Izvođač: Present
Izdavač: Samozaložba
Izdano: 2009
Ocjena: 4.6/5
Present su jedan od onih sastava koji se sa svakom pločom samo poboljšavaju. Od povratka s Certitudes (ako ne računamo C.O.D. Performance) izdali su same nevjerojatne stvari i svako novo izdanje bilo je bolje od prethodnog. Zadnji studijski uradak izašao je 2001., tako da su očekivanja za novi album bila vrlo visoka. Present nas nisu razočarali, nego su stvorili još jedno remek-djelo koje nas podsjeća na prošlu slavu, a opet se okreće budućnosti, s još intenzivnijom, kompleksnijom i zvučno poboljšanom glazbom.
Zvuk sastava teško je definirati. Vjerojatno bismo mogli reći da je njihova glazba izgrađena oko prilično disonantnih motiva i melodija (ako ih uopće tako možemo nazvati), koji su zahtjevno komponirani i aranžirani, tako da nastaje glazba koju je poprilično teško slušati. Obično nisam veliki fan tehničke glazbe same tehnike radi, ali Present znaju u svoje tvorevine uliti svoje najgore strahove i najdublje osjećaje i stvoriti nekakvu nezemaljsku glazbu koja je krajnje kompleksna, ali i vrlo emotivna i zna te usisati u sebe.
Vertiges je kompozicija koju su zajedno napisali otac i sin Trigaux. Možda je riječ o najzahtjevnijoj skladbi Present dosad. Tempo nikad ne popušta, a neki dijelovi su izuzetno zahtjevni. Mislim da su Present najjači upravo u tom elementu – kad sviraju izuzetno kompleksne dijelove u kojima ima i ogromno tjeskobe i drugih iskonskih osjećaja. Na trenutke (osobito oko polovice) Vertiges podsjeća na skladbu Presage (Uzed) sastava Univers Zero, što je zanimljivo jer Trigaux tada više nije bio član Univers Zero, ali je očito pratio njihovu glazbu, budući da je Daniel Denis također bio član Present. Vertiges je izniman postignuće i pokazuje karakterističan zvuk Present, ali dodaje i neki moderan aspekt. Cijelo vrijeme osjećaju se izuzetna napetost i sirovost, zbog čega si stalno na oprezu.
A Last Drop je skladba koju je stvorio Pierre Chevalier. Riječ je o njegovu drugom skladateljskom doprinosu Present – prvi je bio Strychnine for Christmas s albuma High Infidelity. Pierreov stil prilično se razlikuje od Rogerova. Nije tako divlji i lud, ima i dosta mirnih trenutaka u kojima možeš odmoriti uši. Neki dijelovi na Mellotronu podsjećaju me na rane King Crimsone, dok pojedini gitarski rifovi vuku na Red (također King Crimson). Svakako lijep kontrast osjetilnoj šteti (u dobrom smislu, naravno) koju izaziva Vertiges.
Posljednje djelo vjerojatno je poznato svim ljubiteljima rock in opposition pokreta. Jack the Ripper (koji su napisali Daniel Denis i Roger Trigaux) službeno je objavljen na albumu Heresie sastava Univers Zero i jedno je od najprepoznatljivijih djela Univers Zero. Present ga još uvijek često sviraju na svojim koncertima. Ova je verzija takva kakvu čujemo na njihovim nastupima. Čini se da u njoj ima više adrenalina i Jack djeluje još manijakalnije i brutalnije. Osim veće količine agresivnosti, kompozicija je prilično slična izvorniku. Dodano je nešto dijelova na Mellotronu i sintesajzeru, što pojačava napetost, neki su instrumenti drugačiji i uvod se svira na klaviru, a ne na harmoniju, ali što se tiče kompozicije, nema većih promjena. Radije bih slušao novu skladbu, jer je Jack i na DVD-u, ali što je tu je i uvjeren sam da ću i tu verziju još dosta slušati.
Drugi dio albuma je DVD. Tu možemo vidjeti gotovo tri sata nastupa Present, što je puno po bilo kojim standardima. Čujemo praktički sve najbolje skladbe Present i najodjekivanije nastupe u zadnjih nekoliko godina.
