A is the full-length debut of the French band Turzi. Before even beginning to try and describe what this music sounds like, a word of caution. If you should choose to give this disc a listen, you’d better strap yourself in. Turzi doesn't just want to take you on trip. They want to take you on a wild, extreme ride and epic journey. The music here is psychedelic, narcotic, minimalist electronica. The scope of the album as a whole is epic and cinematic, often ambient and always atmospheric. As to the cinematic nature of the sounds, Turzi have been known to perform live improvisational scores to films like Fritz Lang's Metropolis. In fact, most of their compositions were born in the context of their visceral, enthralling live performances. A was mostly recorded live and partially improvised.
This record is an accomplished debut and a powerful, evocative document of the vast possibilities for music utilizing elements of electronica, psych., and minimalism. To be honest, it is challenging to listen to. Turzi's intention with this music is, at crucial moments, to push the sonic boundaries to extremes of atmospheric violence and neurotic tension. If you like electronica (or minimalism or psych, for that matter) this is an important record. Turzi rightly views itself in the context and tradition of Pan European experimental musicians and Krautrock pioneers such as Can (some of who's members were students of Karlheinz Stockhausen), Faust, Neu!, and Kraftwerk to name just a few of their sonic ancestors.
While some of the tracks are entirely instrumental, others include sung or spoken vocals such as the track "Afghanistan," which features a refrain sung repeatedly by multiple voices. On the track "Are You Thinking About Jesus?" there is a recurring chanted phrase, "Jesus doesn't belong on the dance floor." For an evocation of contemporary culture in post-secular France, references to Jesus and Allah seem to come up often. But of course the mention of “Allah” comes in the context of the song title "Allah Delon." As with many titles and lyrics on A, word play is involved. The aforementioned track is a reference to internationally famous French film star Alain Delon, who was compared to the likes of James Dean and was once called the male, Brigitte Bardot.
Before starting up Turzi, Romain Turzi fronted an ensemble called Reich IV. As you might guess, Reich IV performed pieces of music by minimalist guru Steve Reich. The psychedelic electronica scene in France is populated by intelligent, inventive composers and musicians. To document this The band (Turzi) has curated an album entitled The History of French Modern Psychedelic Music featuring the music of Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Etienne Jaumet, Sebastian Tellier (who contributed music to the soundtrack of Lost In Translation), Chicros and Juan Trip along with ten others. As a bonus, fans who purchase the new Turzi record (Kemado Records, US street date September 4) will be able to download the entire compilation for free! The major record labels must just love promotions like this.
In the word's of Romain Turzi, "Music, whether you are intitated in it
or not, should make you have the same sensations as doing drugs. With this in mind, it is our intention to play with the listener, to make him go up and down, to create a malaise as well as pleasure."
