Thork - Nula Jedan (2007)

Volvemos a estos enormes franceses para completar de una vez la trilogía Nil-Syrinx-Thork. Ahora presentamos el tercer y último disco de Thork, un álbum increíble en muchos sentidos; bastante diferente a su anterior disco, más diverso pero igual de hipnótico, con una gruesa envoltura mística, melodías complejas pero al mismo tiempo fáciles de recordar, con una instrumentación desplegando numerosos trucos para sublimar un resultado donde priman los ambientes pero donde hay mucho de tecnicismo. Oscuro, denso, variado, mucho más rítmico y amable que los anteriores discos de la banda, el resultado es espectacular, la banda brilla con fuerza. Les recomiendo este disco, y aún nos queda traer su primer trabajo discográfico...

Artista: Thork

Álbum: Nula Jedan
Año: 2007
Género: 2007
Duración: 66:05
Nacionalidad: Francia

Lista de Temas:
1. Ex-Slave
2. Ici
3. La Lumière
4. J'aurais Pu
5. Danse Des Airs
6. Au Ciel
7. Revoir
8. 01
9. Ces Rêves-là

Alineación:
- Sébastien Fillion / vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer, Rhodes Mark 1, piano, low whistle, tin whistle, percussion, glockenspiel, programming
- Philippe Maullet / drums, percussion (1,8)
- Arnaud Fillion / cello, oud
- Claire Northey / violin
- Samuel Maurin / additional bass (3), Fretless bass (8)
- Violette Corroyer / backing vocals (1,3,8)
Guest musicians:
Hugo Quillet / trumpet (6,8), flugelhorn (6,8)
Jérôme Blanc / trombone (6,8)

Desde Francia llega esta banda de "dark folk progressive", las melodías del disco llevan al oyente en un universo de Thork (busqué el significado de este término, resulta que "Thork" es un dios guerrero la mitologia nordica, y a no confundir con "Thor" el dios del trueno, aunque su significado tiene su contrapartida en la mitología griega donde corresponde a la Diosa primordial de la noche): misteriosa, a veces oscura, a veces melancólica.

Las piezas largas permiten que los desarrollos ricos, con bellos pasajes instrumentales. Thork nunca se cae en la exclusión de la sensibilidad. Los textos aportan un atractivo innegable a la música. Es muy sorprendente comparar los tres álbumes del grupo, donde "Urdoxa" (2000) aliaba la contundencia del rock al universo popular, mientras que "We-ila" (2004) redefinió esto agregando un toque más oscuro mucho más notable unidas a espléndidas composiciones, y ahora "Nula Jedan" vuelve a darle una nueva vuelta de tuerca, para brindar un resultado mucho más asequible a un público más amplio. Sébastien Fillion, uno de los genios creativos de estas obras, perpetúa el ciclo iniciado en el primer disco: "La danza de la luna", "Danza del Sol" en "Urdoxa", luego la "Danza de la Tierra" en la "We-ila" y ahora la "Danza del aire" en esta tercera entrega. Y el pequeño detalle que parece no ser casualidad, "Nula Jedan" tiene exactamente la misma longitud que su predecesor: 66 minutos y 32 segundos!!

