Musique Noise : Fulmines Regularis (LastFm - mars 2007)
This is a nice little album of the zeuhl variety. Interesting that it was created during the "dark age" of rock music (the 80s). It is very similar in style to the French group Eskaton, though they don’t reach Eskaton’s fervor and are occasionally more jazzy. Biggest drawback are the very lame sounding synthies, but hey, it’s the 80s ! Still some surprisingly impressive tracks here, especially "L'etroit Huit".
Fulmines Integralis by Musique Noise (All Music - 2004 - by François Couture)
Musique Noise belongs to the string of French groups that found their main inspiration in Magma’s music, but it sounds very different than most of them. Most of the "zeuhl" groups (the progressive rock style derived from Magma’s legacy) focused on further developing Christian Vander’s martial rhythms and dark rituals. Musique Noise turned its collective attention to the lighter side of things, using intricate three-part vocal arrangements, positive energy, and a sense of humor rarely found in this field. The group released only one album during its eight years of existence.
The name does not translate to "noise music." "Noise" is an Old French word meaning quarrel — "chercher des noises" means looking for trouble. Bassist Frédéric Huynh, keyboardist Denis Levasseur, and drummer Philippe Zarka were members of Autopsie, a group also including ex-Eskaton keyboardist Xavier De Raymond. When it collapsed in early 1986, the three of them recruited old friends Jean-Philippe Gallet (lead singer, saxophone) and Marc Montella (trumpet) to write a new arrangement of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a work at the heart of the aesthetics of zeuhl. The project was abandoned but the quintet began to write some original material, keeping in mind their intention of bringing Orff’s choirs into rock music.
In the summer of 1986, two classically trained singers, Isabelle Bruston and Cornélia Schmid, joined the band. Then came a period of activity during which Musique Noise gave its first concerts in small Parisian clubs and began work on what would turn out to be its sole album. Fulmines Regularis was recorded in 1988, after Montella’s departure. Released as an LP by the then-young French prog rock label Musea, the album would become a zeuhl classic in specialist circles but otherwise had little impact. The group continued to perform occasionally and write slowly, but in 1990 Schmid called it quits to focus on her career in classical music. Gallet dropped the sax to sing full time, and thus saxophonist Simon Bot Ban Jok was drafted. In 1991 De Raymond, who had kept close ties to the group, joined it officially.
This septet recorded a four-song demo in 1992 as preparation for a second album, but the lack of funding and performance opportunities was sucking the energy out of the group. Bot Ban Jok and Gallet quit in 1993. Zarka’s departure less than a year after sounded the dissolution. In 2002 Musea reissued Fulmines Regularis on CD, rechristening it Fulmines Integralis and including the 1992 demos.
Fulmines Integralis is a CD reissue of Musique Noise’s only LP, 1988’s Fulmines Regularis, augmented by four demos recorded in late 1992 for a second album that never materialized. First introduced at the time as part of the zeuhl movement — a bunch of French groups following in the footsteps of Magma’s Christian Vander — Musique Noise lightens up the recipe. The music has lost Magma’s martial drumming but has kept the intricate male/female nonsense vocals. The opener, "Pas Encore" (Not Again), surprises at first : Kicking off like a Caribbean version of jazz scat, it quickly flourishes into the sunniest, liveliest zeuhl tune this side of Kobaia. Isabelle Bruston, Cornélia Schmid, Jean-Philippe Gallet, and Philippe Zarka obviously have a fun time singing the catchy vocal répons. "Unique au Monde" and "Pour Qui Sont Ces Rangers Qui Marchent Sur Nos Têtes ?" delve into more complex time signatures and moods, revisiting tricks pioneered by Magma circa Udu Wudu and Attahk. Inserted before the original LP’s closing track, the four previously unreleased pieces indicate that the group was keeping the same heading. If "Ecco" is overlong, "RagnarØk" stands out thanks to excellent vocal parts. These cuts feature a slightly different lineup, saxophonist Simon Bot Ban Jok and keyboardist Xavier De Raymond augmenting the ranks. "Pzkr !" offers an awkward conclusion by laying a spoken text over the tape of "Pas Encore" running at double speed. This false note doesn’t depreciate the freshness of the album.
