The Wrong Object - Stories From The Shed (2008)

Otra vez Bélgica en nuestra escuelita de rock. Un ejemplo de moderno "avant-progressive-electric-jazz", en un trabajo que quizàs no sea para todo el mundo (incluso hablando dentro del selecto mundo de la mùsica progresiva) y muy aclamado desde el mundo del jazz. No tan onda Zappa como en su posterior trabajo pero aùn con claras referencias a él, un disco íntimo pero a la vez intenso, logrando un sonido único y personal, y tambièn con críticas muy diversas. Así que no queda otra, para saber si te gusta tenès que escucharlo.

Artista: The Wrong Object

Álbum: Stories From The Shed
Año: 2008
Género: Jazz Rock / Fusion
Nacionalidad: Bélgica

Lista de Temas:
1. Sonic Riot at the Holy Palate
2. 15/05
3. Sheepwrecked
4. Acquiring the Taste
5. Lifting Belly
6. Malign Siesta
7. Theresa's Dress
8. Rippling Stones
9. Theresa's Dress - Reprise
10. Strangler Fig
11. Waves and Radiations
12. Saturn
13. The Unbelievable Truth - Part I
14. The Unbelievable Truth - Part II

Alineación:
- Michel Delville / guitar, guitar-synth, loops, electronics
- Fred Delplancq / tenor sax
- Jean-Paul Estiévenart / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Damien Polard / bass, electronics, samples

Sutil pero poderoso, eclético, climático, variado, complejo, todo eso y mucho màs encontrarán aquí... pero mejor que se los explque el Mago Alberto que es quien nos trae y comparte este disco.

Otro laburo de TWO, más colgado, con mucho solo de trompeta, mucho clima sonoro, complejo, tranqui por momentos, estos discos son para escuchar con tiempo y degustar cada momento, básicamente INTENSO, misterioso, hasta despojado un poco de la onda Zappa, muy al estilo Skeleton Crew.
Quien se detenga a darle pelota, se va a encontrar con entrecruzamientos sonoros sublimes, con dialogos bajo distorsionado/caños derrochando feeling, los amantes del jazz rock fusión intrincado se van a encontrar con una verdadera sorpresa, los amantes del prog de parabienes.
Impecables planos sonoros, los arreglos de caños son espectaculares, sonido fino, fuerte, para escuchar al mango y disfrutar sin palabras. No pidan más porque no hay.

Mago Alberto

Así que acá tienen otro disco que no creo que encuentren en otro lado, siguiendo nuestro imparable esfuerzo por tratar de moverles màs de una neurona y en lo posible haciendo latir un poco m`s el corazón.

Un disco elaboradísimo, para oídos muy exigentes y entrenados
The Wrong Object son un quinteto belga, que nos presentan una elaboradísima propuesta, muy poco habitual por estos lares. Es una apuesta un tanto desconocida y arriesgada, si la enfocamos hacia el público europeo, todo esto, siempre mirado bajo el prisma de la comercialidad, se entiende.
En “Stories From The Shed” encontraremos catorce temas de progresivo, en su totalidad instrumentales, cimentados en la corriente jazz-fusión que tanto gusta al otro lado del Atlántico. Si bien el álbum es impecable en cuanto a producción y a nivel interpretativo -hay que destacar que se ha grabado en formato directo en el estudio, sin overdubs-, navega por un mar algo agitado. Con picos muy altos de virtuosismo y altas cotas de inspiración, en contraposición nos toparemos con otros instantes (abundantes también) más relajados e intimistas que, de cara a un público más generalista, pueden ser contraproducentes.
El gran aspecto a destacar es la versatilidad compositiva del grupo, ya que cada uno de sus cinco miembros firma, al menos, dos de los temas del disco. Sin duda, la palma se la lleva el guitarrista Michel Delville, cuyo sello está presente en 10 de los 14 cortes.
Los momentos más brillantes vienen de la mano de los instrumentos de viento, perfectamente sincronizados con los fraseos de guitarra, muy concretos y medidos, y en todo instante envueltos por la sonoridad y voluptuosidad de los sintetizadores y los arreglos electrónicos. La batería por su parte, toma protagonismo en su forma más básica de caja y platos, con una acertada y destacable ausencia de bombo.
Dignos de resaltar sobre todos son, el corte que abre el redondo, “Sonic Riot At The Holy Palate”, por su fuerza y combinación de elementos, y de igual manera “Malign Siesta” o la preciosa y detallista “Saturn”.
En resumen, un disco elaboradísimo, para oídos muy exigentes y entrenados, que requiere cierta dedicación para su completo deleite. Como digo, abstenerse los no iniciados.
Puntuación: 8/10

