Present je ena tistih skupin, ki se z vsako ploščo le še izboljšuje. Od povratka s Certitudes (če ne upoštevamo C.O.D. Performance) so izdali same neverjetne stvari in vsaka nova izdaja je bila boljša od prejšnje. Zadnji studijski izdelek je izšel leta 2001, tako da so bila pričakovanja za nov album zelo visoka. Present nas niso razočarali, temveč so ustvarili še eno mojstrovino, ki nas spominja na preteklo slavo, a se prav tako posveča prihodnosti, s še bolj intenzivno, kompleksno in zvočno izboljšano glasbo.
Zvok zasedbe je težko definirati. Verjetno bi lahko rekli, da je njihova glasba zasnovana okoli precej disonančnih motivov in melodij (če jim sploh lahko tako rečemo), ki so zahtevno zložene in aranžirane, tako da nastane glasba, ki je sila težavna za poslušati. Ponavadi nisem velik pristaš tehnične glasbe zgolj zaradi tehnike, a Present znajo v svoje stvaritve vreči svoje najhujše strahove in najgloblje občutke in ustvarijo neko nezemeljsko glasbo, ki je skrajno kompleksna, a je tudi zelo čustvena in te zna posrkati vase.
Vertiges je kompozicija, ki sta jo skupaj napisala oče in sin Trigaux. Morda gre za najbolj zahtevno Present skladbo doslej. Tempo nikoli ne popušča in nekateri deli so izjemno zahtevni. Mislim, da so Present ravno v tem elementu najmočnejši - ko igrajo izjemno kompleksne dele, ki vsebujejo tudi ogromno tesnobe in drugih prvinskih občutkov. Na trenutke (še posebej okrog polovice) Vertiges spominja na Univers Zero skladbo Presage (Uzed), kar je zanimivo, saj Trigaux takrat ni bil bil več član Univers Zero, a je očitno spremljal njihovo glasbo, saj je bil Daniel Denis prav tako član Present. Vertiges je izreden dosežek in pokaže značilen Present zvok, a prav tako doda nek moderen vidik. Vseskozi se čutita izjemna napetost in surovost, zaradi česar si vseskozi na preži.
A Last Drop je skladba, ki jo je ustvaril Pierre Chevalier. Gre za njegov drugi skladateljski doprinos pri Present - prvi je bil Strychnine for Christmas iz albuma High Infidelity. Pierrov stil je precej drugačen od Rogerjevega. Ni tako divji in nor, je tudi kar dosti mirnih trenutkov, kjer si lahko odpočiješ ušesa. Nekateri deli na Mellotronu me spominjajo na zgodnje King Crimsone, medtem ko določeni kitarski rifi potegnejo na Red (prav tako King Crimson). Vsekakor lep kontrast napram čutni škodi (v dobrem smislu, seveda), ki jo povzroči Vertiges.
Zadnje delo je verjetno znano vsem ljubiteljem rock in opposition gibanja. Jack the Ripper (ki sta jo napisala Daniel Denis in Roger Trigaux) je bila uradno izdana na albumu Heresie zasedbe Univers Zero in je eno najbolj prepoznavnih del Univers Zero. Present jo še vedno pogosto igrajo na svojih koncertih. Ta verzija je takšna kot jo slišimo na njihovih nastopih. Zdi se, kot da je v njej več adrenalina in Jack se zdi še bolj maničen in brutalen. Razen večje količine agresivnosti, je kompozicija precej podobna izvirniku. Je nekaj dodanih delov na Mellotronu in sintetizatorju, kar poveča napetost, nekateri instrumenti so drugačni in uvod je odigran na klavirju in ne harmoniju, a kar se tiče kompozicije, ni večjih sprememb. Raje bi slišal novo skladbo, saj je Jack tudi na DVD-ju, a kar je je in prepričan sem, da bom tudi to verzijo še dosti poslušal.
