Aksak Maboul
Figures (2CD)
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"Figures is a double album containing 22 tracks and interludes, resulting from the flow of creative ideas which arose after a gap of over thirty years. Drawing again from the multiple sources which have always inspired the band (from electronic music and pop to experimentation, jazz, minimalism, contemporary classical etc), Aksak Maboul transcends and reconfigures them with its inimitable style, to create an impressive, rich and unclassifiable piece of work.
Seamlessly weaving electronic and acoustic instrumentation, improvisation and programming, songs, beats, found objects and sound collages, the album works as a labyrinth, full of secret passages and interconnections. Figures clocks in at 75 minutes, thus deliberately shunning the laws of instant gratification and the myth of today’s reduced attention span: the Aksak Maboul aficionados will surely be happy to engage in an immersive session of deep listening (in two halves), in order to enjoy the album’s many layers and details.
Véronique Vincent and Marc Hollander wrote the album together, by following parallel courses with their own respective internal logic, while remaining closely connected. Enigmatic and finely chiseled, feeding on her love for painting and literature, Véronique’s texts form a dense fabric which mirrors the sonic kaleidoscope assembled by Marc, who wrote and arranged all the music (aside from a track co-written and sung by Véronique and Julien Gasc). Véronique also made the drawings and paintings which illustrate the cover and inserts.
The two protagonists recorded most of the album in their own studio, with contributions by the young members of Aksak Maboul’s current live line-up: Faustine Hollander (bass, vocals, co-production), guitarist Lucien Fraipont and drummer Erik Heestermans. Also featured are performances by several friends and guests, including revered improvisor Fred Frith, Tuxedomoon’s Steven Brown, members of Aquaserge (Julien Gasc, Audrey Ginestet and Benjamin Glibert), former band members (including Michel Berckmans and Sebastiaan Van den Branden), and several others."
Release notes
(P) & (C) 2020 Crammed Discs Total running times: 39'19" + 36'25". Gatefold cardboard sleeve, each CD in a printed inner sleeve and accompanied by an 8-page booklet with drawings, credits and lyrics.
| 1-1 | Among The Naeporu | 0:28 | |
| 1-2 | C'Est Charles | 4:20 | |
| 1-3 | Taciturne | 6:55 | |
| 1-4 | Silhouettes | 4:39 | |
| 1-5 | True, False, Fictive | 1:26 | |
| 1-6 | Histoire De Fous | 5:32 | |
| 1-7 | Sophie La Bévue | 1:58 | |
| 1-8 | Formerly Known As Défilé | 3:21 | |
| 1-9 | How Should One Read A Book? | 0:28 | |
| 1-10 | Spleenétique | 5:47 | |
| 1-11 | Sgraffites | 4:23 | |
| 2-1 | The Untranslatable | 1:32 | |
| 2-2 | Retour Chez A. | 5:00 | |
| 2-3 | Dramuscule | 6:42 | |
| 2-4 | Excerpt From Uccellini | 1:16 | |
| 2-5 | Un Caïd | 5:26 | |
| 2-6 | Martial Arts For Boys | 0:16 | |
| 2-7 | Un Certain M. | 1:26 | |
| 2-8 | Ins Bleistiftgebiet | 1:33 | |
| 2-9 | Fatrasie Pulvérisée | 3:33 | |
| 2-10 | Qu'Est-Ce Que C'Est "Mot"? | 1:01 | |
| 2-11 | Tout A Une Fin | 8:35 |
- Faustine Hollander