Javier Moreno Vega

The Wrong Object (El tema equivocado) es una interesante banda de jazz belga integrada por el guitarrista Michel Delville, el baterista Laurent Delchambre, el saxo tenor de Fred Delplancq, la trompeta de Jean-Paul Estiévenart y Damien Polard y su bajo. Desde comienzos del siglo los músicos dedicaron la mayor parte del tiempo a engordar su reperotrio con covers mínimamente arreglados de los clásicos más jazzroqueros de Frank Zappa. De a poco fueron encontrando una identidad una poco más propia.
En 2006 dieron a conocer su primer álbum, llamdo The Unbelievable Truth (La increíble verdad), en el que sumaron la fuerza y el talento del saxo de Elton Dean, quien fuera parte de los Soft Machine, y que, de paso, sumó otra influencia fuerte: el "Canterbury sound". (La enfermedad se llevó a Dean de este mundo cruel ese mismo año.)
El cóctel estético finalmente decantó en un disco bien atractivo que es el que aquí queremos destcar. Fue bautizado Stories from the Shed (Cuentos del establo) y apareció en el 2008. Son doce temas compuestos y arreglados por la totalidad del grupo.
El trabajo de Estiévenart es a la vez sutil y poderoso y, de alguna manera, brinda la coloratura del conjunto. "El vestido de Theresa" muestra la capacidad técnica de los músicos y su habilidad para nadar en las aguas de la improvisación, deporte que también atraviesa otras piezas. Las dos partes de "La increíble verdad", composición de cierre, suma la fuerza de la guitarra de Deville (quien más se aferra a la tradición del jazz-rock) con una brumosa referencia a ritmos asiáticos. Ni bien se advierte lo "pasada de moda" que está la propuesta de The Wrong Object, el gusto crece. Recomendado; si revuelven un poco lo consiguen.

Desde el Aula

Y por si todo lo publicado en èste y el anterior disco de esta banda que hemos publicado no alcanza, acá va algún comentario en inglés, si quieren màs no les será difícil encontrar más referencias en la web:

Third or fourth album (depending whether you consider the Elton Dean session as a TWO album) from this Liège group, still with the same line-up as before, but this time the album was released on the great Moonjune label. Once again guitarist Michel Delville is the main songwriter, though all four other members have at least two credits or co-credits. There is no real explanation for this very forest- infested album title and artwork, and to be honest, the dominance of green on the digipak doesn't match the music, which tends to red hot, even more so than the woman's red hairs ion the artwork.
Opening on a few bars of a Klezmer-Manouche tune (like we've all hear a thousand times before), Sonic Riot veers a tad Gong-esque with an excellent closing passage with spacey electronics and trons. 15/05 is building on that feeling and the electronic gizmos are gaining in importance. As the album progresses with every new rack, one can only be captivated with the typical British jazz and JR/F scene of the 70's. Indeed, the shadows of Elton Dean, then Harry Beckett and Annie Whitehead (all participants to the band's previous efforts) seem to hover all over the album, much to our delight. There is a real tension that gradually builds up through tracks like Sheepwrecked (Crimson circa Lizard meets Wyatt) and following blistering Acquiring The Taste and Lifting Belly, where a Canterburian feel seep through via fuzzed-out instruments. The adventurous explorations continue, from the trashy Matching Mole-ish Malign Siesta to the lava-boiling Waves and the out-of-this-world Saturn. The album ends with a rework of Delville's Unbelievable Truth from the Elton Dean session album of the same name.
If you must own only one album from TWO, it would be a die-hard choice between the Dean collab and this one, but if you're into a more classical progressive, their latest album After The Exhibition, which is some kind of rebirth (given the important line-up changes, we can almost guess the band came close to a term) is also quite an awesome realisation. Personally, Shed is my personal fave from these guys.

