Songs From The Cold Seas (my annual Hector Zazou post)

[Davey]

I love this album from 1995 (and the Sahara Blue album that preceded it, as well). Hector Zazou is sometimes described as the French version of Brian Eno and his atmospherics are often just as compelling for me. This album features a great, eclectic cast of mostly female singers such as well-known ones like Bjork, Suzanne Vega, John Cale, Jane Siberry and Siouxsie mixed with some lesser known but just as accomplished ones from around the globe. Really nice music written to capture the feeling of the sea by incorporating poems and songs and even legends from the extreme northern regions, all wrapped up in those amazing Zazou soundscapes. Seems like many here would also fall in love this but hard to say for sure. I have snuck the occasional song on my comps but don't recall much positive feedback. Probably comped about half the album by now ;)

I've been searching off and on the last few months for a good price on his latest album called Strong Currents which was released last year in France and Italy, but not many other places. Available in the UK as well for a little higher price than normal. Anyway, I'm kinda cheap and can't see paying about US$25 to get it to me in the US. But yesterday I thought to look again and still didn't have any luck but came across this very nicely written review of Songs From The Cold Seas that prompted me to pull it out and give it a listen and I'm on the third spin now. One of those type of albums for me.

http://www.laurahird.com/newreview/songsfromthecoldseas.html

[Mike]

I have snuck the occasional song on my comps but don't recall much positive feedback.

I spotted you've got a track by him on 'Fun In The Sun' which I'll have to check out tonight and let you know, I don't recall it jumping out for me - could be it was overshadowed by some of the other stuff on there.

Incidentally they have a couple of his CD's nice and cheap on Secondspin.com but not the one you want. Good hunting.

NP Marjorie Fair - Self Help Serenade, nice acoustic sunny side indie pop which reminds you of the Summer we never saw here in the UK.

Cheers
Mike

[Davey]

I spotted you've got a track by him on 'Fun In The Sun' which I'll have to check out tonight and let you know, I don't recall it jumping out for me - could be it was overshadowed by some of the other stuff on there.
Hehehe, yeah I put that one there as kind of a break between the two halves of the comp. Interesting song with nice drum rhythms and chanting, but might go by without too much notice, which is what I wanted. There are some very dramatic songs on this album, including beautiful ones by both Jane Siberry and Bjork. This is just about the only one of his albums that you can easily find in the US.

[Davey]

Incidentally they have a couple of his CD's nice and cheap on Secondspin.com but not the one you want. Good hunting.
Hmm, just checked and they do have Songs From The Cold Seas for $6.99 but you can find it just about anywhere. Some used ones on amazon for under $3. I like the little blurb they have from NME on the secondspin.com page. What's a wibbler? Must be some word you "true" English speakers invented, eh? ;)

NME (6/10/95, p.47) - 6 (out of 10) - "...Avant-garde wibbler Zazou has enlisted native singers from various Northern climes for this multi-lingual New Age travelogue drifting from Siberia to Canada to, erm, Wales....Rather too polished and polite, but sublimely beautiful in parts..."

http://www.secondspin.com/buy/track2.cfm?SID=809135863376&mAlbum=2050614