Art Zoyd - Phase IV (Japanese mini-lp sleeve) 2 x CDs
SKU
BELLE ANTIQUE 081366-67
Art Zoyd's early and great works have been unavailable for such a long time that it's too easy to forget what a strikingly original and amazing band they were in their prime. One of the original R.I.O bands (they joined in the second wave of bands, along with Art Bears and Aksak Maboul, if my failing R.I.O-memory serves me correctly). After making the re-recording of Symphonie Pour le Jour ou Bruleront les Cites the band changed personnel and slimmed down to a quintet and regrouped for this, one of their best known albums. Released as a double album in 1982 by Recommended, this album tones down some of the most radical aspects of their last few albums and adds some very nice influences from minimalism and cyclical composition. While it isn't the last of their great albums (they still had one or two in them after this), this was the end of a certain style that they had developed and it probably the last of their releases that I would call essential. This has a good live bonus track from 1976. This is a beautifully done Japanese mini-lp sleeve edition of this band and this edition is the only way to buy it; it is not in print in any other form on CD. Highly recommended.