El álbum comienza con "Ex-Slave", una pieza de doce minutos que resulta una extraña mezcla de folk y la nueva era del rock progresivo. Variados juegos de voces, mucha guitarra acústica, violín, cello aunados a la instrumentación propia del rock hacen un sorprendente tema. Puede sonar como el trabajo de bandas legendarias como Malicorne como para poner un ejemplo. Luego viene "ICI" que es un tema mucho más convencional, y que inclusive me resultó raro puesto aquí, con lindos coros más cercanos al pop y una guitarra que despliegua bellos pasajes, pero demasiado convencional para este grupo. La bofetada viene con "La Lumière", una canción lenta que despliega una cautivadora música basada en una música repetitiva al estilo krautrock pero mucho más ensoñadora, seguido por "J'aurais Pu" que se basa en la lírica contada-cantada con voz sintetizada que poco a poco va tomando aspectos de canción pero sin perder el clima y la atmósfera, seguido por "Danse Des Airs" que es un track más envalentonado y que desarrolla algunos pasajes bellos, muy bien logrado. Luego viene "Au Ciel" que es un título totalmente atmosférico, otra canción bella, ensoñadora, voladora, que refuerza la impresión de extrañeza, pero creando muy bonitos momentos, el tema comienza en unas pocas notas que lanzan la melodía, una melodía simple, con mucho de folk europeo, donde se van acoplando instrumentos folcklóricos que hacen muy rico, en una canción realmente hermosa!
"Revoir" es uan canción bastante lineal con un recitativo cantar demasiado franchute. Quizàs sea la canción más flojita del álbum que termina con un hermoso riff que levanta mucho a toda la canción en su totalidad. "01" comienza con una introducción con bajo fretless, piano y suave guitarra que en nada recuerda al rock, pero poco a poco se asienta la música, conjurando metales y cuerdas que se mezclan junto con los instrumentos propios del rock en una potente, hermosa y bella canción.
Y finalmente llega "Ces Rêves-là", corto paseo en guitarra acústica a lo Sui Generis y voz digitalizada. Agradable, como para ir terminando un buen disco.
Un trabajo hermoso, textos con poemas que parecieran que son maravillosos, sorprendentes pasajes musicales, todo muy agradable y bello, no tan oscuro con en su disco anterior. No es en el clásico corte de rock progresivo, es parte de una búsqueda que toma elementos populares y los da vueltas y pone patas para arriba para llegar a algo nuevo. Y es parte de esta genial trilogía francesa de la que venimos hablando.

Hasta ahí mi comentario, ahora les dejo otros comentarios en inglés, como para que vean que es lo que dice de este trabajo gente de todo el mundo...

I mentioned in my review of "Weila" that THORK was a side project of the Maurin brothers(NIL). Well apparently this has become Sebastien Fillion's baby, as only Samuel Maurin is left and he only plays bass on two tracks. Sebastien meanwhile has added guitar, bass, low and tin whistles, glockenspiel and vocals to his usual role of synths and piano player. Each THORK album has been different, the first more in the Folk vein, while "Weila" was dark and experimental with gothic and classical themes. I really think the band has found their sound with this album. It's modern sounding, dark, mid-paced and very full sounding. The music is so lush, and unlike "Weila" the vocals don't stand out but simply add another layer to the sound.
"Ex-Slave" is a perfect example of that modern sound I was talking about. This might be the best song they have done so far. Percussion is joined by an atmospheric guitar melody as haunting synths arrive. Vocals and bass before a minute.There is this powerful undercurrent throughout. The tempo picks up. Incredible sound. Dark, atmospheric and heavy. Love the guitar solo 3 minutes in. Violin follows. Vocals continue from Sebastien with help from Violette Corroyer. She really adds a lot. Violin and keys 5 minutes in. Acoustic guitar sounds great as well.They contrast beautifully the lighter passages with the heavier ones the rest of the way. Listen to the intricate drumming. Fantastic tune ! "Ici" opens with some raw sounding guitar before the heavy beat comes in. It lightens as vocals arrive. The heavy and light are contrasted throughout. This is catchy. The beat stops 3 1/2 minutes in briefly as it becomes dark and atmospheric. More raw guitar with background synths this time. Nice. "La Lumiere" is very atmospheric as the percussion beats and the guitar grinds away slowly. Vocals replace guitar a minute in. The guitar comes back but it's faint. The sound starts to build as instruments are added. Female vocal melodies before it becomes pastoral again. The guitar is back 6 minutes in grinding away. Percussion to end it.
"J'Aurais Pu" is dark with processed vocals. It's rather slow moving. It becomes more powerful and uplifting after 3 minutes. Great second half. "Danse Des Airs" is my second favourite song after "Ex- Slave". The synths sort of swirl around as drums and a full sound comes in. The guitar makes it's presence known as the soundscape becomes heavier. It suddenly becomes very atmospheric with faint vocals and no melody. The guitar makes some noise before the melody returns. The bass is prominant 4 minutes in. Piano follows as it gets quite emotional. "Au Ciel" opens with a guitar melody as fragile vocals come in.This is such a moving track. Violin after 2 minutes as we also get some guest trombone, trumpet and flugelhorn on this track. "Revoir" sounds great with the bass, drums and synths leading the way. Vocals a minute in. This is a great tune to drift away in. "01" opens with piano, bass and then vocals. It kicks in around 3 minutes to a full sound. Heavy. The guest horn players are back for this one. Violin 4 1/2 minutes in. The song calms down with piano to end it. "Ces Reves-La" is a very cool song with percussion, acoustic guitar and processed vocals. Something uplifting about this one.
I have to go back and re-listen to "Weila" to see if I really do like this one better.They are very different from one another so it boils down to taste I suppose. Both are must haves.