Drug del albuma je DVD. Tukaj lahko vidimo skoraj tri ure Present nastopov, kar je dosti po vsakršnih standardih. Slišimo praktično vse najboljše Present skladbe in najbolj odmevne nastope v zadnjih letih.
Najprej lahko pogledamo skoraj ves nastop na prvem Rock in Opposition festivalu iz leta 2007. Ti posnetki me navdajo z lepimi spomini in pokažejo skupino na vrhuncu svojih moči. Še posebej je zanimiv nastop na dveh klavirjih, saj so aranžmaji nekoliko drugačni kot na studijskih verzijah.
Potem lahko vidimo skupino nastopati na festivalu Gouveia, in sicer leta 2006. Že takrat so predstavili dve novi stvaritvi, ki ju lahko slišimo na studijskem delu. A Last Drop je praktično ista kot na zgoščenki, medtem ko je Vertiges odigrana tam nekje od polovice naprej (od dela, ki zveni podobno Univers Zero skladbi Presage).
Odličen dodatek so tudi arhivski posnetki. Všeč mi je bil nastop obeh Trigaux-jev med C.O.D. Performance, kjer sta na le dveh kitarah igrala Alone, Le Poison (prvi del) in Ersatz in je mladi Reginald Trigaux bil v vlogi glavnega kitarista.
Tudi posnetek, ko Present leta 1994 igrajo na festival v Carmauxu je zelo zanimiv. Spet vidimo postavo brez klaviatur, temveč z dvema kitarama, basom in bobni (Roger in Reginald Trigaux, Christian Genet in Daniel Denis). Skupina je izvedla precej rockersko verzijo skladbe Le Poison (drugi del).
Naslednji posnetek je Delusions, ki so ga odigrali v klubu Orion. Dave Kerman in Pierre Chevalier sta se tukaj že pridružila zasedbi in igranje se zdi mnogo bolj osredotočeno. Reginald pokaže, da je tudi dober improvizator, ko zaide v solažo, ki spominja na Jimmyja Hendrixa.
Tudi nastop v Wurzburgu nam prikaže nekaj dobrega - skladbo, ki še je nisem slišal. Imenuje se Contre in je že bila izdana na Live albumu. Morala bi biti posneta tudi v studiu ali celo razširjena, saj že zdaj zveni fantastično, če pa bi še Trigaux poskrbel za kakšne svoje tipične dodatke, bi lahko zvenela še bolje (če je to sploh možno). Na trenutke me kompozicija celo spominja na Art Zoyd.
Zvoka nastopov se zdi nekoliko spremenjen. Kompozicije so bolj podobne studijskim verzijam in ne toliko živemu nastopu, kateremu sem bil priča tudi sam na prvem festivalu Rock in Opposition. Za ostale nastope ne morem trditi, a predvidevam, da je podobno. Na DVD-ju zvenijo mnogo bolje kot so zveneli v živo (z izjemo arhivskih posnetkov, ki zvenijo povprečno), a to je bilo za pričakovati.
Kot sem že dejal, je zvok na obeh CD-jih izjemen (z izjemo arhivov), zahvaljujoč tudi dobremu delu Udija Koomrana, a kakovost slike ni na takšnem nivoju. Zadnja CD/DVD kombinacija, ki sem jo kupil pred tem albumom, je bil nov album skupine IQ, kjer je bila slika neprimerno boljša. Tukaj se zdi kot da je slika vseskozi rahlo motna. To je sicer le manjša nevšečnost, saj se nastopi še vedno vidijo dovolj jasno, da lahko v njih uživamo v vseh pogledih.
Predstave na obeh ploščah prikažejo, da so to nekateri izmed najboljših glasbenikov na svetu. Vizija Rogerja Trigauxa je jasna in zanjo potrebuje najboljše glasbenike in vse od albuma No. 6 jih tudi ima. Zvok je tako poln, da se ti zdi, da je vsak milimeter prostora zapolnjen. Nobena nota ni odveč, vse je točno tam, kjer mora biti. Takšna briljantnost potrebuje veliko vloženega dela in zaupanja in to Roger Trigaux od svojih glasbenikov nedvomno tudi dobi.
