That most dashing of European labels, Crammed Discs, is celebrating forty years in the industry, and in keeping with this are engineering a series of reissues, of which the first volume of their Made To Measure albums is at the front.
Made To Measure served as an adjunct to the main label, releasing albums that were slightly out of the ordinary, often affiliated with other forms of art; dance and theatre performances, soundtracks, pieces for film and fashion, always something a little out of the bands’ usual output. The first volume, originally released in 1984, included the mouthwatering lineup of Minimal Compact, Aksak Maboul, Tuxedomoon and Benjamin Lew, and each of the five works here are very much diverse yet outstanding pieces and stand apart yet fit in with each group’s ethos.
The four pieces Minimal Compact wrote for choreographer Pierre Droulers are recognisable as theirs in places, with the crisp drums and mystery spy vibe of “Bat-Yam” replete with Eastern piano and sultry clarinet leading into the veritable post-punk of “Too Many Of Them”. The bass sound is gorgeous and so evocative of the early ’80s, and it wanders around as Malka Spigel‘s tormented yet seductive voice entwines around your legs like a feral cat.The fairground waltz of “Immer Vorbei” could have been a blueprint for Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds‘ “The Carny”, with the violin and whining, wheedling voice lending a desolate air, but ending in an oddly romantic crescendo. Max Franken‘s drums are glorious on “Animal Killers” and this turns into a spoken word piece, an odd cousin to Talking Heads‘ “Seen And Not Seen”, its scissor guitar and whispered organ lending a quiet hand.
Benjamin Lew’s contribution is one short piece written as an aural backdrop for a fashion exhibition, and is “]an atmospheric, minimalist noise sculpture with sharp synth tones that moves surreptitiously yet with purpose, and ends far too early. The first of two selections from Aksak Maboul finds them in playful mood, constructing a piece apparently using a turntable, a ’60s pop single and some marmalade. Quite where the marmalade comes in I don’t know, but the locked groove whirr and the vinyl crackle add to the oddly halting drama. Different parts are merged, producing an engaging whole which contains a real familiarity to anybody that regularly spins 45rpm singles. Intriguing and fun.Aksak Maboul, consisting only of Crammed supremo Marc Hollander here, produced a group of piano-led pieces for the play Un Chien Mérite Une Mort De Chien and the overall mood here is of a silent movie soundtrack, the harsh choppy piano at points vibrant and upbeat, at others more desolate and echoing. His playful style holds elements of intrigue and there is a slight harshness that pokes at the ears. The final piece, “Mort De Velimir”, has drums that bash the doors in and changes the mood noticeably as its slow, heavy sax with violence in the air moves slowly and with purpose.
The final three tracks are Tuxedomoon’s contributions to Bob Visser‘s Het Veld Van Eer, and the heavy bass and shuffling snare attack take you back to the marching through battlefields of the First World War. Violin and sax bring the drama, and there is a progression and excitement that looks to the future, but holds a hand with the historical aspect. It turns dark and smokey, doomy and shadowy, with a windy whistle that turns unexpectedly upbeat, the synths lending a sense of ignorance, as if charging into the unknown — but with our hindsight, knowing what to expect.Made To Measure Volume One is a very welcome release that shows the cream of the Crammed crop at their very best and most intriguing. It is full of thought and passion and strangeness. Just what we would come to expect from the label. This is part of quite a reissue campaign and I can’t wait to see what else arrives.
-Mr Olivetti-