Musique Noise : Fulmines Integralis (Sea Of Tranquility - mai 2003 - by Steve Pettengill)
As you’ve probably guessed from the title, Musique Noise were a French group. They recorded this sole album in 1988 and didn’t release it on compact disc until recently. Musea Records give a typically splendid treatment with regard to packaging and liner notes, attempting to put the band’s past into perspective.
Along with the album proper are four bonus tracks, which the band recorded in 1992, when they briefly reformed. Taking their cue from Magma, circa Mechanik Destruktiw Kommandoh, Musique Noise weren’t quite the aural assault one would expect given their name. Though they included a large ensemble of players with a brass section, they never quite achieved the same dizzying heights of intensity as Magma ; very few "Zeuhl" influenced bands ever do. Take for example the opening track "Pas Encore". Over a jazzy and arrhythmic arrangement, Musique Noise’s choral section offer up passages that evoke a very lite Magma. But whereas Stella Vander and company could scare the rats out of a cellar with their relentlessly frightening repetitious chanting, the vocals on "Pas Encore" are simply too friendly, perhaps even slightly forced. You might think of Musique Noise as A Beginner’s Guide to Zeuhl Music.
Admittedly, when the singing stops, the instrumental sections can be quite rewarding, as on "Unique au Monde". Those vocal passages are at it again and can be downright grating until sax player Simon Bot Ban Jok lets loose with some nice soloing. Keyboardist Xavier De Raymond similarly offers some very good synthesizer solos as well, giving the band a symphonic rock touch that was never present in Magma.
Surprisingly, the songs I enjoyed most are the four bonus tracks. Recorded for a brief reunion in 1992, they hint at a stronger, darker and more confident Musique Noise. Even the vocals are more in tune with the complex music. Despite the dodgy sound quality, these songs actually make for compelling listening. Unfortunately, the newer and more focused direction wasn’t meant to last and the group split up shortly after. This is too bad as given more time to grow, Musique Noise might have really given Magmaphiles something to get excited about. Too bad that the band’s legacy will be that of a footnote in the world of progressive music.
Musique Noise : Fulmines Integralis (Koid9 n°45 - avril 2003 - by Dominique Reviron)
Comment convaincre des amateurs de Progressif d’acquérir un disque de "Zeuhl Music", issue de Magma ? Méchant challenge, hein ? Tout simplement en leurs faisant reconnaître que cette musique est belle, puissante et non conventionnelle.
Je le redis ici, le courant Zeuhl est différent parce qu’il ne doit rien au Rock, au Blues ou au Progressif anglo-saxon et qu’il puise son inspiration dans le Jazz Coltranien, le Rhythm’n’Blues explosif et répétitif de Redding et dans des racines profondément européennes. De fait, le message de Musique Noise, fortement inspiré par Magma, possède une forme originale, intéressante et pulsante.
D’ailleurs, je me disais bien que je les connaissais ces petits gars ! J’avais noté leur participation à la compilation "Ennéade", sortie chez Musea, il y a bien 10 ans, et qui réunissait les groupes français (pour la plupart) qui évoluaient dans la mouvance "Zeuhl".
Un premier album, "Fulmines regularis" (non, ça veut rien dire en latin !) était paru en 1989, toujours chez Musea et puis plus de nouvelles… C’était normal, le groupe n’existe plus depuis 1994, et le disque qui nous est proposé ici est en fait l’album de 1989, agrémenté de 4 titres inédits de 1992, dont le morceau "villiers" qui était déjà présent sur la compil "Ennéade".
