It is hardly standard procedure to receive a promotional copy approximately three years after the initial contact with the band came to an end. But then again, PRYAPISME is hardly a standard procedure orchestra. This quartet of eclecticism-mongers have for these past three years, since their existence was brought to my attention (thank you Smohalla), have been composing – or rather, assembling and organizing – this their debut album appropriately titled “Rococo Holocaust”, and it’s easy to understand what took them so long.
Normally, I have a massively hard time getting into this type of “let’s skip genres every fourth second”-ADD-attention seeking-“weirdness” disguised as goofy attempts at experimental and new music. More often than not, it sounds contrived, pretentious, superfluous and downright bloody annoying. To many of you who share this opinion and taste will say the same about PRYAPISME. And you may be right. Songs are good. Show-offs are not. But, and this is where this review will turn around in a rather unexpected manner, for some reason, PRYAPISME manages in the end to defy these bullshit “non-standard” standards. Is it because of the cover – a large grey cat staring in aloof and proud silence at the camera/you, adorable and noble, without care or pity? The first indication of this band’s heart and soul: a complete lack of posturing, self-absorption and silly wonkiness, replaced with a subtle sense of irony, distance and absurdism. Or is it due to the fact that PRYAPISME manage to make (more or less) coherent compositions from their wide array of influences and stunning technical skill, avoiding the else so ubiquitous showiness and lack of artisticness and aesthetic sensibility that bands in this “genre” tend to get lost in?
Sure, it does get a bit wonky and “look at how crazy we are!” when they juxtapose funky electrodisco (think SCISSOR SISTERS) with EMPEROResque symphonic post-Black Metal with calypso or rumba or whatever with darkened carnival musick with Viennese 18th century chamber music with big band jazz with
AUTECHRE-meet-ULVER-meet-NINE INCH NAILS-electronica/”IDM” with avantjazzrock-in-opposition with NES-speedcore with ELP-like prog rock… over the course of less than two minutes (OK, maybe five). Listening in the wrong mood, it’s explicitly goddamn frustrating. But far from all the time. What strikes me while listening attentively to this album, is how meticulously portioned and respectfully conceived it is. It’s not just that they throw almost every genre possible to think of into the mix – they treat it with the same amount of respect as anyone who really performs, say, calypso would; it’s not a joke to PRYAPISME, even though it might be performed with a huge sense of humour (a complete lack of which would be even more intolerable, I suppose).
It’s after the first third of the album, with track 4, things get going for PRYAPISME (which, by the way, is the medical condition of permanent erection). When sections and riffs are allowed to grow, extend into solos and the like, PRYAPISME’s true core and artistic foundation is revealed: dark, cinematic fusions of post-Black Metal, electronica, and Rock-in-opposition (avantrock or whatever the appropriate term would be). At the heart of it all, this is a truly creative and inspired band, with more than enough musical skills to pull off some superb and baffling SONGS (esp. “Sanglie par un cornid” and … uhm, track 8). And that renders all off-kilter samba breaks, however equilibristically on par with the extreme metal elements, all worthwhile. And it sounds good to.
P.S. Even if their music makes you retch in dismay, look at the cat. Look at the cat. Look at it. You cannot deny that furry beast a place in your record collection. It’s name was Tabou and the memory of her/him lvies on with this album (2002-2008). And they made an awesome ULVER cover. What are you waiting for?
-aVoid
VITALS:
Release: september 2010
Label: Self-released I Guess
Avantgenre: Music Academy Wok
Duration: 48:52
Origin: France
Official site: http://www.myspace.com/pryapisme
Review online since: 28.09.2010 / 19:08:28
TRACKLIST:
01. Suppozitorium Granifujnikoi?
02. Le Doryphone De Kafka
03. Quenelle Quenelle Fourrure
04. Sanglié Par Un Cornid
05. Darkness Lobotomy Insurrection
06. Enfoiré Une Fois, Enfoiré Deux Fois
07. Copaing, Le Fuligule Miloin
08. En Ce Qui Concerne Le Sinistrose De Cette Fin De Siecle, On Ne Peut Se Passer De Se Remémorer Chacune Des Problématique De Bon Sens
09. Truffade Ou Plutôt J’te Rappelle J’me Fais Sucer Dans La Coudraie
10. Coherence Croquette
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