UNIVERS ZERO

AD 1978

Kenneth Ansell

By far the most extreme of the groups that took part in the Rock in Opposition series of concerts in Britain in March 1978 were UNIVERS ZERO. They were the most divisive of the groups to play at the New London Théâtre on 12-3-78: they received less applause but sold more records than any other group on the bill (which included Henry Cow, Etron Fou, Stormy Six and Zamlas Mammaz Mannas).

The six musicians played dressed all in black. Their music was in many ways dry and barren; superficially it dealt with aridity and sterility. But this was only the surface of the music. The music was drawn taught and stretched across the surface of emotional turmoil that intermittently thrust their way to the surface to break out in MAGMA-inspired rhythmic discharges, The music was akin to the dirge that provides an outlet, a release-valve, to dissipate the avalanche of feelings (both corporate and individual) that are barely held under control.

Their first eponymous album (recorded in August 1977) was released originally by the band themselves in an initial pressing of five hundred copies. It was then reissued on Atem records, (the label run by the French magazine of the same name; for a long time the only source of any press for the band that was anything other than derogatory). The record does much to indicate the nature of the band's music. In 1984 it was remixed and reissued with the new title '1313' on the Celluloid label and finally reissued on CD by Cuneiform in 1989.

It opens with the dry violin chords of 'Ronde' soon to be joined by the richer and more mellow sound of the bassoon; add a deep-seated bass line and a masterfully controlled percussion part and you have the essence of their music. The instrumental lines enmesh and tangle, differing layers of the overall sound gradually moving to the top of the mix. Arrangements are carefully manipulated and ordered. From the gyrating ensemble passages to the solo hoarse gasping of a harmonium. In a sense the music seems to twist and heave its way towards a climax as the fist of tension rises more suffocating in your throat, and finds eventual release in expanding plains of sound. 'Carabosse', by comparison, has a certain grim humour in its wry and wiry staccato lines.

On the second side 'Docteur Petiot' brings to mind fevered delirium with its hectically skittering melodic lilies and recurrent theme of unease. Suddenly it drops away to leave a repetitive, mournful harpsichord, punctuated by a funeral bass. Despite its title 'Malaise' is full of popping good spirits and wayward energy. The album closes with 'Complainte'; it's another piece of oppressive music dominated by quinine violin lines, drawn out and lingering. Once again that recurrent atmosphere of unease, of escalating tension, is conjured up.

But good though the record is (and it is very, very good) it is only a pointer in the direction of the band's live work. Within the live context, the suggestion of unvoiced feelings and convictions was much stronger. The constrictions of emotion was just that much more intense. UNIVERS ZERO were an extraordinary band.

They referred to their music thus:

"It is very difficult to talk about our own music. The influences are diverse, but there exists amongst UNIVERS ZERO a desire to recover the occidental spirit of music. But at no price do we want to sacrifice our music by working in an established direction, either, musically or socially. Music we listen to, for example, includes Captain Beefheart, Third Ear Band, Peter Brotzmann, Stravinsky, Penderecki, Huybrechts."

"We believe that in order to make valid music, on both the human and social levels, we must not sacrifice anything on things other than music. Humanity and music are but the same. We are trying to remain realists at every moment. Technically we are trying to escape the preconceptions about the kinds of sounds one would expect from the instruments we use."

Daniel DENIS:       Percussion 
Guy SEGERS:         Bass 
Thierry ZABOITZEFF: Bass 
Patrick HANAPPIER:  Violin, Alto Violin 
Michel BERCKMANS:   Bassoon, Oboe 
Roger TRIGAUX:      Guitar, Harmonium

UNIVERS ZERO Discography

LP  Univers Zero                 Eric Faes   EF 1313       1977
LP  Univers Zero                 Atem        7001          1977
LP  1313                         Cryonic     MAD 3005      1984
CD  1313                         Cuneiform   RUNE 20 CD    1989
LP  Heresie                      Atem        7005          1979
LP  Heresie                      Cryonic     MAD 3012      1984
CD  Heresie                      Cuneiform   RUNE 29       1991
LP  Ceux du Dehors               Atem        7009          1980
CD  Ceux du Dehors               Cuneiform   RUNE 39       1992
LP  UZED                         Cryonic     MAD 3008      1984
CD  UZED                         Cuneiform   RUNE 15 CD    1988
LP  Heatwave                     Cuneiform   RUNE 9        1987
CD  Heatwave                     Cuneiform   RUNE 9 CD     1987

Singles

7"  Triomphe des Mouches         RER         RR 10-5       1983
12" Crawling Wind                CHAOS       CIS 1213      1983

Samplers

2LP Recommended Records Sampler  RER         RR8           1982
CD  Enneade                      Musea       FGBG 4005     1988

Daniel Denis

 
CD  Sirius and the ghosts        Musea       FGBG 4043.AR  1991 
CD  Sirius and the ghosts        Cuneiform   RUNE 33       1991

Present (Roger Trigaux's and Daniel Denis' other group)

LP  Triskaidekaphobie            Atem        7008          1980
LP  Le poison qui rend fou       Cuneiform   RUNE 3        1985 
CD  Triskai... / Le poison...    Cuneiform   RUNE 17CDX    1989