John Davie

Let the nostalgia begin ;) I mean in each review I'm telling a story of my introduction into certain band's music, and this is no exception. I was involved into THORK through ''We Ila'' last spring, and it was one of the most amazing albums from Modern Prog I ever heard! Dark, epic, heavy, mystic, complex but melodic - even French singing didn't put me off as usual! :) This year I caught an opportunity to review fresh THORK album entitled ''Nula Jedan''. And on my first listening I was disappointed.
Gone were all the receipts of ''We Ila''. No darkness, no heaviness, no complexity (though melodies were even more catchier). Is this really that THORK from France I use to know? But then I just remembered the old truth that what is too conservative may be regarded as STAGNANT, so I gave it another spin. And then another one. And one more!
OK, fans of previous DARK works - beware. ''Nula Jedan'' is soft, light, balanced and even catchy. It's just DIFFERENT. There's no need in comparison or seeking for related hooks. New THORK is more meditative and accessible, but I wouldn't say less INTERESTING or PROGRESSIVE. It's just like when you put PORCUPINE TREE after DREAM THEATER, that's it - the same high level but different musical thinking. The only thing left untouched is ATTITUDE - ''Nula Jedan'' is the same way professionally created, played and recorded. Recommended, but don't be fast with conclusions - listen to it attentively and don't compare to anything. Wonderful Modern Prog!

Igor Sidorenko

An astounding, amazing release from this French outfit. A big, positive musical surprise of the kind that really deserves recognition.
It's probably not a good release for a novice listener though. There's just so much happening here. The pace is mostly on the slower side, but everchanging and ever evolving compositions will make it a taxing experience for many; and French lyrics may alienate a few as well.
But the delightful sonic landscapes here, careful piano melodies, sometimes soaring and sometimes floating synths in the back, acoustic guitar patterns - all mixed in a package where elements are added and subtracted; themes explored in many variations. Always with a melancholic feel, always with a distinct focus on the atmospheric environment even in the most complex multilayered segments. To add folk music influences is just as natural and belonging as the psychedelic touches; jazz-tinged bass lines fits like a glove too; soaring violin soloing, fragile flute themes and soul-tinged horns all seems like natural additions as well.
Highly recommended release this one; in particular for those enjoying complex, melodic rock with symphonic, folk and jazz touches in a mostly mellow setting.

Olav Martin Bjørnsen

An album from the French mood-masters who created the band NIL, the leadership of the brothers MAURIN (one of which has by this album left the project) have given way to that of Sebastien FILLION (with the help of brother/cellist Arnaud) to produce this enigmatic collection of hard-to-describe songs. The music is modern, perhaps "ahead of its time" in its odd, sometimes ethereal, sometimes jazzy sounds and passages. It can thus be said with some confidence that this is truly progressive rock music as its songs take the listener to places and in directions that you have likely never travelled before. While listening through this album I find myself reminded at times of DEAD CAN DANCE, FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM, AKT, STING, LUNATIC SOUL, STEVE JANSEN and, of course, NIL.
4.5 / 5 stars. A refreshingly original musical journey.

