Jean-Marc Zelwer
The Gods Are Angry

The Made to Measure series published by Crammed had the merit of advancing European musical research for at least a decade, bringing on board high-level artists such as John Lurie, Hector Zazou, Fred Frith alongside other interesting but lesser-known musicians, equally significant, like Benjamin Lew, Sam Birnbach, Sussan Deyhim. Among them, the American group Tuxedomoon stands out for fame and visibility.

But let's get to us. Jean-Marc Zelwer is an artist residing in France, but of Polish origin. His life and art partner is Francesca Lattuada, an internationally renowned choreographer with whom Zelwer has conducted many of his projects. "The Gods Are Angry," released in 1995, is an album whose contents are heterogeneous yet coherent because they follow a thematic thread alluded to by the title itself.

An atmosphere that is suspended and strongly theatrical runs through the entire work, and some tracks indirectly recall Meredith Monk ("Eden"), Hector Zazou ("Simplicissimus"), or rather Art Zoyd ("Querelle biblique"); but above all, there is a gallery of references to Kurt Weill, Balkan culture, and the world of the circus, with a strong 'gypsy' aftertaste.

Among the happier moments is "Les Trompettes du Diable," whose deliberately "prog" introduction unfolds along an increasingly inviting and convincing compositional carpet, prompting the listener to delve deeper and pay more attention; the 'tanghèro' phenomenon is present in the enjoyable "Vendo speranza," while the mocking circus world returns in "Viva l'amor," sung, moreover, in Italian. Just as in our language is 'recitata' the beautiful "Dio è arrabbiato," of vague melodramatic descent.

With "Simplicissimus," the cycle of the Crammed tradition returns, where European new-wave electronics weave a recognizable 'a la Tuxedomoon' plot full of retro melancholy; to clarify a little of what colors surround the entire album, it might be useful to reference the soundtrack of the film "Wings of Desire" (1987) by Wim Wenders, where experimentation, circus lightness, and Central European drama blend into an effective and original mixture. Zelwer's ethnic vocation resumes in "Les tresors du Valican," where Middle Eastern echoes welcome the Balkan matrix and lead it through an all 'in minor' development that returns sweetness and evocation. In "Le jour ou Allah Bouddha," a sonic battle with epic traits and cinematic references unfolds - a dominant characteristic in the whole Made to Measure series - and a recited and dry finale. The album concludes with "L'ame sen va," where it seems that the spirit of Monteverdi meets Dead Can Dance and together they stroll along a really suggestive luminous and evanescent tail.

It's a shame that a record like this suffers almost total oblivion, a fate shared by a large part of the Crammed production. Zelwer's work is recommended for lovers of non-trivial music, yet devoid of aesthetic quirks and excessive ambitions; the enjoyment of listening is not marred by a constant search for sound, and the distinctly European resonances bring to mind our own history.

If you manage to find "The Gods Are Angry" in some dusty corner of a semi-hidden shop in your city, buy it; it will have been worth it.