Russell Mills & Undark - Pearl & Umbra (1999)

Russell Mills should be a familiar name to all the ambient music fans, since he designed the artwork of many Brian Eno's and David Sylvian's recordings, among many other artists. Russell Mills also created many installations and designed stage set up for Harold Budd and David Sylvian's concerts, among others.  His paintings and his sound installations are displayed in art galleries all around the world.

Russell Mills is also a musician and a sound sculptor, and he released several beautiful CDs, mixing ambient soundscapes and post-rock climates in a very creative way.

Pearl & Umbra is a rare and impressive recording, involving 34 musicians. The gotha of the new musics scene is contributing to this album: Eraldo Bernocchi, Michael Brook, Harold Budd, Sussan Deyhim, Brian Eno, Roger Eno, Peter Gabriel, Robin Guthrie, Bill Laswell, Paul Schutze, David Sylvian, Ian Walton and Hector Zazou, to name but a few...

Enjoy...

link / mp3

RM.PaU.zip

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Hector Zazou - Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses (1991)

Hector Zazou died in Paris on September 8th. He was 60 years old.

On October 6, his last record will be released by Crammed Discs: In the House of Mirrors, featuring musicians from India and Uzbekistan (Toir Kuziyev, Milind Raikar, Ronu Majumdar, Manish Pingle), and Western guests such as Nils Petter Molvaer, Diego Amador, Carlos Nunez, Zoltan Lantos  and Bill Rieflin (former drummer of R.E.M.).

Zazou is now beyond the mirror...

As a tribute to this so creative French musician and producer, we could listen to this 1991 album, Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses (it won a Victoires de la musique award in 1992). Traditional songs from Corsica are surrounded by a instrumental tapestry featuring among others Steve Shehan (percussions), Richard Horowitz (ney), Manu Dibango (sax), Jon Hassell (trumpet), Ryuichi Sakamoto (piano), Christian Lechevretel (trumpet), Pierre Chaze (guitars), Renaud Pion (sax soprano), Lightwave (electronics), John Cale (piano), Shaymal Maltra (tablas)...

It is a splendid album where traditions from the past meet the new musical technologies...

Sacred music, lyrical inspiration, and delicate electronic soundscapes are the main features of this album: it will never be outdated...

Zazou, we will not forget you !

links / mp3 320

Les_Nouvelles_Polyphonies_Corses_1.zip

Les_Nouvelles_Polyphonies_Corses_-_2.zip

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Hector Zazou - Geologies (1989)

Hector Zazou is one of the leading French composers and producers in the field of "new musics" and electronic music. He is famous for his innovative concepts and his many collaborations with artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dead Can Dance, David Sylvian, Jon Hassell, Brian Eno, John Cale, Harold Budd, to name but a few.

Geologies is one of his early recordings, released by the Belgian company "Crammed Discs". One could define Geologies as chamber music for electronic instruments, string quartet and various acoustic instruments (flute, guitar, trumpet, saxophones). Intimate, climatic, melodic, neoclassical and aerial at the same times, this is a beautiful ambient music with a specific French touch, with reminiscences of Satie, Debussy and others. 

The mixing and overall production are superb, and almost twenty years after its original release, this record did not loose its poetical and mysterious atmosphere...

Links: mp3 / 320

HZG1.zip

HZG2.zip

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