Sean Trane

Stories From The Shed is the first studio album of the Belgian The Wrong Object. The band started in 2002, playing Zappa covers. They issued 2 live CD's: one with Elton Dean (ex Soft Machine, alt sax) and one with Annie Whitehead (ex Penguin Cafe Orchestra, trombone). That being said, one can already guess what kind of music we've got here.
5 years after the start they found the time is ripe to play their own music. None too soon. The sound is rich, the compositions are strong and sometimes even dramatic; the whole record is consistent, well arranged and doesn't have any weak parts. This, while the album is recorded live in studio, without overdubs. Or so it is said on the back cover. I must say however, there is not very much Zappa left here. Well, I have no problem with that. The music is still reasonable avant-garde, but leans more on the European examples of Henry Cow en Soft Machine, sometimes King Crimson from the Red period as well. This is the style that Chris Cutler of Henry Cow named RIO. Rock In Opposition. In that kind of rock, one will find lots of experimental jazz and quite a little rock. You will also hear in their music some influences of Brand X and the late Gong. May be it looks the most like one of the latest sprouts of the Gong family ? Gongzilla. So, this is the recipe: take Gongzilla, lessen the guitar, add sax en trumpet and you'll get The Wrong Object. An alternative: take the late Soft Machine, limit the improvisations to a justified level and make the bass-guitar a little more prominent. You've got the picture now I hope.
There is here lots of saxophone and trumpet, both leading and improvising. The electric guitar and electronics are actually more supporting, creating the framework, not dominating. However, at the end of the record, on The Unbeleivable Truth (inspired by the film by Hal Hartley of the same name?) the guitar is set loose, fantastic solo, may be a little too long. The drums playing is strong, but missing a necessary innovation, if you'd want to compare it with the work of Chris Cutler (Henry Cow) or Robert Wyatt (Soft Machine).
I hope that the reader excuses me, but I can not resist the urge to philosophize a little.There really exists such a thing as a "music-geographical spread". Let me give you just a few "music-politically" irresponsible prejudices: The best prog comes the last 10 years from Sweden. The best gothic comes as always from the Netherlands. The best jazz comes from America. The best RIO comes from Belgium. Think of Univers Zero, Humble Grumble, etc. Well, of course, this kind of non-commercial music is not really frequently made. Therefore a few individuals that play a loose and fun kind of jazz-rock can actually influence this musical geography. Another thing that influences it is the local politics. Think of free music lessons for the children in Sweden. Each second Swede plays in a (prog) rock band nowadays. Add a traditional penchant towards an alternative music (well, forget ABBA for a moment), and hence the result: lots of progressive rock in Sweden. The Wrong Object is also financially supported. There is a statement on the back cover: "This release was made possible by the support of the Communaut Fransaise de Belgique". Further on, the record is released by the Moonjune records, a label that supports alternative music (often Soft Machine related). Moonjune is actually a good alternative to the Recommended Records of Chris Cutler, which also is a unique concept of a record company for alternative music, started by the founding father of RIO himself.
Let's say, you are on the right path, guys. Thank you very much, I enjoyed it, and hope for more!