Najprije možemo pogledati gotovo cijeli nastup na prvom festivalu Rock in Opposition iz 2007. Te snimke bude u meni lijepe uspomene i pokazuju sastav na vrhuncu snage. ŠPosebno je zanimljiv nastup na dva klavira, jer su aranžmani nešto drugačiji nego na studijskim verzijama.
Zatim možemo vidjeti sastav kako nastupa na festivalu Gouveia, i to 2006. Već su tada predstavili dvije nove skladbe koje možemo čuti na studijskom dijelu. A Last Drop praktički je ista kao na CD-u, dok je Vertiges odsvirana otprilike od polovice nadalje (od dijela koji zvuči slično skladbi Presage sastava Univers Zero).
Odličan dodatak su i arhivske snimke. Svidio mi se nastup obojice Trigauxa na C.O.D. Performance, gdje su na samo dvije gitare svirali Alone, Le Poison (prvi dio) i Ersatz, a mladi Reginald Trigaux imao je ulogu glavnog gitarista.
I snimka kad Present 1994. sviraju na festivalu u Carmauxu vrlo je zanimljiva. Opet vidimo postavu bez klavijatura, nego s dvije gitare, basom i bubnjevima (Roger i Reginald Trigaux, Christian Genet i Daniel Denis). Sastav je izveo prilično rockersku verziju skladbe Le Poison (drugi dio).
Sljedeća snimka je Delusions, koju su odsvirali u klubu Orion. Dave Kerman i Pierre Chevalier tu su se već pridružili sastavu i sviranje djeluje puno usredotočenije. Reginald pokazuje da je i dobar improvizator kad zaluta u solažu koja podsjeća na Jimmyja Hendrixa.
I nastup u Wurzburgu donosi nam nešto dobro – skladbu koju još nisam čuo. Zove se Contre i već je objavljena na albumu Live. Trebala bi biti snimljena i u studiju ili čak proširena, jer već sada zvuči fantastično, a kad bi Trigaux dodao još poneki svoj tipični dodatak, mogla bi zvučati još bolje (ako je to uopće moguće). Na trenutke me kompozicija čak podsjeća na Art Zoyd.
Zvuk nastupa čini se nešto izmijenjenim. Kompozicije su sličnije studijskim verzijama nego živom nastupu kojem sam i sam svjedočio na prvom festivalu Rock in Opposition. Za ostale nastupe ne mogu tvrditi, ali pretpostavljam da je slično. Na DVD-u zvuče puno bolje nego što su zvučali uživo (osim arhivskih snimki, koje zvuče prosječno), ali to se dalo i očekivati.
Kao što sam već rekao, zvuk na oba CD-a je izniman (osim arhiva), zahvaljujući i dobrom radu Udija Koomrana, ali kvaliteta slike nije na takvoj razini. Zadnja CD/DVD kombinacija koju sam kupio prije ovog albuma bio je novi album sastava IQ, gdje je slika bila neusporedivo bolja. Ovdje se čini kao da je slika cijelo vrijeme blago mutna. To je doduše tek manja neugodnost, jer se nastupi još uvijek vide dovoljno jasno da u njima možemo uživati u svakom pogledu.
Izvedbe na obje ploče pokazuju da su to neki od najboljih glazbenika na svijetu. Vizija Rogera Trigauxa jasna je i za nju su mu potrebni najbolji glazbenici, a od albuma No. 6 ih i ima. Zvuk je toliko pun da ti se čini da je svaki milimetar prostora popunjen. Nijedna nota nije suvišna, sve je točno ondje gdje treba biti. Takva briljantnost zahtijeva puno uloženog rada i povjerenja, a Roger Trigaux to od svojih glazbenika nedvojbeno i dobiva.
Barbaro (ma non troppo) je fantastičan album. Jedina prava zamjerka je da na njemu nema dovoljno nove glazbe – samo 28 minuta. Istina, dobivamo novu verziju skladbe Jack the Ripper, ali radije bih slušao nešto posve novo, nego nešto što je izdano prije 30 godina. Osim toga, imam same pohvalne riječi. S DVD-om sam se mogao prisjetiti nekih lijepih trenutaka na prvom RIO festivalu i vidjeti nastupe koje sam nažalost propustio (Gouveia 2006). Vidimo i neke arhivske snimke, što lijepo zaokružuje album i povijest sastava Present.
