Batiscaf
D'la Neige Sur L'kepi
Plainisphare (Switzerland) 1987
CH 1267 VICH (LP)
sleeve : EX-(some wear on edge and corner.)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noise. some very slightly hairlines that does not affect to sounds.)
1987 album by the Swiss group Batiscaf, led by guitarist/composer François Allaz. You could call them a fusion group, but the sound-making here is decidedly strange in the best possible way. Highlights include A3, where a rumba rhythm collides with wistful horns and tropical slide guitar, and A4, built around chattering percussion grooves blended with nonsensical voices and synth sound effects. The whole record unfolds with the bustling energy and bizarre twists of an amusement park ride, while also carrying a distinct new wave feel, making it a thoroughly enjoyable and wonderfully offbeat listen. There is a refined sense of playfulness here that strongly recalls Haruomi Hosono and Yasuaki Shimizu’s mid-1980s run.