Barbaro (ma non troppo) je fantastičen abum. Edina prava kritika je, da na njem ni dovolj nove glasbe - le 28 minut. Res, da dobimo novo verzijo skladbe Jack the Ripper, a raje bi slišal nekaj čisto novega, kot pa nekaj, kar je bilo izdano 30 let nazaj. Razen tega, imam le pohvalne beside. Z DVD-jem sem se lahko spomnil na nekatere lepe trenutke na prvem RIO festivalu in videl nastope, ki sem jih na žalost zamudil (Gouveia 2006). Vidimo pa lahko tudi nekatere arhivske posnetke, kar lepo zaokroži album in zgodovino skupine Present.
Moja zaključna ocena je, da nam Barbaro postreže z nekaj najboljše glasbe, kar so jo Present kadarkoli izdali. Vertiges je zame najboljša Present kompozicija vseh časov, ali se trenutno vsaj tako zdi in ena najboljših skladb nasploh. Tudi A Last Drop ni daleč zadaj, medtem ko nam Jack the Ripper ponudi lep vpogled v razliko med novim in starim Present zvokom. Ta album bi moral imeti vsak ljubitelj zasedbe Present in eksperimentalne glasbe.
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Present is one of those bands that just keeps getting better with each release. They've released some amazing stuff since their comeback with Certitudes (if we don't count the C. O. D. Performance) and each release bested its predecessor. The last studio album came in 2001, so expectations were naturally very high for this one. Present didn't let us down, producing another masterpiece, which reminds us of their past glories, yet also focuses on the future with an even more intense, complex and better-sounding release.
Present's sound is hard to define. I suppose you could say their music is built around very dissonant motives and melodies (if you can call them that), which are intricately composed and arranged into what is sometimes considered as some of the most challenging music to have ever been recorded. Usually, I'm not a big fan of technical music just for the sake of it, but Present are able to put all their darkest fears and deepest emotions into their music to create otherworldly music, which is highly complex, but very emotional and involving at the same time.
Vertiges is a track co-written by father and son Trigaux. It's perhaps Present's most challenging work to date. The tempo is unrelenting and some of the parts are incredibly complex. I think this is where Present are best - doing amazingly difficult segments that still contain so much anguish and other primal emotions. Occasionally (especially somewhere around the half of the composition), Vertiges reminds me of the Univers Zero piece Presage, which is peculiar since Trigaux was no longer a member on Uzed, but I suppose he kept track of the goings-on in Univers Zero, seeing as Daniel Denis was also a member of Present. Nevertheless, Vertiges is a tremendous achievement, showing off some of Present's trademark aspects, but the piece also seems to have a more modern feel to it. There is an amazing intensity and rawness throughout it that keeps you on your toes all the way through.
A Last Drop is a piece composed by Pierre Chevalier. It's his second contribution to the Present catalogue - the first being Strychnine for Christmas from the High Infidelity album. Pierre's style is quite different to Roger's. His piece is not that hectic and wild, there are a few more peaceful moments to rest your ears. Some segments on the Mellotron remind me of early Crimson, while some guitar riffs remind me of Red. It is a nice contrast to the damage on the senses (positive, of course) that Vertiges inflicts on you.
The last title is familiar to most fans of the rock in opposition movement. Jack the Ripper (co-written by Daniel Denis and Roger Trigaux) was originally released on Univers Zero's Heresie and is one of the most recognisable Univers Zero works. Present still frequently play it at their shows. The version we hear here is the one from their live shows. It's as if an extra surge of adrenaline has been put into the piece and Jack has become even more brutal and manic. Besides the more aggressive nature of the composition, it stays fairly true to the original. There are some added Mellotron and synthesiser parts, which add to the suspense, some of the instruments are different and the introduction is played on the piano instead of the harmonium, but in terms of composition, this is pretty much the same version as on Heresie. I would have preferred to hear a new piece instead of this, seeing as this new version is also on the DVD, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm sure this will get a fair bit of mileage from my CD player as well.