Un peu d’historique : Musique Noise naît en 1986 de la réunion de 2 chanteuses, Cornélia Schmid et Isabelle Bruston, du bassiste Frédéric Huynh, du batteur Philippe Zarka, du pianiste Denis Levasseur et du chanteur (et saxophoniste) Jean Philippe Gallet. Un autre clavier, Xavier de Raymond, complétera le groupe par la suite. Cette formation, à 3 chanteurs et 2 pianistes n’est pas sans rappeler celle de Magma, sans guitare cependant.
10 titres sur le CD, très homogènes, qui mélangent allègrement thèmes puissants, chœurs fantastiques, parties endiablées de claviers (Ah, le son du Fender Rhodes !) et de saxo. Si l’on pense à Magma, on note cependant que les paroles sont en Français (et en Allemand sur un titre) et non en Kobaien. On ne trouve pas non plus l’aspect agressif, la hargne, l’engagement et l ‘énergie destructrice du groupe de Vander. Par contre, coté virtuosité, ça assure grave et il est clair que tous les musiciens sont des pointures. Très grosse section rythmique notamment (mais pas envahissante).
L’état d’esprit de Musique Noise est assez cool, avec de l’humour, des paroles décalées et des climats envoûtants, poétiques même comme sur "ecco", un titre issu d’un chant corse, que je trouve de toute beauté. Ce titre est d’ailleurs construit comme un morceau 100% progressif, axé sur des voix superbes et colorées, avec un thème qui revient chaque fois différent après des breaks instrumentaux inspirés. Les amateurs reconnaîtront dans ce morceau une reprise du leitmotiv de "mekanik destruktiw kommandoh", un petit clin d’œil au passage…
Il faut absolument parler de "villiers" qui est un titre extraordinairement mélodique tout en restant très technique. On est très loin du Jazz-Rock, même si cette musique vient du Jazz. Les chants structurent le message et le rendent facile à assimiler, du coup, on entre aisément dans un monde musical étonnant, à la croisée de la musique contemporaine, du Rock et de la "Zeulh Music".
La synthèse du style Musique Noise est exposée dans le morceau "l’étroit huit" (oui, les titres sont assez marrants, comme "pour qui sont ces rangers qui marchent sur nos têtes"), où les variations instrumentales conversent avec des voix syncopées, des chants multiples, le tout sur une basse cinglante et claire et une batterie pulsante.
Une mention enfin pour le dernier titre "pzkr !", qui m’a fait penser à du Neu par son rythme accéléré, compressé (comme son orthographe !) et ses joyeux soli déjantés.
En résumé, Musique Noise était un sacré bon groupe Français. Zeulh, certes. Alambiqué, évidemment. Mais aussi, technique et inventif, sans être trop "prise de tête". Comme pour pas mal de très bons groupes de chez nous, Eskaton, Eider Stellaire, Spheroe ou Potemkine (j’arrête là, la liste est tellement longue), la reconnaissance et le soutien ont été quasi nuls, ce qui fait que leur disparition était inévitable. Il nous reste leur disque pour découvrir l’étendue du gâchis.
Un grand merci à Musea pour la qualité de cette réédition impeccablement produite.
Musique Noise : Fulmines Integralis (Aural Innovations #23 - avril 2003 - by Jerry Kranitz)
Musique Noise are a French ensemble whose music is influenced in equal parts by Magma inspired Zheul, jazz fusion and progressive rock. Fulmines Integralis is a reissue of the bands 1988 release on Musea entitled Fulmines Regularis, plus 4 tracks recorded in 1992 for a never released second album.