justaguy

The Soft Machine's heirs ?
I had the pleasure of reviewing the Elton Dean & The Wrong Object's collaboration album some weeks ago and I pointed out how similar The Soft Machine and The Wrong Object is in style back then. Elton Dean sadly passed away and The Wrong Object is on their own on this album. But still, the Soft Machine influences are there.....
This album is a Jazz/Fusion album. I would also add Canterbury Scene to the description of both the sound and the music here. This album is by no means smooth jazz or jazz as most knows it. This is jazz straight up your face. It is like being roared at by a wild boar from the distance of two inches. The music is very, very intense at times. That goes for both the woodwinds solos and the guitars solos. But the band also knows how to slow the music down at times to give the listener time to both relax and reflect.
My main gripe is the lack of any really great melodies and hooks on this album. The album is superb on technical details, but not that good on melodies and hooks. But technically, this album is very impressive and that is all there is to it. That and the raw intensity.
This is a very good album, but the band can do better and will do better next time around.
3.5 / 5 stars

Kev Rowland

Belgian band THE WRONG OBJECT was formed in 2002 by Michel Delville. Since then half a dozen albums have been released by the band, the majority of them either live albums or productions recorded live in the studio, most of them featuring notable guest musicians. Their most recent album, "After the Exhibition" is a regular studio album, however, and a pure band effort at that. This CD was released in 2013 through the US label Moonjune Records.
The Wrong Object's latest studio effort "After the Exhibition" is a production that should appeal to a dedicated niche audience within the progressive rock universe: Those with a firm interest in demanding, challenging material in general, and those amongst them with an affection for jazz and jazz rock most of all. I suspect that the greater majority of the latter crowd will find this album to be a highly rewarding experience.

toroddfuglesteg

"Jazz fascists clear the room!" Wrong Object guitarist Michel Delville would seem to announce with the first burst of a metallic power chord at the outset of "Sonic Riot at the Holy Palate," the leadoff track of the Belgian quintet's Stories from the Shed. Purists heading for the exits would miss a lot of great music throughout this consistently inspired and often unpredictable release, however, although perhaps they would find the unpredictability off-putting. Their loss. "Sonic Riot" features some tight and energetic unison and harmony lines from tenor saxophonist Fred Delplancq and trumpeter Jean-Paul Estiévenart in a fractured motif with a Middle Eastern edge -- the tune soon stretches into modal territory with a jazzy, alternately pointed and lyrical Estiévenart solo over a solid pulse laid down by bassist Damien Polard and drummer Laurent Delchambre. And speaking of "fractured," through the middle of the mix emerges what would seem to be the unmistakable sounds of an In the Court of the Crimson King-style Mellotron (apparently thanks to Delville's guitar-synth, though). The next track, "15/05," penned by Delplancq, gives the tenorist space to display his own smooth yet robust tone and flow over the changes -- the head and bridge pull from the hard bop playbook but the rhythm section's attack on the track's defining 6/8 vamp moves the track toward jazz-rock (as do Delville's effects embellishments). Polard's "Sheepwrecked" is a comparatively spacy interlude, its looping intro of electronics and guitar with Delchambre rolling and tumbling in the background tipping a hat not only toward Soft Machine (after all, this is the Moonjune label) but, as the track flows on through a lovely melodic trumpet-and-tenor theme and the electronics continue to burble and skitter beneath Estiévenart's beautifully understated solo, also bringing American trumpeter Cuong Vu's electric and electrifying work with bassist Stomu Takeishi to mind. The ears of old Canterbury fans might also perk up at Polard's hijinks on "Lifting Belly," as the bassist conjures up processed sounds not unlike that of Richard Sinclair during "Chaos at the Greasy Spoon," an interlude during one of the suite-like structures by Hatfield and the North's The Rotters' Club.
Following a brief calm intro, "Malign Siesta" is almost a summation of the album's more uptempo side in five or so minutes, presenting a guessing game for the listener as it tumbles through herky-jerky unison playing, tenor and trumpet trading licks over a swinging break, a lovely lyrical theme, a brief drum interlude, a fusoid guitar solo, and more. The linked trio of "Theresa's Dress," "Rippling Stones," and "Theresa's Dress (Reprise)" is exploratory and highly improvisational, demonstrating the bandmembers' ability to listen and interact in the moment without necessarily blowing the roof off the joint, while "Waves and Radiations" features more spacy looping, this time with Polard's Hugh Hopper-esque effects-laden bass etching its way through the sonic landscape. "Saturn" continues a spacious feel, its trumpet-led theme echoing Miles with long lines stretching out dramatically over a 7/8 rhythm -- the tune skirts free jazz but never strays too far into chaos, the bandmembers finding their way back to the theme for a satisfying wrap-up. The two-part "Unbelievable Truth," concluding the disc, is a truly warped hybrid, with more tinges of the Middle East, a off-kilter nearly avant-prog bridge, and a lengthy rollicking tenor showcase that permutes into a tight Euro-jazz-rock vamp before dissipating into free dialogues soon dominated by Delville's scorching lead guitar. Delville burns it up in the spotlight as the band coalesces around him with a spectacular ascending ensemble arrangement leading directly into a slam-bang unison thematic finish. Might even the purists have enjoyed that one? Again, their loss...and more room at the table for listeners with less restrictive tastes. Recorded live in the studio by the core quintet and consisting entirely of original compositions, Stories from the Shed proves that the Wrong Object needn't turn to Brit jazz guest stars (as appreciated as those previous collaborations have been) or Zappa tunes to come up with arguably their strongest outing yet.