Moja završna ocjena je da nam Barbaro poslužuje nešto od najbolje glazbe koju su Present ikad izdali. Vertiges je za mene najbolja skladba Present svih vremena, ili se barem trenutno tako čini, i jedna od najboljih skladbi uopće. Ni A Last Drop nije daleko iza, dok nam Jack the Ripper nudi lijep uvid u razliku između novog i starog zvuka Present. Ovaj bi album trebao imati svaki ljubitelj sastava Present i eksperimentalne glazbe.
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Present is one of those bands that just keeps getting better with each release. They’ve released some amazing stuff since their comeback with Certitudes (if we don’t count the C. O. D. Performance) and each release bested its predecessor. The last studio album came in 2001, so expectations were naturally very high for this one. Present didn’t let us down, producing another masterpiece, which reminds us of their past glories, yet also focuses on the future with an even more intense, complex and better-sounding release.
Present’s sound is hard to define. I suppose you could say their music is built around very dissonant motives and melodies (if you can call them that), which are intricately composed and arranged into what is sometimes considered as some of the most challenging music to have ever been recorded. Usually, I’m not a big fan of technical music just for the sake of it, but Present are able to put all their darkest fears and deepest emotions into their music to create otherworldly music, which is highly complex, but very emotional and involving at the same time.
Vertiges is a track co-written by father and son Trigaux. It’s perhaps Present’s most challenging work to date. The tempo is unrelenting and some of the parts are incredibly complex. I think this is where Present are best – doing amazingly difficult segments that still contain so much anguish and other primal emotions. Occasionally (especially somewhere around the half of the composition), Vertiges reminds me of the Univers Zero piece Presage, which is peculiar since Trigaux was no longer a member on Uzed, but I suppose he kept track of the goings-on in Univers Zero, seeing as Daniel Denis was also a member of Present. Nevertheless, Vertiges is a tremendous achievement, showing off some of Present’s trademark aspects, but the piece also seems to have a more modern feel to it. There is an amazing intensity and rawness throughout it that keeps you on your toes all the way through.
A Last Drop is a piece composed by Pierre Chevalier. It’s his second contribution to the Present catalogue – the first being Strychnine for Christmas from the High Infidelity album. Pierre’s style is quite different to Roger’s. His piece is not that hectic and wild, there are a few more peaceful moments to rest your ears. Some segments on the Mellotron remind me of early Crimson, while some guitar riffs remind me of Red. It is a nice contrast to the damage on the senses (positive, of course) that Vertiges inflicts on you.
The last title is familiar to most fans of the rock in opposition movement. Jack the Ripper (co-written by Daniel Denis and Roger Trigaux) was originally released on Univers Zero’s Heresie and is one of the most recognisable Univers Zero works. Present still frequently play it at their shows. The version we hear here is the one from their live shows. It’s as if an extra surge of adrenaline has been put into the piece and Jack has become even more brutal and manic. Besides the more aggressive nature of the composition, it stays fairly true to the original. There are some added Mellotron and synthesiser parts, which add to the suspense, some of the instruments are different and the introduction is played on the piano instead of the harmonium, but in terms of composition, this is pretty much the same version as on Heresie. I would have preferred to hear a new piece instead of this, seeing as this new version is also on the DVD, but beggars can’t be choosers and I’m sure this will get a fair bit of mileage from my CD player as well.
The second part of the album is the DVD. You get almost three hours of Present performances, which is a lot by anyone’s standards. We basically hear all the favourite Present pieces and all of Present’s most memorable performances in the last few years.
First, we get a look at almost the entire performances at the first Rock in Opposition festival held in 2007. These bring back some fond memories and show the band in all its glory performing some of their best pieces. The two pianos set is particularly interesting because the arrangements are slightly different than on the studio versions.
After that, we can see the band performing at the Gouveia 2006 festival, where they already presented the two new pieces we can hear on the studio CD. A Last Drop is more or less the same as on the CD, while only half of Vertiges is played (from the section that sounds a bit like Univers Zero’s Presage).
A really excellent addition to the DVD is the archival footage. I enjoyed the two Trigaux men during the C.O.D. performance, where they played Alone, Le Poison (first part) and Ersatz on only two guitars, with a young Reginald Trigaux taking on lead guitar duties.
The Present 94 show played at the Carmaux festival is also nice. Again, we see a line-up with no keyboards, but two guitars, bass and drums (Roger and Reginald Trigaux, Christian Genet and Daniel Denis). The band performed a very rocked-out version of Le Poison (Part 2).