- 12-String Acoustic Guitar (2-1), Backing Vocals (1-3, 1-4, 1-10, 2-2, 2-9), Bass (1-6, 1-10, 2-5, 2-7, 2-11), Co-producer, Co-producer [Coproduced by], Guitar (2-5), Handclaps (1-10), Music By (2-1), Sounds [As One Of "Les Êtres de la Rêverie Sinuante"] (2-2), Vocals (1-6, 2-5, 2-11), Voice (2-7)
- Marc Hollander
- Alto Saxophone (1-4, 1-10, 2-3, 2-11), Backing Vocals (1-3), Bass (2-3), Bass Clarinet (1-3, 1-6, 1-8, 2-3), Clarinet (1-1, 1-7, 2-11), Computer [Processing] (2-4), Drum Machine (2-1, 2-11), Drum Programming (1-2, 1-4, 1-8, 1-10, 2-2, 2-3, 2-5, 2-9), Editor [Montage] (1-9, 1-11, 2-7, 2-10), Field Recording (1-5, 2-8), Field Recording [Found Sounds] (1-4, 1-11), Guitar (1-3, 2-3), Handclaps (1-10), Keyboards (1-9), Music By (1-1 to 1-11, 2-1 to 2-8, 2-10, 2-11), Organ (1-1, 1-3, 1-4, 1-6, 1-8, 1-10, 1-11, 2-1 to 2-3, 2-5, 2-7 to 2-9, 2-11), Percussion (1-1, 2-2), Percussion [Electronic Percussion] (1-3, 2-6), Percussion [Hand Percussion] (2-6), Piano (1-2 to 1-8, 1-10, 2-2, 2-5 to 2-11), Producer [Produced by], Arranged By, Edited By, Recorded By, Written-By, Synth (1-2 to 1-8, 1-10, 1-11, 2-1 to 2-5, 2-7 to 2-9)
- Hanna Gorjaczkowska
- Art Direction, Field Recording [Found Voices] (2-7)
- Audrey Ginestet
- Backing Vocals (1-2, 1-3), Field Recording (1-11, 2-3, 2-4)
- Benjamin Glibert
- Backing Vocals (1-2, 1-3, 1-6), Guitar (1-8, 2-2, 2-7)
- Jordi Grognard
- Bass Clarinet (1-2, 1-10, 1-11, 2-11), Clarinet (1-2, 1-3, 1-8, 1-10, 1-11, 2-9), Flute (2-11)
- Michel Berckmans
- Bassoon (2-3, 2-9)
- Erik Heestermans
- Cymbal [Jazz Cymbal] (1-4), Drums (1-3, 1-6, 1-9 to 1-11, 2-2, 2-3, 2-5, 2-7, 2-9, 2-11), Guiro (1-6)
- Silvia Baldan
- Design
- Véronique Vincent
- Drawing [Drawings], Painting [Paintings By], Field Recording [Found Voices] (1-9), Sounds [As One Of "Les Êtres de la Rêverie Sinuante"] (2-2), Vocals, Written-By (1-2 to 1-4, 1-6, 1-7, 1-10, 1-11, 2-2, 2-3, 2-5, 2-7, 2-9 to 2-11)
- Martin Méreau
- Drums (1-3, 2-3, 2-11), Glockenspiel (1-8, 2-5), Percussion (1-8, 2-5), Snare [Drums] (1-2), Sounds [As One Of "Les Êtres de la Rêverie Sinuante"] (2-2), Vibraphone (1-3, 1-10, 2-6, 2-9)
- Laetitia Sadier
- Field Recording [Found Voices] (2-7)
- Peter Principle
- Field Recording [Found Voices] (1-9, 2-7)
- Steven Brown
- Field Recording [Found Voices] (1-9), Vocals (2-3)
- Fred Frith
- Guitar (1-3, 1-8, 1-11), Viola (1-1, 1-3, 1-4, 2-2, 2-3, 2-11)
- Lucien Fraipont
- Guitar (1-2, 1-3, 1-6, 1-8, 1-10, 2-3, 2-5, 2-7, 2-9, 2-11 ), Recorded By
- Sebastiaan Van den Branden
- Guitar (1-1), Percussion [Additional Electronic Percussion] (1-8, 2-2), Rhythm Guitar (2-11)
- JP Chalbos
- Mastered By
- Gregory Bauchau
- Mixed By
- Christophe Albertijn
- Recorded By
- Renaud Houben
- Recorded By
- Cathy Szafarz
- Sounds [As One Of "Les Êtres de la Rêverie Sinuante"] (2-2)
- JF Jones
- Sounds [As One Of "Les Êtres de la Rêverie Sinuante"] (2-2), Tabla (2-2)
- Catherine Jauniaux
- Speech [Spoken Words Here And There]
- Thierry Smolderen
- Speech [Spoken Words Here And There]
- Tom Cora
- Speech [Spoken Words Here And There]
- Julien Gasc
- Synth, Voice (2-7), Vocals, Music By (2-9)
- Mathias Hollander
- Voice ['95 voice] (2-6)
- Sonoko
- Voice [Crucial Question] (2-10)