Much of the bands music has a cool jazz sound, but also a more progressive edge that reminded me of Soft Machine, Gong, and perhaps even In The Wake Of Poseiden era King Crimson. However, the near operatic chanting vocals of Isabelle Bruston, Cornelia Schmid and Jean-Philippe Gallet inject a power and majesty into the music that reveals the bands Magma influences, and indeed there are several tracks that see the band traveling more overtly into Magma territory. The intensity level is high and the music exciting as Musique Noise keep the listener on seats edge with their continual shifts through multiple themes. The band alternates between fiery and calmer sections, though even the slower sections function as fervent buildups. "L’etroit Huit" is a standout track being a killer mixture of Magma and Gong, perhaps even some Nektar circa Recycled but with a heavier progressive rock keyboard presence. "Ragnarok" is an excellent piece of prog-fusion, and dig that electric piano ! Overall, Musique Noise are a band that excel at fire, passion and well thought out complexity. Recommended to fans of all things Zheul who aren’t looking for a mere clone of Magma.
Musique Noise : Fulmines Integralis (Zicazine - 10 février 2003 - by Fred Delforge)
Dans la famille réédition surprenante, je voudrais Musique Noise … Bonne pioche ! Pour les plus jeunes, Musique Noise est un quintet créé en 1986 qui, après quelques expériences communautaires, offrit son sein à quelques autres jeunes recrues pour le meilleur et pour le pire. Le meilleur arriva en 1988 avec " Fulmines Regularis ", le pire survint en 1992 avec une séparation pendant l’enregistrement d’un second opus qui n’aboutira jamais. On retrouve aujourd’hui Cornélia Schmid (chant), Denis Levasseur (claviers), Frédéric Huynh (basse), Isabelle Bruston (chant), Jean-Philippe Gallet (saxo et chant), Marc Montella (trompette), Philippe Zarka (batterie), Xavier De Raymond (synthés) et Simon Bot Ban Jok (saxo) dans leurs œuvres intégrales, d’où le nom de la réédition, qui comprennent, outre l’unique album paru chez Musea, quatre titres inédits initialement destinés à l’hypothétique second volet de l’œuvre. De quoi raviver quelque peu la flamme !
Musique Noise nous replonge à l’époque où l’on écoutait pousser les chèvres en dégustant les fromages qui les accompagnaient … Inspirées par Magma ou Eskaton tout autant que par " Carmina Burana ", les bandes ici digitalisées peuvent sembler décalées à qui ne saurait pas faire preuve d’une certaine ouverture. Pourtant, la mixture est bonne et les grosses rides qui parsèment son front ne la rendent que plus charmante. Des titres à rallonges, des vocalises et des yodles, des textes tantôt nihilistes, tantôt profonds à l’image de " Mise au point " où de " Pour qui sont ces Rangers qui marchent sur nos têtes ? " dont les mots sont empruntés à " Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra " de Nietzsche … Des musiques planantes, enivrantes, qui ne sont pas sans rappeler par moments le légendaire " Hair " et les glorieuses heures de la génération Woodstock. Déguisées en symphonies irrationnelles, les compositions de Musique Noise sont pourtant des modèles d’organisation harmonique et d’arrangements … La technique est d’époque, tout comme peut l’être le son, mais jamais le groupe n’est ridicule tant le jeu est sincère. A l’heure de la grande marée revival qui nous submerge, pourquoi ne pas faire quelques brasses avec Musique Noise ? Let the sun shine in …
Musique Noise : Fulmines Integralis (Proggnosis - février 2003 - by Nuno)
Fulmines Integralis is the same album as the 1988 debut Fulmines Regularis however the the musicians decided to have added four unreleased recordings from 1992 originally planned for a second album.
That planned second album will never be released as the band split up in 1993.
Zeuhl is, by definition, a very adventurous, original, experimental and bizarre sub-genre of Progressive Rock.
With Magma and Eskaton in mind, Musique Noise embraces this style with ease and flavors it with their unique touch. The female vocals are used in a very uncommon way, sometimes seeming dispersed over the basing jazzing sections, other times drawing curve lines over a more “horizontal” musical texture.
