Jean-Claude Vannier - L'Enfant Assassin des Mouches [Re-issue]

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What do you guys knows about this album? This blurb made me ache with anticipation-- but should I shell out the $20 to pick this up (considering I haven't talked to my boss in a week)? Or is this just the obligatory flummery OM hypes all their albums with?

JEAN-CLAUDE VANNIER
L' Enfant Assassin des Mouches
(Delay 68/Finders Keepers)

It sounds too good to be true. Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson had a follow-up! But maybe I should backtrack...

Jean-Claude Vannier was a self-taught musician and a collaborator on many of Gainsbourg's celebrated soundtracks (Cannabis, Les Chemins de Katmandou). He was also the arranger of the aforementioned Melody Nelson. That album has always been a "must have" for record collectors of rock, rare groove, funk and French pop. Placed over a psychedelic, orchestral backdrop of swooping strings, funky backbeats, fuzzy guitars and male choruses, Gainsbourg's mostly spoken word story of a fictional encounter with a young English girl is considered by many to be one of the best and most original concept albums ever made.

The problem was trying to find a decent follow-up to this tour de force. Not to say that Gainsbourg didn't create some fine post-Nelson music; it's just that he never really returned to that crazy, crazy orch-funk style and left many fans craving a sound from an era that was never really revisited again…Or was it?

In 1972, a teeny French label gave the now in-demand arranger/producer an opportunity to produce a solo album. This time around, Vannier took the innovative sound of Melody Nelson and pushed it even further. The idea was to create an avant-garde ballet score that combined the musique concrete and Orchestra Klaxon ideas that he was exploring at the time with the sound he was primarily known for.

What came out was this phenomenal record. The classic Melody Nelson elements are all here, but with more of a dark, experimental edge. The album didn't fare too well due in part to all of his unbridled experimentation; and the nebulous artwork (featuring the nude arranger on the beach, and macabre liner notes written by Serge Gainsbourg) didn't help either.

You can hear traces of Isaac Hayes, Hermann Nitsch, Galt MacDermot, David Axelrod, Barry White and Xenakis in this piece -- it's that eff-in' good! But to compare this record to any one of those artists would be wrong. Vannier is an innovator in his own right and maybe this record, paired with the classic Melody Nelson, will give him some well-deserved aplomb that the aforementioned artists have enjoyed for quite awhile. [DH]

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Thursday, 3 March 2005 04:32 (twenty years ago)

the samples were pretty amazing. i'm going to buy it if i see it.

"isaac hayes, hermann nitsch..." that sounds kind of like their usual bullshit.

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Thursday, 3 March 2005 04:52 (twenty years ago)

This sounds ridiculously great! Vannier/Serge also worked together on the Cannabis and La Horse soundtracks. Only Cannabis has been reissued so far but there are tracks from La Horse on the Cinema De Serge Gainsbourg box that are stunning.

Can't wait to hear this Vannier album!

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 3 March 2005 04:55 (twenty years ago)

""isaac hayes, hermann nitsch..." that sounds kind of like their usual bullshit"

sorry but i have to chime in here, the writer was told of these influences by vannier himself. but this is what he gets for not disclosing that conversation years ago, which began with his outright recognizing(!) of him, and some amount of subsequent mutual dumbfoundedness on both sides.
i can tell you that he also ended up being pretty pivotal as far as who all of the quotes would come from on the front sticker though! (jean-claude was ultimately curious about who exactly bore his influence nowadays)

― noizem duke (noize duke), Thursday, 3 March 2005 07:20 (twenty years ago)

you can download a fulll track here:

www.poptones.co.uk/webcast.htm

― hello is this thing on?, Thursday, 3 March 2005 11:02 (twenty years ago)

(xpost) When did DH meet Vannier? Holy shnits. I need to grill him on this.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 3 March 2005 15:22 (twenty years ago)

great record!! I found in on soulseek, and I like it.

― zeus, Thursday, 3 March 2005 19:24 (twenty years ago)

funny, i posted the whole other music review on the Francophiles - what's really good? thread.

i want it bad.

