Piniol – Bran Coucou

Dur Et Doux

Piniol are a French band consisting of two bassists, two drummers, two guitarists and a single keyboard player to make their unearthly music. Live, I would imagine that this is a very formidable experience, and certainly one to hammer home their barrage of sound.

“Pilon Bran Coucou” opens the album in a kind of cosmic swirl that sets out its mission statement of intent. As the instruments begin to pile, in the sound becomes somewhat reminiscent of a jazz band trying to play Rush’s “YYZ” in outer space. Slowly, the instrumentation ascends onto some wild progressive rock launch pad into the unknown as the music climbs higher before exploding into light. Vocals come in and seem to have the same nonsensical feel of Daevid Allen’s lyrics. This helps the track become quite a heady brew of musical stylings that buffet against each other. Some lead guitar reminds me of Relayer-era Steve Howe and tribal rhythms hammer out beneath. A big bass riff here holds the track in place, as Rick Wakemanesque keyboard runs from Antoine Arnera pepper the piece; it makes for quite a firecracker of an opener.

“Pogne” starts with some stop-start bass and drum patterns that remind me more of 1970s Rush in their execution as the band yet again hit with full force. Its also on this track that band begin to sound a little bit like Magma at points, and the way the instruments wind around each other gives the band a very Zeuhl sound at times; which is no bad thing at all — in fact, it helps to give them that otherworldly vibe. A funky bass run introduces “Mimolle”, and when the guitar slips in it gives the track an early 1980s King Crimson feel to it. Keyboards build on the progressive action as a barrage of percussion assaults beneath. This is the music the creators of Karnak temple would have made in their spare hours; it seems to focus on time, space and infinity, all at the same instant.

Calm precedes the start of “Sho Shin”, but is soon shattered by a big, brontosaurian bass motif and screaming synths that sound like an alien creature slowly dying. Its here the band slip into a slight hip-hop territory, with the repeating of the word “motherfucker” over a similar dance beat. This soon gets swallowed up by some more pastoral guitar lines that then works its way into some vocalising nonsense and downward spiralling chords. It makes for a chaotic whole and one that keeps your ears glued to the speakers, wondering where they are going to go next.

Rocket ship synths blast off “Francois 1ER” and create a fairly sedate mood as the music takes a moment’s breath before tumbling tribal percussion begins to fall all around. Again, a barrage of sound permeates everywhere and creates odd juxtapositions,  at times as if two bands are battling against each other. Here again some Zeuhl hits in and it’s where the band sound most comfortable, hitting their stride musically and sonically. At these points the band can build monuments of sound that take you to somewhere quite different and create their own ancient language. Unholy crashes herald “Kerberos” as a rumbling bass hovers menacingly underneath some light guitar motifs, before crashing into the abyss again. This is music for when you find yourself abandoned on a strange planet and you know there is no way back home.

“Orbite” closes the album with its slow build opening over bird sounds. A guitar plays a simple chord pattern while synth noises fall around it like rain. The drums and bass slide in with a basic understated rhythm as guitar plays a counterpoint melody. When the vocal begins, it seems far away and longing. The sound reminds me of Another Green World-era Brian Eno, with its sense of ambience floating around the track. Eventually the piece heads upwards and out there as the track works its way to its mighty conclusion.

Piniol are a fantastic band with some outstanding musicianship and some complex arrangements that jump styles quite vigorously at times. I can imagine that on stage it would be quite an assault on the senses, and this album shows their power that would only be enhanced in concert, I would think.

-Gary Parsons-