Septembryonal

With a still numb mind following the summer lethargy, here comes time to roll up one’s sleeves and it is eager in appetite that we prepare to board on the year dashing into us. For there will be work to do. At that day, some forty projects (big ones and little ones) are queueing on the workbench to be taken care of. Programme of the year: live into space, remains of burning, tradition restored, one of the most beautiful voices of our skies, mathematics, treble notes and some other falls. But one thing at a time.

To extend the hanging hours of summer, let’s start quietly with 5 radio episodes ‘Eté slovène’ by Clément Bénech, adapted by Christophe Hocké, with a musical score by your most humble servant. The 5 episodes will be broadcast on France Culture from 31 August to 4 September, at 11.50 and up to noon.

After being in the kind care of Les Balades Sonores for the last two months, the Rational Gallery Monsters move on to Gambetta. They will go along with the fortunate gourmets of one of the most terrific eating places in Paris, Chez Betty (14 avenue du Père Lachaise), twenty-seven steps precisely from the Théâtre de la Colline. Would you not be in Paris but would like to bet on an outsider amateur of contemporary art by buying a screen printing or originals; or would you wish to change your olden emails by brand new paper decorated with fatty angels or bird-men: you may now purchase everything on the official store. The shop on-line also includes former albums –possible collectors-to-be: the first harpsichord pieces (presaging ‘La Chair des Anges’); the latest pieces for piano and ondes Martenot written for L’Unijambiste company, for the Yekaterina Ivanovna drama by Leonid Andreyev; the first album ‘Acte’ by Psykick Lyrikah; and the whole discography of a possible future cult band MOBiiL.

On September the 8th, the new album ‘Les Airs’ by John Greaves will be released on Signature label (Radio France). These are John’s fabulous creations on a libretto by Emmanuel Tugny, about the last days of the French poet Verlaine. Vocals by Elise Caron, Jeanne Added and Thomas de Pourquery, percussion by Leon Milo, viola by Guillaume Roy, drums by Régis Boulard and myself on guitar. A wonderful creation, in French, and different from anything you’ve ever known. To celebrate its release, we will perform in Paris at la Grande Halle de la Villette on 12 September.

As for the electric front, two MellaNoisEscape concerts at the end of the month, among which a set with a scent of meeting up again that will also gather Filiamotsa (whose news you will read next month when their smashing album will be out) and Laetitia Shériff, in Tours at Le Temps machine on September 26. The day after, MellaNoisEscape will be in Orléans on the Loire riverbanks for the Festival de Loire.

During this month, two duo and instrumental albums will be mixed by the great Nico Sacco: firstly, the album for phobic mental spheres with Marc Sens and secondly, the album for sonic wide spaces by NO&RD. To be continued…

To end with, a warm thanks to all of you who have shown interest by signing up to this newsletter. Your quiet presence is a good-hearted and determining wind keeping me moving always more.

A good new season to you and till very soon.

Olivier Mellano