Various – 4 In 1 Volume 3

Back in the old days I used to keep a list of all the cassettes I bought, and unfortunately that list is long gone, but I am pretty sure one my early purchases was '4 In 1 Volume 1', a cassette with Pseudo Code, Human Flesh, Mecanique Vegetale and Etat Brut. Four classic bands from the world of industrial/electronic music from Belgium, each with some fifteen minutes of music and still a regular ipod favorite. The second volume had the form of a LP and had music by Subject, The Legendary Pink Dots, Glamour For Evening and Bene Gesserit. Somehow that LP never had a legendary status with me, but I am not sure why. I should dig it out and play it again. What can be noted about both volumes is that Insane Music's Alain Neffe had quite a part in it, with two of his bands present. Now, almost thirty later, there is a third volume which is all about various Neffe bands. It opens with three excellent pieces by Pseudo Code, all from around 1981 and with the classic sound of hammering rhythm
machine, synths and Xavier S's soaring vocals. Bene Gesserit has four pieces all from 2010 and 2011, all with the voice of Nadine Bal at its centre and here taking the form of experimental poetry, rather than its more poppy sound from yesteryear. The somewhat odd thing here are five pieces recorded by Neffe contributing music to the vocals of Messy, a relatively obscure musician from Axel, The Netherlands (but active since many years), and these pieces are from ten years ago. The interesting thing is that Messy's vocals sound not unlike those of Nadine Bal, or other vocalists used by Neffe in Human Flesh, and also the music is not too different, so if you listen superficially it may seem a lot of pieces by Bene Gesserit, even when Messy Goes Insane is a bit less sound poetry like and more darker atmospherics. Say a fine few pieces to the twenty minute piece that ends this CD, 'an electronic opera' by Human Flesh, and in fine opera tradition in Italian (which is perhaps the only tradition from the world of opera obeyed here). It has spoken voices, soprano's along with synthesizers and electronics. I am clueless as to what this is about, but it sounds melancholic, atmospheric and perhaps even a bit spooky at times. An excellent piece in the best Human Flesh tradition, but of more recent years: quality has been maintained throughout. Excellent music all around here! (FdW) from VITAL WEEKLY