Dave Lynch

If Platform One (Jazzprint, 2007) found Belgium's The Wrong Object on a roll following The Unbelievable Truth (MoonJune, 2007), then Stories from the Shed positions them as one of today's busiest groups. Three records in one year is impressive enough, but Stories is notable because, while the others were collaborations with British jazzers Annie Whitehead (trombone), Harry Beckett (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Elton Dean (saxophone), Stories is TWO sans guests, proving that it can stand just fine on its own.
First coming together as a Frank Zappa tribute band, TWO has long since evolved beyond clever interpretation. While many Zappa benchmarks can be found—guitarist Michel Delville's reckless abandon, and sources ranging from hardcore rock to jazz and contemporary classical music—The Wrong Object has rapidly created its own voice. Zappa still looms, but in intrepid spirit rather than direct musical reference. Delville plays the largest compositional role in this set of all-original music, but equally strong contributions come from saxophonist Fred Delplancq, trumpeter Jean-Paul Estiavenart and bassist Damien Polard.
Unlike Platform and Unbelievable, Stories is a studio recording—albeit one with no overdubs and the same high energy level. The music ranges from the assault of the jagged, riff-driven Middle Eastern-tinged fanfare "Sonic Riot at the Holy Palate" to the gradually unfolding "Malign Siesta," which begins gently, but shifts gears into an episodic piece featuring all that's best about TWO in a scant five minutes. Knotty themes, unrelenting grooves (courtesy of Polard and drummer Laurent Delchambre) despite often shifting meters, and concise solos manage to say plenty in the short time they're afforded, especially Delville's high octane solo at the song's end.
Delville may be the most prolific and idiosyncratic composer of the group, but everyone has something to offer. Delplancq's high-charged "15/05" revolves around an 11/8 groove bolstered by Delville's harshly overdriven guitar, but is largely a vehicle for extended solos by the saxophonist and Estiavenart. Polard's "Sheepwrecked" is equally based on a simple construct—an ascending scale that gradually reveals itself amidst electronic textures and Estiavenart's best solo of the set. The trumpeter's "Saturn" is even more sketch-like, with occasional moments of complete free play surrounded by pulse-driven passages. Three brief and largely pensive collective improvs are scattered throughout the set, demonstrating a simpatico that can only come from years spent playing together.
TWO reprises Delville's title track from The Unbelievable Truth to close the disc. It's a two-part, ten-minute trip through open-ended spontaneity, quirky unison passages, aggressive fusion powered by Polard's heavily effected bass and strong solos by Estiavenart and Delplancq, before Delville takes it out with an extended and unfettered solo that, while speaking with its own screaming voice, would have made Zappa proud.
The same can be said for all of Stories from the Shed. There are few, if any, direct references to Zappa but, in its avoidance of stylistic pigeonholing and sheer irreverence, The Wrong Object has clearly grabbed the torch and is moving it forward in its own, increasingly unique way.