There is an undisputable large amount of originality and experimental avant-gardism to be found in Fulmines Integralis. The band multiplies itself in instrumental frenzyness and odd time signatures, mixing operatic vocalizations with jazz, prog rock, classic tunes and other undefined styles. The result is obviously an amalgamation that is, at least, highly original.
I confess that I am not the biggest Zeuhl fan, so I am not one to fully appreciate this work, but I strongly believe that die hard fans of the genre will have a blast here.
Musique Noise (France) - 1992/2002 - "Fulmines Integralis" (Progressor - 30 janvier 2003 - by VM)
Preamble. "Fulmines Integralis" is the only album by the French band Musique Noise, which existed from 1986 to 1992. Originally, Musea released this album on LP in 1989. In 1992 however, the band composed and recorded four new songs, which weren’t released until the end of last year when Musea decided to reissue "Fulmines Integralis" on CD. Here, these four songs are located on tracks from 6 to 9. Also, it must be mentioned that this album was performed and recorded with the assistance of a few members of the excellent Zeuhl band Eskaton.
The Album. It is well known that Eskaton were both heavily and happily influenced by Magma - especially in their early period. Musique Noise, in their turn, can be regarded as very successful followers of Eskaton - of the band’s latest creation, to be precise, and their last and most original album, "Fiction" (1983), in particular. There are some shades of the most influential French band on "Fulmines Integralis", though overall, the music on this album is more complex and, at the same time, lighter than that on most, if not all, of Magma’s albums. Although Musique Noise are also about Zeuhl overall, there are not that many of the features that are typical for Classic Zeuhl on their only album. The music on the first four tracks on the CD : Pas Encore, Unique au Monde, Mise au Point, and Rangers, represents a blend of Zeuhl, Classic Jazz-Fusion (think of Zao and earliest Return To Forever), and Classic Symphonic Art-Rock with a few elements of a free jazz. Here, as well as on most of the other tracks on the album, all the instrumental and vocal arrangements are highly complex and are in the state of a constant development, and the number of vocal and purely instrumental parts is approximately equal. While a general ’vocal formula’ (a mixed, female & male, choir) on this album is in some ways close to those in the music of Magma and Eskaton, the way of singing is probably the most unique and impressive feature of Musique Noise’s music. (Sorry for a tautology, which is certainly not of an intentional origin in this case.) All six of the remaining songs : Vision Intempestive, Ecco, Ragnarok, Villiers, L’etroit Huit, and Pzkr (tracks 6, 7, 8, 9, 5, & 10 respectively), both of the latter of which are from an original LP, sound quite noticeable different than any of the first four tracks on the CD. Each of these songs features very innovative (I’d even say modern) symphonic textures that dominate over those of Zeuhl and Jazz-Fusion, which is not everything, though. The refusal of using even bits of free jazz on any of the new four songs, as well as quite a radical change of the way of singing, shows the band’s disposition towards the transformation of style they’ve once chosen, which is always a very positive creative property. (Which, in its turn, causes me to regret that there is no Musique Noise on the map of contemporary Progressive.) I don’t know why, but Ecco (7) features only Gallet’s (i.e. male) vocals. But then each of the remaining three songs represents nothing else but a little, yet, real and just amazing opera. In fact, the vocals of any of the band’s three singers are operatic, but they decided to use them this very special way only during the second and the last phase of the band’s creation.
Summary. In my honest opinion, Musique Noise, who were probably the most brave among the followers of Magma, developed and, finally, changed the classic Zeuhl sound almost beyond recognition. Their "Fulmines Integralis" is one of the most inventive albums released within the framework of this style, to say the list. Highly recommended to all interested parties who authentically know who they are.
I am not quite sure what to say or feel about this CD. Musique Noise is very original and Fulmines Integralis is one of the most different progressive albums I have ever heard. There are essentials of jazz, rock, classical, opera, and some very strange French gibberish going on, if you can think of it, they do it, anything and everything goes with this group. I have to warn all of you that like to experiment with certain drugs that cause you to hallucinate, do not listen to this while under that influence ; you may find yourself in a very strange space when you come down. Hell, I do not even do drugs and I felt weird when this CD ended.