― JaXoN Hole (JasonD), Thursday, 3 March 2005 20:06 (twenty years ago)

I bought it today and here's my assessment: it's a great record but it's NOT Melody Nelson Part Deux, if that's what's expected. Instead, it's closer to my ears to some of Francois De Roubaix' soundtrack work -- if De Roubaix had had a cursory interest in integrating musique concret elements into some of his themes. The only real sonic link I could find to Melody Nelson (after three consecutive, rapt listenings (thanks, Shirayuki Sake!) ) is the choir. And that's running throughout most of the record, sounding just like the one on MN, except in a completely different setting.

But -- wow, what a great find this record is. Kudos to the folks who put it out.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Friday, 4 March 2005 01:35 (twenty years ago)

Who cares if this doesn't sound like Melody Nelson. It's an exhilarating head trip on its own and very much recommended!

― Jeff K (jeff k), Friday, 4 March 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

Also bought it yesterday. Also think it's hardly anything like Melody Nelson. Also think it's one of the best things I've purchased in a long time.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Saturday, 5 March 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

My ears perk up at any mention of Roubaix

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Saturday, 5 March 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

I've only heard the mp3 posted on the link above (thank you!), but I am dying to hear the rest of the record and can't find it on slseek. Anyone know where I could get the rest of the mp3s?

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 16:39 (twenty years ago)

it's definitely on slsk. try going into the ILM room, right-click and "search room for files."

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 16:43 (twenty years ago)

I'm there as xolotl, and I already did that. But thanks, I'll keep trying.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 16:44 (twenty years ago)

I just found it. La de dah!

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Tuesday, 15 March 2005 16:53 (twenty years ago)

nine months pass...

Yes, this is pretty wonderful. The strings are Melody Nelson-ish, esp on "Le Roi Des Mouches Et La Confiture De Rouse" but overall it's not very Serge-like. Which is fine with me. Is there more where this came from?

― mcd (mcd), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

I got this recently and love it as well... Jim O'Rourke's comments on the sticker about an album never being able to get such a high budget to make a record as ambitiously bombastic and experimental as this is very OTM.

― Dom iNut (donut), Thursday, 5 January 2006 19:55 (nineteen years ago)

after wanting this so bad for so long, it never did it for me. maybe because i listened to it in the car rather than on headphones. there were just so many empty moments and scrape-y weird sound effects that i didn't feel it flowed.

i'll listen again w/headphones

― jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:50 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, the dynamics overall have a large range.. definitely a play-at-home-when-noone-but-yourself-and/or-loved-one is around, or a headphone album. Not a car album at all.

― Dom iNut (donut), Thursday, 5 January 2006 20:56 (nineteen years ago)

wow, i take it all back.

― jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 5 January 2006 21:24 (nineteen years ago)

Can someone explain to me in very simple language how I can get to the ILM room? Is it through chat?

― Mary (Mary), Friday, 6 January 2006 03:03 (nineteen years ago)

I've had this for two years and it's always bored me senseless. I usually turni it off when the musique concrete stuff gets too out of control.

― Baaderonixx born in Xyxax (baaderonixx), Friday, 6 January 2006 08:52 (nineteen years ago)

Mary - scroll through the list of rooms on slsk and you'll find it

― Baaderonixx born in Xyxax (baaderonixx), Friday, 6 January 2006 08:53 (nineteen years ago)

I found IDM but no ILX. Maybe it's hostile to Mac?

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 7 January 2006 01:52 (nineteen years ago)

no, it's really called IDM. i'm sure you'll find some great stuff in there.

― jaxon (jaxon), Saturday, 7 January 2006 03:09 (nineteen years ago)

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 7 January 2006 03:12 (nineteen years ago)

sometimes the room doesn't appear for some reason. try again later, maybe it'll work

― Baaderonixx born in Xyxax (baaderonixx), Saturday, 7 January 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

right-click on room list, select "refresh room list".

this is a fantastic record!

― pompe vers le haut du volume (haitch), Saturday, 7 January 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

It is indeed a mindblower. Long live musique-concrete psych-rock orchestral wall o sound concept records! Forward the revolution!

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Saturday, 7 January 2006 10:16 (nineteen years ago)

Oh wow, it's there; thanks! Now if I could only figure out to share my music...

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 7 January 2006 23:51 (nineteen years ago)

six months pass...

I am desperate for any music that sounds even remotely like this album. This can't be the only "musique-concrete psych-rock orchestral wall o sound concept record" out there. Any and all suggestions would be very much appreciated.

