Bernard Heidsieck

50/70 presents a set of fantastically stirring performances by sound-poet and heroic cultural activist Bernard Heidsieck. Fantastic verbal anarchy sure to appeal to anyone who has ever ventured deep into the margins of free-thinking labels like ESP, United Dairies, Come Org. Features '”Poème-Partition ‘B’”' (1957), for Bernard de Pontcharra, killed in Algeria; “Poème-Partition ‘M’”, suggested by a comment made by Henry Miller about “Déserts” by Edgar Varèse; “Démocratie II” (1977) and “Publicité” (1979). The first two compositions belong to the Poème-Partition series, the starting point of Bernard Heidsieck's work, specially focused on the problem of a poetical direct communication and directly inspired by Nono, Stockhausen, Boulez and Cage. The latter two works were included in the Passe-Partout series, a formally more experimental one, based on electronic and reel-to-reel recording machine manipulations. The recording of “Publicité” is particularly dazzling, with Heidsieck improvising live from a pile of newspapers after losing his score on the way to the performance. Highly recommended. Limited edition of only 480 copies.”