Besides all of the musical avante garde insanity that this band creates, there are many marvelous musical moments during the course of this recording, although I found it extremely difficult pulling it all apart to understand it and when it was over I felt agitated. The last song Pzkr ! just pushed me over the edge. Honestly, there is some good music and this group has some very talented musicians in it, however I do not think that I will ever listen to this again, it was too bizarre for me. I loathe opera ; if that ingredient was not present, I would be fine. That one aspect really irritated me.
Musique Noise, whose style Keith details above would fall into the Zeuhl category (a la Magma), originally released this as Fulmines Regularis in 1988, and when they added 4 then previously unreleased tracks composed in 1992 for a second, never-to-materialize, album, added them to this album's re-release. -ed.
Fulmines Integralis (Rate Your Music - 2008-2009)
The good things about this album : it IS zeuhl music, not like so many others that are supposed to be, but sound like any other RIO or avant-prog group. Being repetitious, dissonant and doomy isn’t enough to make zeuhl. Musique Noise has captured the essential feeling and there are only few bands next to Magma who have achieced it. The most distinctive is the vocal. Mostly the style of Magma and Eskaton is copied, but in some parts it becomes very operatic.
The not so good thing is that it’s really ambitious, but can’t quite live up to it. Huge amount of ideas, sometimes they turn into surprising inventions, but half of it just makes me think - hmm, yes, it’s strange and interesting, but is it good ?
Overall, strongly recommended to any true zeuhl fan.
by Strugatsky, 31/10/2009
One of the quirkiest zeuhl albums. Grazy space jazz rock and speedy aliens. Definitely worth for every who likes Magma etc.
by Fastro, 17/12/2008
Musique Noise – Fulmines Integralis (Discogs - 2 décembre 2022 - by KinesisCD)
Musique Noise is a French group performing a music clearly inspired by Magma. This is the first time on CD for this album recorded in 1988, plus four unreleased tracks from 1992 originally planned for a second album. (The band split up the following year.) These powerful, energetic tracks emphasize the unique male and female choral vocals, worthy of Eskaton and no doubt inspired by Carmina Burana. The rest of the Magma style is here, played with inspiration by excellent musicians. 73 minutes of superb Zeuhl music.
Musique Noise & Fulmines Integralis (Progarchives - November 10, 2022 - by bartymj)
Part of a slightly new brand of Zeuhl focusing on the lighter and jazzier style, importantly incorporating the scatty operatic vocal style. Similar in style to Eskaton too who I would slightly controversially put ahead of Magma in terms of creating albums I'd listen to on repeat. That's on show in the first couple of tracks - one fast and light, the other slower and calmer, both full of jazz tropes and zeuhl vocalisations. Not such a fan of the very 80s synth work at the back end of track 2 though. That leads into a short track sung in French, with lots of electronic distortions which is a bit... meh. And it gets worse with some B-Horror cackling to start track 4. This is a really stop-start track which fails to flow at all through some attempts to sound a bit spooky. They were better off keeping it light like the first track. The next one L'étroit huit does a better job, and they really should have made more use of the saxophone that's on show at times here, rather than the synths. Ends well though.
Of the four additional tracks on the CD (and via streaming) Vision Intempestive is pretty funky with a great deep bass line, but that's all I'd listen to again. Ecco is pretty jarring and the vocals aren't great. Ragnarok descends into a chaos of percussion after a few minutes before some more 80s electronic synth. Villiers is too much like a sitcom soundtrack at times and then again gets too synthy.
It then ends with the very strange Pzkr! with massively sped up sections and oddly distorted vocals.
Massive frustration this album - the first track promisted a lot, but it just keeps on going downhill in my view.