Most
Univers Zero
recordings originally appeared on the small French
Atem
and
Cyronic
labels, and were not exactly easy to obtain at the time of their initial release. But the long out of print
Crawling Wind
was recorded as an EP for
Eastern Works
, the Japanese division of
Recommended Records
(
ReR
), and it has achieved a kind of cult status over the years because of its even greater rarity. The original EP was recorded at what was quite possibly
's creative peak, after their first three LPs and before they started moving away from acoustic
chamber rock
and toward a sound that was a little more conventionally electric. The three pieces on the EP (two studio recordings and one live track) are supplemented on
Cuneiform
's CD reissue with two additional live tracks, plus
"Influences,"
a studio piece previously released only on
's 1983 two-disc
Rock in Opposition
sampler, which featured other iconoclastic bands/artists of the time, such as
Art Bears
,
Faust
Henry Cow
, and
Robert Wyatt
. The mixture of studio and live tracks (and the different times and places of the recordings) doesn't allow
to generate quite the intensity of
UZ
's three prior recordings --
1313
Heresie
Ceux Du Dehors
. But with the exception of one early track from 1979 (an alternate live version of
"Complainte,"
which appeared on
's first release), all the tracks on the
release were recorded from 1982-1984, and are mature examples of
's unique gothic
sound, which featured a combination of strings (violin, cello, viola), woodwinds (clarinet, bassoon, oboe), and the powerful rhythm section of founder, leader, and primary composer
Daniel Denis
on drums, and either
Guy Seger
or
Christian Genet
on bass.
enthusiasts will know what to expect from the studio tracks, which project either the moody gloom of
"Before the Heat"
), or the ferocious, dissonant energy of
"Toujours Plus a L'est,"
"Influences"
). One of the two long live tracks,
"Central Belgium in the Dark"
(a verbal play, at least, on 20th century
classical
composer
Charles Ives
'
"Central Park in the Dark"
), represents a slight change of pace for the band, as it is more loosely structured, with less ensemble playing and a more playful, improvised quality that is almost lyrical at times.
"Triomphe des Mouches,"
while looser than a typical
studio recording, is still typically heavy and relentless, with featured cello work by
Andre Mergenthaler
, who uses his instrument's upper register at times to produce strangled, human-like cries. The three earlier
reissues can probably be considered more essential than
, but this CD definitely transcends the "for completists only" category, and is a worthy addition to
's fine catalog of
reissues. ~ Bill Tilland