The next footage is Delusions performed at Orion. Dave Kerman and Pierre Chevalier had already joined the band at this point and the playing seems that much tighter thanks greatly to them as well. Reginald shows what a great improviser he is when he goes into a Jimmy Hendrix-like solo.
The Wurzburg show also brings us something good – a piece I hadn’t heard before called Contre (also included on the Live album), which should have been recorded in the studio or even expanded by Trigaux because it sounds fantastic as it is, but with Trigaux’s typical additions, it might sound even better (if that’s possible). It actually reminds me of Art Zoyd slightly.
The sound of the performances seems slightly altered. The pieces sound more similar to the studio versions than when I heard them live at the RIO festival. I can’t speak or the other shows, but I’m guessing it’s the same. It sounds much better on the DVD than live, but that was to be expected, except for the archival releases, which sound exactly as archival releases should – not great, but not bad.
The sound quality on both discs is great, as I’ve already said (apart from the archival segments), also due to the good work of Udi Koomran, but the picture quality isn’t the best. The last CD/DVD combination I got before this was IQ’s latest album and they did a much better job of the picture, while Present’s DVD picture doesn’t always seem to be in focus. This is a very minor annoyance to such nitpickers as myself, as the performances can still be seen very clearly and enjoyed thoroughly.
The performances on both discs clearly show that we’re hearing some of the best and most dedicated musicians at work. Roger Trigaux’s vision is clear and for that vision he needs the best in the business and ever since No. 6, he has had the best group of people to work with. The sound is so full that you feel like every millimetre of space has been used up. No note seems obsolete, everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be. This kind of brilliance requires a great deal of dedication and belief – and this is what Roger Trigaux certainly gets from this great group of musicians.
Barbaro (ma non troppo) is a fantastic piece of work. The only real criticism I have is that it gives us too little new music – only 28 minutes. Sure, there’s a new version of Jack the Ripper, but I’d rather listen to an entirely new piece than to a composition written 30 years ago. Other than that little complaint, this CD/DVD is a real treat. The DVD gave me a chance to remember the wonderful moments o the first RIO festival and see some performances I unfortunately missed (Gouveia 2006). There is also some very memorable archival footage, which adds a nice touch to the album.
My final assessment is that Barbaro serves us some of the best music Present have ever produced. For me, Vertiges is the best Present composition I have ever heard, or at least it seems like that at the moment, and one of the finest pieces of music ever written by anyone. A Last Drop isn’t far behind, while Jack the Ripper offers a nice new insight into Present’s new sound. This is a must-get album for any fan of Present (for the CD and DVD) and experimental music (particularly for the CD). The future looks bright for Present!
Postava
Christian Genet – bas (DVD: 10)
Keith Macksoud – bas
Matthieu Safatly – klavijature, violončelo
Daniel Denis – bubnjevi (DVD: 10)
Dave Kerman – bubnjevi
Réginald Trigaux – gitare
Roger Trigaux – gitare, klavijature
Ward De Vleeschhouwer – klavir (DVD: 4, 5)
Pierre Chevalier – klavir, klavijature
Fred Becker – saksofon (DVD: 12)
Pierre Desassis – saksofon
Udi Koomran – zvuk
Dominic Ntoumos – truba (DVD: 12)
Laurent Van Gorp – truba (DVD: 3)
Produkcija
Present
Popis skladbi
CD
1. Vertiges (16:25)
2. A Last Drop (11:25)
3. Jack The Ripper (16:32)
DVD
Live at Rock In Opposition — France Event, 2007, Electric Concert : Sunday, April 15
1. Jack The Ripper (16:01)
2. Ceux d’en Bas (suite) (12:46)
3. Promenade au Fond d’un Canal (26:14)
Two Pianos and Percussion: Saturday, April 14
4. Souls For Sale (24:14)
5. Vertiges (17:55)
Live at Gouveia Art Rock Festival — Portugal, April 2006
6. The Limping Little Girl (12:43)
7. A Last Drop (11:36)
8. Vertiges (10:24)
Bonus archival videos
9. Present C.O.D. (7:27)
10. Present 94 (8:38)
11. Delusions At Orion (17:18)
12. Present 2001 in Wurzburg (6:39)