Drew Fisher

Thork have gone through some personnel changes - that's the starting point to comprehend the musical decisions and changes there are on Thork's new album Nula Jedan.
At the time of Urdoxa, Thork was a clear five piece band, young and ambitious. While their music was already stunning in their debut, there still was some defects in there: The band was young, unexperienced, they were short on singer and good production. These all were corrected on their second album We-ila that was a pure perfection in every point: They now had a brilliant lead singer Sébastien Penel, they had more experience not only for themselves, but in complementary personnel too - that was David Maurin, a stunning guitar player, plus a pile of brilliant guest stars like Roselyne Berthet, Renaud Burdin, Sébastien Lacroix, Stéphane Lagarde and Ian-Elfinn Rosiu. So they were on the top in every way... and things tend to change in situations like that.
At first, after Urdoxa, Antoine Aureche, one of the founding members of Thork, left the band and later went to form TAT. He played guitars and did the vocals on Thork's debut Urdoxa and he then resigned the band. On We-ila he was still in, but in a visiting role of playing acoustic guitar, and even if the acoustic guitar playing is excellent on Nula Jedan, Antoine still took a part of Thork with him, a part of the dark, anxious atmosphere.
The second to leave was David Maurin, Samuel Maurin and Roselyne Berthet! Well, Roselyne was only a quest on We-ila, but her absence is still remarkable :) But the most remarkable thing is the absence of Maurin Brothers: No more twisted, utterly complex songs, no more absolutely stunning stick and bass, nor brilliant picking of guitar or their fantastic interplay and heavy bursts! These three excellences brought a huge piece of NIL among, that's no more on Thork. And then went Lebeau. Even if he was replaced by an excellent drummer Philippe Maullet from Syrinx, still he is a 'quest' and Lebeau wasn't.
And then they kind of went everyone, even Penel! Excluding Sébastien Fillion, who now is Thork, in a way, and I don't know the reasons. Thork has turned to his personal project, he states and Sébastien Fillion is alone responsible of the songwriting, composing, vocals, guitars, bass, synths & keyboards, percussion,... Almost everything and the other musicians are only some kind of quests from the past... like Claire Northey on violin, the only remaining member from previous Thork besides Fillion himself... and from the present.
A sad story, isn't it?
Oh, it is. When playing We-ila and thinking 'that was it, this band is no more', it's really sad. But let's not hurry, there's the Nula Jedan still to be played! Onto that then...
Nula Jedan has a very concrete meaning: it means "Zero One" in Bosnian, and it's the core concept for this album. The album's thread is a man-machine duality, presented under various shapes : in war time, trouble, souvenir, distance, etc. The man apart from his soul becomes a machine, and conversely the complex machine manages to judge, dream and imitate the man, reproducing or drawing lessons from his mistakes. « Zero One » is an allusion to the binary code present in the heart of modern technologies nowadays. [Sébastien Fillion on Progscape]
1. Ex-Slave. This song makes me suspicious about all the things I just wrote, because there is a lots of old Thork in it! This song is dark and deep and it has got the atmosphere of Thork, only less heavy. The composition is long with ups and downs, fasts and slows, and there's a theme it follows, gets sidetracked, comes back... so there's at least some of the complexity too. The drum work is just stunning (well what did you expect? It's Philippe Maullet, no less) and the sounds are chrystal clear a very deep bodied and great harmonies are presented all the way with different instruments, acoustic guitar, drums and violin being on the top!. The duo vocals of Violette Corroyer and Fillion just do work, like all the vocals in this song! So, this is a stunning song, why to look back?
2. Ici is then a beautiful and joyful curiosity where a sampled vocal melody is used to let the music blow. There goes a slow part ending into vocals and blow... Some synths are being used almost in some disco style and the song is somewhat repetitive... right! Far from the Thork style we used to know. But hey, it's brilliant anyhow!
3. La Lumiere starts slowly and it remains as a restrained ballad for several minutes till it reaches the full bodied balance. Again, one of the pearls of this album, but different to old...
4. J'aurais pu is the song that gives your spine some massive chills! It's pure beauty of slow sampled vocals and percussion - maximal expression and feeling with a minimal playing. This song grants the final confidence of new Thork, what it is and what is the style of Thork! Thork has turned to reaching the maximum beauty, thus there is a crucial difference to the old Thork.
Maybe it's time to draw a conclusion - It's pointless to tell something about every song. I miss the old Thork, I miss the brilliant vocals, I miss the dark heavy play,... I miss many things about it, things that Sebastien Fillion isn't capable of alone. Like vocals that is performed here greatly and really beautifully, just that the loud passionate highlights are missing... But let's face the reality! Thork is now beautiful, elaborate and kind of minimalistic expression progressive rock performed with a very high standards - Nula Jedan is astonishing work, a truly original album straight into the top of this sub genre... sub genre? Dark Progressive Folk? Maybe Thork plays now rather in the sub genre of Elaborate Progressive Fillion. Anyhow, a very beautiful work indeed!

