Various Artists - 2024 - No​el a Saint​-​Tropez

(66:44; Dur & Doux






















I have always been a fan of record samplers as they are a great way of finding out about a label in a relatively inexpensive manner. I doubt there are few which will ever live up to the wonderful ‘You Can All Join In’ from 1968 where Island Records where we were treated to material from the debut albums by Jethro Tull, Free, and Spooky Tooth along with songs from the likes of  Fairport Convention, Traffic and Nirvana. The motley crew of long-haired weirdos on the cover had a massive influence on the music scene, many of whom are still playing today. When it comes to the current day there is no doubt that Dur & Doux are one of the most important labels in the world when it comes to modern music, with a clear vision of what they want to achieve which is generally far away from the well-trodden path of the mainstream.

The opening title track is taken from the Secrètes Sessions, which involves multiple members from the collective, while the rest of the tracks are collated by Fanny L'Héritier and Alice Perret and feature PoiL Ueda, Rien Faire, Chromb!, Saint Sadrill, Bess of Bedlam, Pili Coït, Les contes de nulle part, Ramdam Fatal, Ni, Ultra Zook, Odessey & Oracle and Sheezahee. If you are wondering who these bands are then all I can say is your musical education has been sadly lacking to date, especially if you want your music to follow paths unknown and take you on journeys to new and fascinating lands. Just be aware that your mind needs to be fully open to totally appreciate what is taking place between your ears and only the adventurous need apply. This has been released through Bandcamp so why not go over there and discover a whole new musical world. This is a delight from beginning to end.

Kev Rowland, October 2024

Links:
https://duretdoux.com/

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