Label:
RecRec Music – REC REC 01
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album / Country: Switzerland / Released: 1981
Style:
Avantgarde, Prog Rock, Contemporary Jazz
Recorded in
October 1981 at Sunrise Studio, Kirchberg, Switzerland
Artwork
– Peter Bäder
Engineer
– Bubu Steiner, Etienne Gonod, Roebel Vogel
Producer
– Débile Menthole, Rec Rec Zürich
Printed
By – Printoset, Zürich
Débile
Menthol comes as the Swiss response to the Belgian Aksak Maboul with a Nutty
side probably even more pronounced and from here and there, some specific to
the time influences (very Talking Heads "A Nos Mamans'' and "Crash
Que Peut").
Ici
Derrière
A1
- Stamoï De Cousu . . . . . . . . . . 1:04
A2
- Très Amusant, Major . . . . . . . 8:05
A3
- Tante Agathe . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1:57
A4
- Coupe-Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1:56
A5
- Spacio Cib. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:18
A6
- Rien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1:54
Là-Bas
Devant
B1
- A Nos Mamans . . . . . . . . . . . 4:43
B2
- Mort Aux Dahus . . . . . . .
. . . . 3:04
B3
- La Jupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5:49
B4
- Je Regarde Par La Fenêtre . . . 3:41
B5
- Crash Que Peut . . . . . . . . . . . .4:21
François
Liègme - (drums, percussion)
Patrice
Dupasquier - (saxophones)
Cedric
P.Vuille - (clarinette, guitar, drums)
Ivan
G.Chkolnix - (bass, guitar)
Marie
C.Schwab - (violon, chant)
Christian
G.Addor - (keyboards, basse, chant)
Gilles
Vincent Rieder - (drums, percussion, bass, voice)
Jean-Maurice
Rossel - (bass, guitare)
Jean-Vincent
Huguenin - (guitar, percussion, voice)
Essential
RIO band, this group uses sophisticated rock based compositions and a very
strange sense of humour to make some of the greatest pieces of complex rock
music imaginable. Chris Cutler states that, while many bands are thrown around
as belonging to RIO, this is one of the bands that would have been invited had
the timing been possible.
Once
upon a time in Neuchatel, Switzerland there was this band called Debile Menthol
who played Rock In Opposition in the vein of Samla Mammas Manna, Etron Fou and
Henry Cow and with a sort of minimalistic approach that reminds Massacre (Fred
Frith).
Founded
in 1979, this band managed to record only two albums - Emile Au Jardin
Patrologique (1981) and Battre Campagne (1984).
The
first album is rather cheerful sounding (with occasional darker parts), jazzier
and has a large lineup consisting of 9 members (playing on violin, sax and
clarinet among others). This album can appeal to Samla Mammas Manna and
Miriodor fans.
Overall
this is a weird sounding band, which created a mix of quirky rock, punk,
fusion, free jazz and plain eccentricity. The lyrics (when there are any) are
being spoken (sometimes at high tone) in a non-melodic style (not sung and to
me reminds of Massacre and The Clash) in French and filled with satire and
humour (as their name might suggests). During their tours the band was under
financial and personal stresses which lead to its disbanding and the creation
of two other bands.
Discography:
Emile
Au Jardin Patrologique, studio album (1981)
Battre
Campagne, studio album (1984)
Debile Menthol second album
Recorded
in the Fall of 81, Debile Menthol's debut album is very much in advance of its
time and was obviously very influential for many group that are developing the
Avant Prog genre (whatever that may be) today. From the Quebecois Miriodor,
Rouge Ciel and Interference Sardine, to Finland's Alamaailman Vasarat or Uzva,
to Belgium's Julverne, X- Legged Sally Hardscore or Cro Magnon etc.: all of
these groups owe IMHO a big debt to Debile Menthol's works. Debile Menthol is a
9-man formation (most are multi- instrumentalists), from which will emerge
Rossel and Huguenin.
While
Debile Menthol's music is a rather crazy pot-pourri of musical influences and
borrowings, they often remain fairly accessible, fun, often going into the
bombastic and grotesque folkloric fair music (like the Oktoberfest
beer-bingeing music or circus music for example). The album is fairly acoustic
(just some synths and electric guitars) and mainly instrumental, with only a
few weird French rather-funny vocals in off-voices, but they can get demented
as well. In the album highlight A Nos Mamans (To Our Mothers), they sound for a
small minute like the Sranglers, if you can believe it. Other tracks can sound
like some crazy Devo or Talking Heads (Regarde Par La Fenêtre and Crash Que
Peut), but the whole thing being much more complex and as much fun.
Most
likely one of the most influential album in the "Avant Prog" genre,
given its early release date, and a fun one too. Only for progressive nutheads
with a few loosened bolts above the neck level.
_
Review by Sean Trane
Note:
I
have listened to this album at least 20 times through, and it never ceases to
amaze me. The instrumentation on this album akin to the virtuoso lunacy to be
found on Begnagrad's eponymous album. Strange melodies and song structures
dominate this LP, from the folksy, classically-influenced musings of Tres
Amusant, Major to the haunting industrial vortex of Rien. I speak very sparse
French, so I have no idea what these people are saying, and that is probably
for the better. This album, as a whole, exhibits a slightly unhinged quality,
as one would experience in a conversation with a seemingly normal person who
nevertheless seems barely able to conceal his/her insanity. Bubbling beneath
the surface of this album is a kind of demented-circus-quality of madness that
seems at once both endearingly amusing and subtly dangerous.
A must-have album
for those who enjoy like their prog waaayy out there.
_ jglowe77
If
you find it, buy this album!