― wherewasyou (wherewasyou), Monday, 24 July 2006 01:33 (nineteen years ago)

Pierre Henry - Messe pour le temps présent

http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/h/henry_pierr_messepour_101b.jpg

― Mike Hawk (jaxon), Monday, 24 July 2006 05:52 (nineteen years ago)

can't remember how much musique-concrete is on this, but it's really good and you'll prolly love it.

Alain Goraguer - La Planete Sauvage

http://www.fakejazz.com/images/covers/2001/goraguer.jpg

― Mike Hawk (jaxon), Monday, 24 July 2006 05:56 (nineteen years ago)

also, check out some usual sources of super funky orchestrated rock stuff like David Axlerod/Electric Prunes, Galt McDermott, Lalo Schifrin (Rock Requiem) and the Vannier produced Serge Gainsbourg albums.

― Mike Hawk (jaxon), Monday, 24 July 2006 05:58 (nineteen years ago)

and Igor Wakhevitch. especially Dr Faustus

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/8867/s180661gk1.jpg

and also the kraut band Faust

― Mike Hawk (jaxon), Monday, 24 July 2006 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

some of morricone's more OUT early 70s soundtracks are not dissimilar to the Vannier - obv. morricone had a b/ground in musique concrete etc. and that comes through quite often in his music

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Monday, 24 July 2006 18:50 (nineteen years ago)

i haven't heard the Pierre Henry & Spooky Tooth album, but it might fit the bill?

http://www.squidco.com/miva/graphics/products/misc3/toothHenryCeremony.jpg

― Mike Hawk (jaxon), Monday, 24 July 2006 19:44 (nineteen years ago)

The Pierre Henry & Spooky Tooth is a bummer. Don't bother.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Monday, 24 July 2006 22:00 (nineteen years ago)

it's a bummer alright (i think that's the intent) but worth listening to for the $3-4 it usually goes for.

not orchestral in the slightest but the bruno spoerri collection on finders keepers is funky and concretey and weird.

― GOD PUNCH TO HAWKWIND (yournullfame), Monday, 24 July 2006 22:39 (nineteen years ago)

ten months pass...

wow, i love this! i really am a beardo. got the vinyl reissue at the record store today. sounds so amazing.

― scott seward, Friday, 25 May 2007 17:35 (eighteen years ago)

there are so many Finders Keepers records I want right now but the dollars-to-pounds rate has made British imports ridiculous! Sarolta Zalatnay LP resissue for $28.99 argghh

― dmr, Friday, 25 May 2007 18:21 (eighteen years ago)

i bought two excellent turkish reissues on finders keepers today too. selda and mustafa ozent. so fucking amazing. all three albums i bought today are such a treat. and so beautiful.

― scott seward, Friday, 25 May 2007 18:28 (eighteen years ago)

jealous

― dmr, Friday, 25 May 2007 18:33 (eighteen years ago)

Sarolta Zalatnay LP resissue for $28.99 argghh

just drop 150-2 on the original

― jaxon, Friday, 25 May 2007 19:26 (eighteen years ago)

right. I dunno, it's still more than I wanna pay for a single LP. I splurge on FK and Soul Jazz stuff sometimes. I wouldn't bother to bitch about import prices if they weren't putting out so many good records I want.

― dmr, Friday, 25 May 2007 20:05 (eighteen years ago)

Where are you seeing them for $30? The LPs sell at Dusty Grove for half that and the CDs for a little less.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 25 May 2007 20:20 (eighteen years ago)

they were selling the records i got at the record store for 16.95. they give me a a little discount, which is nice. i cringe a little at paying 17 bucks for new vinyl, but they just looked so fab. and i'm glad i did now too, cuz i love all three.

― scott seward, Friday, 25 May 2007 20:25 (eighteen years ago)

Where are you seeing them for $30?

mondo kim's in new york. maybe they are just being assholes with the pricing. every store in NY sells Soul Jazz stuff for like 23.99 so I didn't think it was that crazy (but also wasn't about to pay that much).

it really is $14.99 on Dusty Groove! jesus.

DG's pricing on the Soul Jazz stuff looks roughly the same as what I see in stores, maybe the Zalatnay was just a mistake or it's some deluxe collector bullshit.

