WTF album: Etrange en Compagnie
Tags: spasmacousmatic, multi-threaded jump-cut, jazz, improvisation, free improvisation, experimental, spoken word, vocal
WTF quality: Intricately assembled with "no Bach shortcuts". Don't ask me.
Lifespan: 2010 -
Country: Canada
Workshop Manual for:- Berger Rond - Etrange en Compagnie
For this project you will require:-
1. An industrial strength French-English-Swedish Dictionary.
2. A Clarinet Extractor (available from most good retailers, but we recommend the "Claristract" from Wal-mart - it comes with attachments for most of the wind instruments, with the exception of the Double-Contra-Bass-Piccolo).
3. Google Translate (for light relief).
4. A No. 17 Clamp (metric or imperial, I really don't care)
3. An Open Mind (these are unfortunately no longer available commercially).
Preparation:- Download album from http://www.freakywaves.com/vb/Vincent/music.htm, and gently insert into player of your choice by means of wires or otherwires.
Procedure:-Sit or stand in a comfortable but conscious posture, with eyes open or closed depending on light levels, security, temperature etc.
Carefully initiate Track 1, labeled clearly "Riant va sans l'autre" - mind those fingers!
You will now be immersed in a web-like structure, from which it is difficult to escape. The upside of this predicament is that you probably won't want to.
Observe that the web is constructed very carefully, by somebody who really knows what they are doing. The materials used are similar to those used in previous models, but put together in intelligent and surprising ways. The various threads and nodules that you encounter are knotted together manually by a skilled artisan by the name of Vincent Bergeron. These are factory settings, and should not be tampered with.
Moving further down the web, you will encounter some vocals that have been equally and unequally overlayed, underlayed and throughlayed according to whimsy. These glue the entire structure into a very palletable entity, and strengthen the whole, without restricting the natural flow of energy. Few filters have been provided as standard, thus giving a feel of the most intimate and enchanting chamber-music. These vocals are due to the talents of Viveka Eriksson and Daniel Knox, both of whom seem to have been apprenticed to jazz stylists. This has enabled the designers to enhance the elegance emissions by over a third.
Add to this a contribution by Frederick Szymanski on classical guitar, and you have an overview of of the themes fuelling this album; the breakdown of communication, abstractness, minute attention to detail and genrelessness.
Now insert the prongs of the Google Translate into the title. The reading should be "Laughing Goes Without the Other" +/-9.
Negotiating carefully to the next track, "Intention Dévorante". Put the Google Translate into "loosely" mode, and press button B. This will now read "Devouring Intention".
This is made from similar but subtly different materials, and a slight change in personnel. Liz Alice joins the throng on vocals, while Daniel and Frederick take a back seat. A slightly more folky influence will also be perceived. Do not allow this to foul the carburettor.
Proceed to "Me detester quand je l'aime", the reading here being "I hate myself when I like it". Daniel once again replaces Liz on the vocals, and the jazzish feel returns, with a kind of piquant, sado-masochistic air. This may appear to introduce timing errors, but these are intentional, and should not be compensated for.
The introduction of a spasmacoustic Berger Rond into the next track has allowed engineers access to the throbbing heart at the centre of this unstoppable machine. Reference to the tables at the back of this manual will give an expected reading to "Du noir marre j'en ai" of approximately "I'm tired of black". This is well within tolerances.
Resolutely clamping the spasmacoustic valve will allow music to escape from "Le monde se défait toujours tout seul", and this may choke off the Google Translate. Do not be alarmed. After a minute or so, and a good hard thrashing, it will eventually yield "The world always defeats itself on it's own", with a remainder of "of it's own accord" to the right of the decimal point. It will also spit forth a bonus track, "Spasmacousmatic", which does exactly what it says on the can. I think.
Dismantling is now complete. Prepare a surface on which to lie down, and rest.
In the meantime, re-calibrate the translator, and leave to stand in a bucket of clean Berger Rond. Berger is of course a Shepherd, but Rond takes a little more effort; it can apparently give "round", "circular", "rotund", or my own personal favourite, "blind drunk". Savour those images for a moment. Then finally unravel "Etrange en Compagnie" to complete the jigsaw. Results of "In the Company of Strangers" are not unusual.
Re-assembly is the reverse of removal.
Health and Safety:- Hypnotic experiences may result from overuse, but I've never really minded that. There may also be lurking pools of percussion, but the effects do not last long.
Notes:- Spasmacousmatic is probably the best adjective to use for this jerky but attention-grabbing music. Involuntary movements are it's inspiration and it's Muses, and you will feel yourself sucked into the vortex, possibly reacting physically after a while. I have no idea how or why this works, it just does. It's like trying to make love standing up in a hammock; difficult, but ultimately very rewarding.
-ettuspadix.
