''Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits'' () is the second

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by Belgian

avant-rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

band Band or BAND may refer to: Places *Bánd, a village in Hungary * Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania * Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...

Aksak Maboul Aksak Maboul are a Belgian avant-rock band founded in 1977 by Marc Hollander with Vincent Kenis, and now revolving around Hollander and Véronique Vincent. Aksak Maboul hasn't stopped changing shape and form throughout its existence (the onl ...

. It was recorded at Sunrise Studio in Kirchberg,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, in February and August 1979, and released on LP in January 1980 on founding member Marc Hollander's Belgian

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

Crammed Discs Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...

. At the time, the band had changed the spelling of their name to "Aqsak Maboul", and this is reflected on the album's

record sleeve A record sleeve is the outer covering of a vinyl record. Alternative terms are ''dust sleeve'', ''album liner'' and ''liner''. The term is also used to denominate the outermost cardboard covering of a record, i.e. the ''record jacket'' or ''albu ...

. When the album was re-issued on CD in 1995 (also on Crammed Discs) the spelling of their name reverted to "Aksak Maboul". In addition to the Aksak Maboul line-up at the time, the album also featured ex-

Henry Cow Henry Cow were an English experimental rock group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler, b ...

musicians

Fred Frith Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser. Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as a founding member of the English avant-rock group Henry ...

and

Chris Cutler Chris Cutler (born 4 January 1947) is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of other bands, including Art Bears, N ...

, whose contribution and names helped bring the album to the attention of a wider audience. Aksak Maboul's co-founder,

Vincent Kenis Vincent Kenis is a Belgian musician and record producer. He was a member of the avant-garde group Aksak Maboul (Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine, 1977) and of The Honeymoon Killers (Belgian band), The Honeymoon Killers, an experimental rock ...

, did not play on this album, although he did

arrange Arrange is a mythological figure from the Aboriginal Australian creation myth of the Alyawarre people for Karlu Karlu. In the myth, the figure Arrange, who is also referred to as the devil man, comes from Ayleparrarntenhe. Arrange was making ...

two of the tracks.

Background

The formation of

Rock in Opposition Rock in Opposition or RIO was a movement representing a collective of progressive rock bands in the late 1970s united in their opposition to the music industry that refused to recognise their music. It was initiated by English avant-rock gro ...

(RIO) in 1978 brought together a number of like-minded

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

an bands. Aksak Maboul was amongst the second wave of bands to join RIO and benefited from the collaborations it spawned. This album features three musicians from two other RIO bands: Michel Berckmans from

Univers Zero Univers Zero (also known as Univers Zéro and Univers-Zero) are an instrumental Belgian band formed in 1974 by drummer Daniel Denis. The band is known for its dark style of progressive rock, heavily influenced by 20th-century chamber music. Hist ...

, who had joined Aksak Maboul when they began performing live in 1978, and

and

from

, who were invited by Marc Hollander to participate in the recording.

Content

''Un Peu de l'Ame des Bandits'' is more intense and experimental than Aksak Maboul's first album, '' Onze Danses Pour Combattre la Migraine'' (1977). It comprises complex written sections as well as improvised

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

pieces. It uses sampling before samplers were invented and is a mixture of

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

s, Turkish tunes, "chamber rock", noisy

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

, and pseudo- Varèse music. Like the first album, it is largely

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

with a little singing and other vocals. Side A of the LP record contains five dance pieces. "Modern Lesson" begins as a "twisted blues number" with gibberish vocals over guitar, cello, and saxophone, then switches to horn and string chamber music. It includes sounds from a pinball machine flipper as well as samples from every other track on the album. "Tango" was composed with "hat, scissors and glue" ''Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits'' liner notes. and features several popular tangos cut up and reassembled at random; the resulting "opus" was learned and performed live in one take. "I Viaggi Formano la Gioventú" is an

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

of a Turkish folk song featuring dumbeg and cello playing traditional scales. "Inoculating Rabies" is "angry bassoon punk" that is a composed bassoon and bass clarinet piece over a background of noisy rock guitar music. Side B is the 23-minute "Cinema" suite, which includes four solos: six-string bass-guitar, acoustic cello, electric cello, and synthesizer. It contains "dissonant woodwind passages, atonal psychedelic rock-outs, and snatches of Middle Eastern music". The last section, "Age Route Brra! (Radio Sofia)", is an improvised imitation of a

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

radio talk show Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, interviews wi ...

. "Cinema" was well received in

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

circles, as was the album as a whole.

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

called it "a pinnacle of the RIO movement", while ''Gnosis'' said, "Overall a very good album and one that is considered de rigueur for RIO fans." In their review of the album's 2018 reissue, ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' criticized the album's " isegard for flow" whilst saying that it does not come at "the expense of exhilarating technicality". ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'' called it "still great ... riotous and breathtaking" in their review of the same.

Track listing

On the original LP release, the track titles on the

and the

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

label differ. The titles below are from the album sleeve with those on the vinyl label enclosed in square brackets. All

s are by Aksak Maboul, except where noted. ;Side A #"A Modern Lesson o Diddley ( Marc Hollander, arr.

, Hollander, Catherine Jauniaux) – 4:58 #"Palmiers en Pots" ##" rio (from Nuits D'Argentine) (André Verchuren) – 1:25 ##"

ango An , or , is a Japanese language, Japanese term for a three-month period of intense training for students of Zen Buddhism, lasting anywhere from 90 to 100 days. The practice during ango consists of meditation (zazen), study, and work (Samu (Ze ...