― dmr, Friday, 25 May 2007 20:42 (eighteen years ago)

I think the UK pressings are more, but most of the Finders-Keepers has gotten domestic reissue (the Spoerri record might be the exception.)

― Alex in SF, Friday, 25 May 2007 20:53 (eighteen years ago)

Soul Jazz stuff can be had from Ernie B's for $16 which is still a little high-ish, but at least it's not ridiculous.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 25 May 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

thanks for the tips!

― dmr, Friday, 25 May 2007 21:02 (eighteen years ago)

EVERYBODY BUY THAT SAROLTA ZALATNAY ALBUM. is all i'm saying.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Saturday, 26 May 2007 04:53 (eighteen years ago)

Almost everything FK has gotten domestic reissues, the US ones have an outer card sleeve but are otherwise unchanged (except for the addition of some quicktime video on L'Enfant Assassin). AFAIK the only exceptions are Spoerri, Chris Harwood, and the Sitting Target soundtrack. Haven't heard the Zalatnay yet (though I desperately need to), but the Lubos Fiser soundtrack they reissued is fantastic.

― Telephone thing, Saturday, 26 May 2007 10:22 (eighteen years ago)

ehhh... weren't there bonus tracks on the susan christie and vannier albums specific to the US issues?

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Saturday, 26 May 2007 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

and yeah, the valerie OST is niiice.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Saturday, 26 May 2007 14:36 (eighteen years ago)

the selda album is sooooo cool. traditional turkish (protest) folk + tons of guitars and electronics. electric saz!

http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/b/bagcan_seld_selda~~~~_101b.jpg

― scott seward, Saturday, 26 May 2007 17:07 (eighteen years ago)

and the ozkent album just rocks so hard. super funky. amazing fuzz. way better than most albums hyped by breakbeat nerdz. though the beats are unfuckingbelievable.

http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/o/ozkent_must_genclikle_101b.jpg

― scott seward, Saturday, 26 May 2007 17:11 (eighteen years ago)

weren't there bonus tracks on the susan christie and vannier albums specific to the US issues?

Dunno about the Christie album, but the bonus tracks (two versions of "Je M'appelle Geraldine") are on the UK and US versions of L'Enfant Assassin.

― Telephone thing, Saturday, 26 May 2007 23:17 (eighteen years ago)

I didn't realise they'd put out the Ozkent record. Man, so much amazing stuff. Haven't seen anyone mention the Yamasuki Singers record on this thread so far, which is very much a winner. Spoerri, Vannier and Valerie all get played lots, too - haven't heard Selda yet.

― emil.y, Sunday, 27 May 2007 00:02 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah Finders Keepers has pretty much been on hit for the last couple years. I hung out with Andy a few months back when he came out to SF and he's got tons of more top shelf stuff in the works, a bunch of more stuff in the Selda vein/ some hungarian psych stuff/ and some czech soundtrack that he couldn't stop talking about. Srsly everything that label puts out is gold.

― oscar, Sunday, 27 May 2007 00:20 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, my mate puts on a night of similar stuff which I've DJed at a few times, and there's a whole world of crazy shit out there just waiting to be discovered - I'm too much of a genre-hopper to be able to dig it all out myself, but knowing someone who eats, sleeps & dreams it is amazing. I'm guessing that the 'Czech soundtrack that he couldn't stop talking about' is Valerie OST, unless he's doing one of Vera Chytilova's next.

― emil.y, Sunday, 27 May 2007 00:28 (eighteen years ago)

I think he was talking about the Fiser soundtrack but I know he definitely wants to release some Chytilova stuff, they were playing Daisies in the background at the event he spun at.

― oscar, Sunday, 27 May 2007 00:38 (eighteen years ago)

i must admit i got a little hipster overload looking at the cover sticker on the vannier album at the record store with blurbs from jarvis cocker, david holmes, tim gane, and jim o'rourke on it. not that any of those people are especially "hip". i guess they were covering all their bases.

― scott seward, Sunday, 27 May 2007 01:28 (eighteen years ago)

in any case, cheers to votel and the rest! i like when people do such a good job.

― scott seward, Sunday, 27 May 2007 01:29 (eighteen years ago)

twelve years pass...

new album with Mike Patton is pretty fun!

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 16 September 2019 10:18 (five years ago)

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