John Kelman

MoonJune Records have done a great job over the years bringing some excellent progressive jazz releases to our attention, and they are at it again with the latest from Belgium's The Wrong Object, titled Stories From the Shed. This five piece ensemble has been rather busy in recent memory, as they follow up 2007's The Unbelievabel Truth and Platform One (yes, that's three releases now in less than a year!) with this 'live in the studio' recording that features no guest stars this time around, just the five members of the band. From start to finish, it's impressive stuff, daring jazz-fusion with plenty of rock edge, as this former Frank Zappa tribute group show that they also excel at writing their own compositions that are memorable and instrumentally appealing. Listen to bassist Damien Polard knocking out a blistering, distorted solo on the otherwise soaring "Lifting Belly", which in itself is a great vehicle for the sax & trumpet melodies of Fred Deplancq & Jean-Paul Estievenart. There's also the complex & quirky jazz of "Malign Siesta", with drummer Laurent Delchambre's manic stick work keeping in perfect synch with the intricate horn lines. You can hear the influece of Zappa, Robert Fripp, and Terje Rypdal in the playing of guitarist Michel Delville, his solos at the end of this piece literally exploding through the mix with plenty of fire and passion. More of his distorted rumblings can also be heard on the energetic "15/05", a real jazz burner that features plenty of tight playing from the whole group. You might detect a slight hint of Waka Jawaka era Zappa by way of Weather Report's Heavy Weather on the intense "Strangler Fig", while the near 7-minute "Saturn" is an exploratory journey into melodic free-jazz (if that is possible!) with Delville doing his most convincing Zappa guitar solo on the album, sounding impossibly close to Frank's tone & phrasing on the Joe's Garage album. Delplancq's squonking sax bursts here also need to be mentioned, adding a manic fury to this otherwise somber song. The CD ends with the two-part, 10 minute epic "The Unbelievable Truth-Part 1 & II", which features plenty of blowing from the whole band and the most proggy vibe on the whole album. Dalville's wah-wah guitar solo on this one will send chills up your spine! Stories From the Shed is one fascinating tale that needs to be taken out of the confines of the 'shed' and told to the masses. The Wrong Object have unveiled a real corker of a jazz album here, fiery on all levels featuring chops galore, but more importantly, tons of memorable melodies and unbelievable arrangements. Jazz freaks and instrumental prog lovers need to get their hands on this at all costs!!

Peter Pardo

Recorded live in the studio with no overdubs, this wide-ranging, hard-hitting album from the Belgian quintet the Wrong Object (guitarist/main composer Michel Delville, saxophonist Fred Delplancq, trumpeter Jean-Paul Estievenart, bassist Damien Polard and drummer Laurent Delchambre) showcases their restless, often downright tumultuous psychedelic jazz-rock sound perfectly. Previous projects have seen them collaborate with figures ranging from Zappatista Ed Mann to the UK's own Alex Maguire, the late Elton Dean and trombonist Annie Whitehead, but this fourteen-track recording sees them guestless, ranging easily between Soft Machine-like, sinuous improvisations, blasts of blistering electric-guitar-led prog rock, riff-based fusion with the odd whiff of eastern influence and passages of free-ish jazz. The besetting sins of such music, bombast and self-indulgence, are entirely avoided, courtesy not only of the infectious enthusiasm and sheer brio of its participants, but also of the relative brevity of each track (nothing over six minutes or so); the result is a viscerally exciting, powerful but gratifyingly varied album another compulsively listenable MoonJune production.

Chris Parker

Ya saben dónde obtener éste discazo, y si no saben pregunten, pero no se pueden quedar sin escucharlo. Todo un plato exquisito para el mejor paladar auditivo.