Nilman

Hmmm… programmed drums transmitting from another planet, ghostly atmospherics, trance-y scraps of electronica, crunchy guitars… do I detect the hand of Porcupine Tree? Germany has RWPL so I guess it was just a matter of time before France came up with its own answer to Steven Wilson and Co. Thork (yes, it’s a lame band name) is the brainchild of Sebastien Fillion, who is the main writer, singer, guitarist, programmer, percussionist, whistle player… you get the idea. Other musicians appear on Nula Jedan, Thork’s third album, though they are essentially there to provide ornamentation and color that includes violin, oud, trumpet, and tablas. Other than the instrumental “Danse de Airs,” vocals (in French) appear on every song with Fillion often adopting a husky growl, though this lifts when the songs and music rock out, as in “Ici.” He doesn’t have a great voice, though for this kind of thing you don’t need one as long as you have enough attitude, which goes the same for the arrangements. For the most part the songs are unremarkable, though Fillion understands how important sound design and textures are to selling them. This coalesces on the lengthy and labyrinthine, “01” where the melodies take a turn toward the arabesque. A more understated approach is taken on “Au Cel” and the acoustic closer “Ces Rêves-La” that show a more vulnerable and melodic side that balances out the intensity of the other material. For fans of RWPL and Pineapple Thief this is definitely worth a listen.

Paul Hightower

Self proclaimed purveyors of “Dark Folk Progressive”, Thork continue their evolving journey with Nula Jedan following on from Urdoxa and We lla.
Really though, Nula Jedan can be seen as the solo project of keyboardist Sebastien Fillion, with only Violinist Claire Northey and Bassist Samuel Maurin as holdovers from the previous line-up (and Maurin only features on two tracks here). Fillion reveals himself as a very capable multi instrumentalist, also contributing Voice, Bass, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Percussion and Programming. The musical palette is enriched by guests contributing Violoncello, Oud, Trumpet, Bugle, Trombone and Tablas.
Deserving of special mention is Violette Corroyer, whose dreamy female vocals add delicious atmosphere to several tracks, in particular to the lengthy opener Ex-Slave where a distinct Clannad type ethereal vibe holds sway. An excellent opening number, Ex-Slave demonstrates a more accessible side to the group, with strong melodies, tuneful guitar solos and yet retaining the darker edge of earlier works with the inclusion of chopping violins. With some delicate electric piano work and breathy backing vocals, this is a deeply atmospheric track and one of the best on the disc.
Listening to the disc, its apparent that Thork have cut away much of the experimentation, going for a more accessible sound, which mainly sticks to the formula of alternating long, quiet, ethereal sections, with occasional, shorter, more rocky sections, in a satisfying blend of Symphonic, Folk and Rock. It’s much easier to like than their other two albums, which contained a fair amount of challenging chopping and changing, and some more extreme elements. Having said that, ICI turns away from the folk side, for a rockier number, which opens with fuzzed electric guitar and a strong beat, backed by symphonic keys. Modern programmed beats comfortably nestle alongside acoustic guitars,
La Lumiere, starting off very low key with percussion and vocals, gradually builds to accommodate world music textures from the tablas and oud, with keys and violins adding a symphonic sweep. This is a gentle hypnotic number, with subtle melodies and inventive textures.
Danse Des Airs is the first number on this disc to almost, but not quite, reintroduce the Avant inclinations which were more prevalent on early Thork outings, but still they are presented in a more melodic context on this satisfying instrumental, which also carries on the influences of modern Electronica. Some great keyboards here too.
Dreamy, Folkish vocals and echoing guitar start off Au Ciel, which has a beautiful melody and is squarely in the symphonic folk tradition, with instrumental sections reminiscent of Mike Oldfield. This is my second favourite track on the album.
Samuel Maurin (of the superb Nil) makes his presence felt on O1, contributing fantastic bass work to underpin a crunching rock number replete with Brass arrangements, but still managing to inject a medieval folk feel and a splash of electronica, a surprising mixture which works really well. This is the track which sounds most like the Thork of yore, and it’s very good too.
Closing out the disc, Ces-Reve-La tops acoustic guitar with heavily processed vocals, an unusual juxtaposition, which doesn’t quite gel together, making for a disappointing end to the album. It might have been better to present the song in a straight manner, with unprocessed vocals.
On the stronger numbers, Ex-Slave, Au Ciel and O1, Thork prove they’ve got what it takes to make thoroughly engrossing, powerful yet delicate music, which should have a strong crossover potential in the Progressive and Folk Rock Fields.
Overall, this is a delightful, dreamy album, much more approachable than their two previous discs, and clearly their best yet. If you tried Thork before but were unsure, by all means, try them again now, you might be pleasantly surprised. Recommended for all fans of Progressive Folk Rock
Conclusion: 7.5 out of 10

