This new, latest disc by Ulan Bator is beautiful. Extended play recorded between late 2008 and the early months of 2009 around the world (London, Melbourne, Milan, and Paris), "Soleils" marks the debut of the new record label set up by Amaury Cambuzat, the Acid Cobra Records, and serves as a preview of the band's future album, "Tohu-Bohu," due out in the coming months (September?). None of the five tracks will be part of the LP. The album, "Tohu-Bohu," has already been announced with the intent to have a more "fragile" sound compared to the EP. But that's another story.

Four years have passed since the release of the excellent "Rodeo Massacre." Four years in which Amaury Cambuzat, the only stable and "surviving" member of Ulan Bator since the distant 1993 (Amaury Cambuzat is Ulan Bator), has kept busy. He has done quite a few concerts around Europe with Ulan Bator (including a spectacular tour, "Cargo Cult," in tandem with the only historical companion Olivier Manchion) and has made a couple of music videos from tracks of "Rodeo Massacre" ("Pensées Massacre" and the beautiful "La Femme Cannibale," in collaboration with the volumetric Emidio Clementi). He released "Ulaanbataar," a collection of unreleased tracks from the band covering the period from 1993 to 1998. He has, once again, broken up with Olivier Manchion - who indeed does not play on this record. Most importantly, he toured Europe with the two Faust members Werner Zappi Diermaier and Jean-Hervé Péron. He then became a permanent member of the historic German band and recently released an album with them, "C'est compliqué." Finally, he set up Acid Cobra Records, deciding to produce his own songs, and began working on this album. This EP. "Soleils."

Once again, Amaury has shuffled the cards. Three years ago, in Germany, during the annual festival organized by Faust (the Avantgarde Festival - this year from August 28 to 30), he meets James Johnston. James Johnston is the leader and mastermind of Gallon Drunk, as well as an extraordinary musician (he has collaborated and collaborates with, among others, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Mick Harvey, and Lydia Lunch) and readily agrees to play organs and keyboards on "Soleils." Then he introduces him to Rosie Westbrook. Australian, she plays the double bass. Recently she was touring the world with Mick Harvey (and played the double bass on his latest album, "Two of Diamonds"). She also takes part in the recording of the album. On drums, we find the inevitable Italian: Alessio Gioffredi.
The album, needless to say, is good. Amaury Cambuzat is an inspired author. He writes well and is an excellent musician. Balancing between krautrock, noise, and singer-songwriter music, it doesn't matter whether French or not, he once again delivers an excellent work, whose only flaw, if any, lies in the brevity of the product (about twenty minutes).
Underrated and often ignored by critics and the public, this interesting disc can be a good means to sample the qualities of Ulan Bator if you haven't had the chance to listen to them yet. And it could be useful for those who already know the band well. Because with "Soleils," Ulan Bator has taken another, small, step forward compared to the previous "Rodeo Massacre."

By the way, if they come by your area, don't miss them because they are always extraordinary live.

Well done, bravo. See you in September.

Tracklist

01   Univers (03:25)

02   Ephémère (04:49)

03   Airplane (05:43)

04   Soleil (03:18)

05   Tabou (04:54)

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