(Frank Wuyts, Hollander) – 1:59 #"Geistige Nacht ondo (Frith, arr. Frith) – 5:18 #"I Viaggi Formano la Gioventú ruc Turc (trad. Turkish folk song arr.

, Aksak Maboul) – 5:09 #"Inoculating Rabies ogo (Denis van Hecke, Wuyts) – 1:47 ;Side B #"Cinema nokke ##"Ce Qu'On Peut Voir Avec Un Bon Microscope" (Hollander, Wuyts, Aksak Maboul) – 7:25 ##"Alluvions" (Hollander, Wuyts, arr. Kenis, Aksak Maboul) – 5:27 ##"Azinou Crapules" (Hollander, Wuyts) – 7:05 ##"Age Route Brra! (Radio Sofia)" (Aksak Maboul) – 2:48

Personnel

* Marc Hollander – organ (A1, A4, B1), piano (A1, B1), clarinet (A1), bass clarinet (A1, A5, B1), saxophone (A1), drum machine (A1), alto saxophone (A2, B1), soprano saxophone (A3, A4), dumbeg (A4), samples (A4), xylophone (B1), percussion (B1.2) * Frank Wuyts – drums (A1), pinball machine flipper (A1), recorder (A1), piano (A2–4, B1), synthesizer (A3, A4, B1), percussion (B1), choir (A1) * Michel Berckmans – bassoon (A1–3, A5, B1), oboe (A1, A3, A4, B1), choir (A1) * Denis van Hecke – acoustic cello (A1–4, B1), electric cello (A4, A5, B1), voice (A4, A5, B1), rhythm guitar (A5) * Catherine Jauniaux – voice (A1, B1), pinball machine flipper (A1) *

– guitar (A1, A4, A5, B1), violin (A1, A2), viola (A1), bass guitar (A1, A3, A5, B1), prepared guitar (B1) *

– drums (A1–3, A5, B1), percussion (B1), radio (B1)

Production

*Recorded February and August 1979 at Sunrise Studio, Kirchberg,

*Mixed by Etienne Conod and

, assisted by

*Front cover by Pat Andrea *Back cover and layout by M.M.C. Octave

Re-issues

In 1995 ''Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits'' was re-issued on CD on the

label. It contained an extra track recorded by

The Honeymoon Killers ''The Honeymoon Killers'' is a 1970 American crime film written and directed by Leonard Kastle, and starring Shirley Stoler and Tony Lo Bianco. Its plot follows an overweight nurse who is seduced by a handsome con man, with whom she embarks on ...

(formed by a merger in 1980 of

and Les Tueurs de la Lune de Miel): *"Bosses de Crosses orreurs (Hollander, Yvon Vromman, arr. Honeymoon Killers) – 7:02 The following musicians appeared on this track: * Marc Hollander – bass clarinet, keyboards, melodica, tapes *

– bass guitar * Yvon Vromman – guitar, vocals *Véronique Vincent – vocals *Gérald Fenerberg – guitar *J.F Jones Jacob – drums A variation of this piece entitled "Boss de Crosses dans le Doulos" was released in 1982 on the '' Recommended Records Sampler''. The CD cover used the original LP artwork in colour, with the band's name spelt "Aksak Maboul", and not "Aqsak Maboul". In 2018, ''Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits'' was re-issued on vinyl by

. The album was remastered from the original tapes, and includes a large booklet with abundant liner notes, rare documents, and recollections by all the participants. Also included is a bonus album entitled ''Before and After Bandits'', consisting of ten previously unreleased live and demo recordings, and featuring seventeen of the band's subsequent members and guests. This series of tracks depicts the evolution of the constantly morphing Aksak Maboul, from the band's 1977 debut album to the ''Bandits'' album, followed by a lesser-known avant-

no wave No wave was an avant-garde music genre and visual art scene that emerged in the late 1970s in Downtown New York City. The term was a pun based on the rejection of commercial new wave music. Reacting against punk rock's recycling of rock and r ...

phase in 1980, the eclectic electropop of ''Ex-Futur Album'', and through to the band's current incarnation, with a live track from 2015. The following musicians appear in ''Before and After Bandits'', in chronological order: * Marc Hollander: keyboards, woodwind * Vincent Kenis: guitar, bass * Chris Joris: percussion * Frank Wuyts: keyboards * Michel Berckmans: bassoon, oboe * Denis Van Hecke: cello * Geoff Leigh: flute, sax * Guigou Chenevier: drums * Chris Cutler: drums * Fred Frith: bass, guitar * Gérald Fenerberg: guitar * Yvon Vromman: guitar, vocals * Jean-François Jones Jacob III: drums * Véronique Vincent: vocals * Faustine Hollander: bass * Sebastiaan Van den Branden: synth * Christophe Claeys: drums

References

External links

*.
''Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits''
at

Rate Your Music Rate Your Music (often abbreviated to RYM) is an online encyclopedia of music releases and films. Users can catalog items from their personal collection, review them, and assign ratings in a five-star rating system. The site also features comm ...

.
''Un Peu de l'Âme des Bandits'' review
''ProgWeed''.
Aksak Maboul page
on

site {{DEFAULTSORT:Peu De L'Ame Des Bandits Aksak Maboul albums Crammed Discs albums 1980 albums Albums produced by Fred Frith