Dave Sissons

1998 saw the formation of French outfit THORK. Their chosen field was folk-influenced progressive rock and their first two productions, released in 2000 and 2004, got positive receptions. However, since the release of their second album the band has fallen pretty much apart. As of 2007 Sebastien Fillion is the only original member left of this outfit which pretty much has turned into a vessel for his creative outings. Existing fans will obviously wonder how this has affected the style explored by this band, that is, how much different this third release will be compared to past productions by them.
First and foremost; "Nula Jedan" is a fine release. Sheer quality shines through from start to finish, in terms of songwriting, performance, production and mix: there aren't any obvious weak points to be found. I'm not very familiar with the band's prior releases; but I understand that they are seen as progressive folk more than progressive rock. For this latest release I'd guess that it's more accurate to call the output progressive rock rather than folk, so one may assume that this, most recent, effort explores a somewhat different musical vein than the past creations of this outfit. When that is said, there is a fair deal of folk influence on this production, as well as some jazz-tinged elements, so the change in direction here shouldn't be a dramatic one. One facet of the compositions on this album that will intrigue many listeners is that there's no real dominant instrument here. There's a plethora of instruments used, some more than others, but it's impossible to point out a single one more dominating than others; there's no general tendency to let any specific instrument form the foundation for the composition as such. However, keyboards and synthesizers are vital to all songs here, albeit not always in major roles. The piano delivers the main melody in quite a few compositions, floating layers of keyboards and synths add textures and flesh out soundscapes and will in quite a few segments form a foundation for melodic overlays or soloing by other instruments - when not providing those themselves. The guitars have an unusually laid-back role, providing acoustic licks and dampened chords and riffs, at times underscoring or partially forming the main melody line, but there are also many segments where there's hardly any input from this classic rock instrument. Drums and other percussion will arguably be more vital actually, especially as the percussion work really adds quite a lot of nuance and tension to the songs, whereas the drums to a somewhat larger degree have a more basic function. The stars of the show on this creation are the compositions themselves. Lots of intriguing tempo and mood changes, and well-planned and utilized insertion of additional elements: Soaring violins in solo segments or dramatic bursts, at times mixed with soul-tinged or funky horns; the addition of world music-influenced percussion, or the addition of a jazz-tinged dominating bass line to a song or a segment. Tablas, tin whistles, Rhodes, glockenspiel and electronic noises are all additional elements used more or less briefly which, in addition to the relatively complex structures of the compositions in total, contribute to creating captivating sonic experiences. The vocals, either regular, layered or by vocoder, further enhance this. There are a few compositions that I do find to be somewhat inferior to the others, hence one mark off the top rating for this one, but still this is a fine and remarkable release well worth investigating.
Conclusion. "Nula Jedan" is an adventurous and captivating production by the French act Thork. Mostly atmospheric and with a dedication to beautiful, stunning and even surprising developments, this album is a joy to get acquainted with, and should be of interest to followers of folk-influenced progressive rock.

Olav M Bjornsen

Espero que lo disfruten, realmente es una rareza que merece ser conocida. Otra joya perdida, pero en este caso no es solo una gema sino un collar de perlas, unidas por un poderoso hilo de oro.