The second part of the album is the DVD. You get almost three hours of Present performances, which is a lot by anyone's standards. We basically hear all the favourite Present pieces and all of Present's most memorable performances in the last few years.
First, we get a look at almost the entire performances at the first Rock in Opposition festival held in 2007. These bring back some fond memories and show the band in all its glory performing some of their best pieces. The two pianos set is particularly interesting because the arrangements are slightly different than on the studio versions.
After that, we can see the band performing at the Gouveia 2006 festival, where they already presented the two new pieces we can hear on the studio CD. A Last Drop is more or less the same as on the CD, while only half of Vertiges is played (from the section that sounds a bit like Univers Zero's Presage).
A really excellent addition to the DVD is the archival footage. I enjoyed the two Trigaux men during the C.O.D. performance, where they played Alone, Le Poison (first part) and Ersatz on only two guitars, with a young Reginald Trigaux taking on lead guitar duties.
The Present 94 show played at the Carmaux festival is also nice. Again, we see a line-up with no keyboards, but two guitars, bass and drums (Roger and Reginald Trigaux, Christian Genet and Daniel Denis). The band performed a very rocked-out version of Le Poison (Part 2).
The next footage is Delusions performed at Orion. Dave Kerman and Pierre Chevalier had already joined the band at this point and the playing seems that much tighter thanks greatly to them as well. Reginald shows what a great improviser he is when he goes into a Jimmy Hendrix-like solo.
The Wurzburg show also brings us something good - a piece I hadn't heard before called Contre (also included on the Live album), which should have been recorded in the studio or even expanded by Trigaux because it sounds fantastic as it is, but with Trigaux's typical additions, it might sound even better (if that's possible). It actually reminds me of Art Zoyd slightly.
The sound of the performances seems slightly altered. The pieces sound more similar to the studio versions than when I heard them live at the RIO festival. I can't speak or the other shows, but I'm guessing it's the same. It sounds much better on the DVD than live, but that was to be expected, except for the archival releases, which sound exactly as archival releases should - not great, but not bad.
The sound quality on both discs is great, as I've already said (apart from the archival segments), also due to the good work of Udi Koomran, but the picture quality isn't the best. The last CD/DVD combination I got before this was IQ's latest album and they did a much better job of the picture, while Present's DVD picture doesn't always seem to be in focus. This is a very minor annoyance to such nitpickers as myself, as the performances can still be seen very clearly and enjoyed thoroughly.
The performances on both discs clearly show that we're hearing some of the best and most dedicated musicians at work. Roger Trigaux's vision is clear and for that vision he needs the best in the business and ever since No. 6, he has had the best group of people to work with. The sound is so full that you feel like every millimetre of space has been used up. No note seems obsolete, everything is exactly where it's supposed to be. This kind of brilliance requires a great deal of dedication and belief - and this is what Roger Trigaux certainly gets from this great group of musicians.
Barbaro (ma non troppo) is a fantastic piece of work. The only real criticism I have is that it gives us too little new music - only 28 minutes. Sure, there's a new version of Jack the Ripper, but I'd rather listen to an entirely new piece than to a composition written 30 years ago. Other than that little complaint, this CD/DVD is a real treat. The DVD gave me a chance to remember the wonderful moments o the first RIO festival and see some performances I unfortunately missed (Gouveia 2006). There is also some very memorable archival footage, which adds a nice touch to the album.
My final assessment is that Barbaro serves us some of the best music Present have ever produced. For me, Vertiges is the best Present composition I have ever heard, or at least it seems like that at the moment, and one of the finest pieces of music ever written by anyone. A Last Drop isn't far behind, while Jack the Ripper offers a nice new insight into Present's new sound. This is a must-get album for any fan of Present (for the CD and DVD) and experimental music (particularly for the CD). The future looks bright for Present!
na vrh