Murcof - The Versailles Sessions

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Phil on Thu 06 Nov, 2008.

Murcof has a brand new album out. The mexican wonder is back with a stunning opus called 'The Versailles Sessions'. Here you have 6 brand new Murcof tracks composed for Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes which is a festival of light,sound and water at the Chateau De Versailles in France. Hence the title.... Yup everything has a reason and a place and if you think something can't be pigeonholed or explained then you've not told me about it. I am the lord of both pigeons and holes. This is a far cry from the early dubby techno of Murcof. Here the music is constructed with 17th Century Baroque instruments including such delights as the harpsichord, viola de gamba (which sounds like a nice prawn dish), the flute and violin. OK this is dark. This is well dark. If the last album was Murcof going to evil sunday school then this new album is him doing a big service at the grandmasters evil church while he's using satan as his stool. In places it's not a million miles away from Sunn O))) and that sort of doom laden fun. Though given the fact it's made with baroque instruments it does have that old regency feel about it. It has elements of light and beauty in there but overall it's a haunting and foreboding album which will shit you up if you sit on your own in a darkened room with it on turned upto 11. On first listen I didn't know what to make of it but fully immersed in my 3rd listen it's making loads more sense and I'm starting to think it's a brilliant record. It's not an easy listen by any stretch of the means but stick with it and you'll discover the riches within this wonderfully produced record! Smashing!

The Versailles Sessions will be available as a specially priced digipak CD and limited edition double vinyl (including free poster) The Versailles Sessions consists of six new pieces composed by Fernando Corona for Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes, an annual festival of sound, light and water at Château de Versailles in France.

The six compositions derive entirely from recordings of 17th century baroque instruments (including harpsichord, viola da gamba, flute and violin) and a mezzo soprano, made in Paris in 2007 for the project The release cements Corona’s reputation as a highly regarded contemporary composer, and this new work should also hold appeal for fans of doom-merchants like Earth and Sunn O))).

Océano will form the backbone of Corona~Rs next studio album (penciled for release in 2009), testament to just how far he’s come from his minimalist beginnings, harnessing monolithic sonic power to his masterful control of
timbre and atmospherics

Corona’s international reputation has been enhanced recently with a number of unusual collaborations, including: a stunning appearance at the Peter Harrison Planetarium, Greenwich two shows with Jean-Paul Dessy’s Musiques Nouvelles ensemble in Bourges and Brussels cathedrals Montreux Jazz Festival (with Talvin Singh and Erik Truffaz) Geode IMAX in Paris (with video artist Saul Saguatti) a live score to Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis at the Cinematheque in Paris L’Auditori at Sonar Festival in Barcelona with the pianist Francesco Tristano

Tracklist: 1. Welcome To Versailles 2. Louis XIV’s Demons 3. A Lesson For The Future, Farewell To The Old Ways 4. Death Of A Forest 5. Spring In The Artificial Gardens 6. Lully’s ‘Turquerie’ As Interpreted By An Advanced Spirit.

5...according to Richard Pievaitis.

hi there ,my first review here on Norman records,having done many on Amazon,i noticed that no one had said how wonderful this latest album by Murcof is.

i have all the other albums and with each there has been a definite line of obvious progression .from the very linear minimalist bleeps,clicks and elements of piano on the first album to this full blown commission for the versailles garden fountain.

i bet listening to this "in situ" with the actual fountain working, on a moonlit night, would be quite incredible.

down to the music ,well this is actually very musical in nature.this does have a few of the trademark "bleeps and clicks" BUT the use of real baroque instrumentation with female soprano voice is wonderful

.imho this works best on track 3 which is quite pagan and organic and best when played loud.

if you like bass communion or vidna obmana then this is for you,this album is not quite as dark as the last 2 albums but THAT IS NOT A BAD THING.

in fact ,out of all of the murco releases this is my favourite,currently,but this does change on a weekly basis ,i suppose it depends on the mood you are in.

as an actual composition this is very strong on the musicality.MY SUGGESTION - buy it and see !

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!