him quite a long time to secure a record deal even after his spectacular appearance with David Bowie on Saturday Night Live but, when he finally did, success was there for him. Two albums were released while he was alive, the self-titled "Klaus Nomi" and "A Simple Man", both displaying Nomi's peculiar mix of new wave and operatic themes. One can wonder why a career that short deserved a "baistophe", the answer is quite simple: it just needed it. Whatsmore, the addition of 2008's "Za Bakdaz: The Unfinished Opera" (a collection of early demos) has provided a worthy addition to the tracklist. So, here it is, "Do You Nomi?", a 55 minutes long tribute to a great artist which left us too soon.

WILLIAM SHELLER (ABO #234)

WILLIAM SHELLER
UN HOMME HEUREUX

This could have been a greatest hits but that wouldn't have honored Sheller's work fairly. So, I chose to mix old & new, live and studio, bombastic and intimate. William's work is diverse and versatile enough so that 10 people would do 10 different tracklists while trying to achieve just the same goal: pay of worthy tribute to one of France's most talented artists.
From piano ballads to fierce rockers and preciously-crafted orchestral epics, Sheller, a classicaly trained musician, managed it all with wit and talent. Those 44 songs are my favourites of the artist's catalogue and make, in my humble opinion, a honest and entertaining introduction to
the man's work. Those who like The Beatles, XTC, The Moody Blues, early-Billy Joel or Elton John's early works should really check this one but, even if you're not a pop-addict, William has enough depths to move you (see "La Navale" or "Guernesey) or to rock your ass off ("Excalibur" and "Les Enfants Sauvages"). Plus, that French chanson "je ne sais quoi" definitely gives Sheller an edge, a "uniqueness" anglo-saxon artists don't really have, not in the way a cultured American/French Sheller does.
I guess all you have to do now is...Enjoy!
(this baistophe includes a 16 pages booklet with the lyrics of the songs)

My WILLIAM SHELLER Top 3
1 - Univers (1987)
2 - Ailleurs (1989)
3 - Les Machines Absurdes (2000)

My WILLIAM SHELLER Bottom 3
1 - Rock'n'Dollars (1976)
2 - Symphoman (1977)
3 - Nicolas (1980)

My WILLIAM SHELLER Live Top 3
1 - Olympiade (1995)
2 - Olympia 82 (1982)
3 - Sheller en Solitaire (1991)

SHOW ME YOUR DARK SIDE (VAC#021)

VARIOUS ARTISTS
SHOW ME YOUR DARK SIDE

I know I was waited for that part of the Pink Floyd cover project and I know no mistakes and no bad taste would be accepted. I know I can be hanged by the balls for that audacious artwork, but that made me so laugh!
However, everyone know that Dark Side Of The Moon is one of the most tributed albums. This is just another one... So many tributes to the Dark Side but a lot are forgettable: I have to mention an A capella version, a Jazz version, a Reggae version, a (good) bluegrass version, a lounge version, a female voices version, and many more as a version sung by children. It would have been so easy to make such a tribute, but the problem is, the more popular an album is the more stupid covers you find. And when it's not a stupid version, it's a so similar one that it does not have any interest (I first think of the Dream Theater version). So Dark Side, contrarily to what anyone would have expected, including me, was the most difficult PF tribute to compile. And even if I would not like difficulties, I also wanted the tacks to crossfade as the original ones do. Very uneasy for such different versions. But I made the crossfades and it seems to work out very fine for what could be the first side (until Money). After that, the tracks are so different from one another that you may feel uncomfortable with some transitions. I must apologize for it.

NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN (VAC #008)

MODEST MUSSORGSKY'S

NIGHT ON THE BALD MOUNTAIN

(original and cover versions)

Modest Mussorgsky's A Night On Bald Mountain has always been a favourite of mine. It's a powerful and lively musical evocation of a russian legend. It's also known for its use in Walt Disney's Fantasia animated film (1940). In addition to the Mussorgsky orchestral piece, I give you covers from bands ranging from 70's Electronica (Tomita) to Jazz (Bob James), Progressive Rock (Fireballet), Folk (The Pogues, for 1987's film "Straight to Hell"), Disco (David Shire, on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack), Progressive Thrash Metal (Mekong Delta) & Cinematic Synth Music (Manheim Steamroller). Each and everyone of those versions demonstrates how rich and captivating Mussorgsky's themes are regardless of the genre used to express them... Enjoy!