Univers Zero
1313

THE REVIEW

1977, a significant year for the world of music, famous for leaving deep marks, especially in musical attitude. But apart from the attitudes, what remains? I care little for punk, but there's much to discover about rock in opposition, like Univers Zero to whom I am drawn these days with their first album, rightly released in that year....

No, this isn't working... I'll start over...

I have a few free minutes home alone; finally, I can listen to something on the stereo and perceive the vibrations in the air, the sound in space. It's increasingly rare to find these moments, condemned to my symbiosis with earbuds that exchange music with wax.

I take my position: sitting on a pouf made of plastic bottles. I place myself directly in front of the speakers, leaving half a meter between the wall behind me to cancel out an annoying sound reflection. The first track plays, "Le Ronde", starting with what seems like a march sustained by a snare drum and the gelatinous timbre of a bassoon, then the rhythm complicates into intertwining patterns that support the angular flight of the strings. I immediately think of Henry Cow and King Crimson, without electricity and immersed up to their necks in '20th-century avant-garde. It's an exciting journey that I rarely get to take.

6 minutes and 35 seconds in, the door opens, and my wife enters with my daughter. The spell is suddenly broken; in her presence, the music becomes too bold, discordant, and annoyingly dissonant. I pause...

I'm still not satisfied...

Maybe I should be more technical and descriptive, mention Bartok, which sounds quite cool, and why not Stravinsky too. Discussing rock in opposition and progressive influences is very important...

However, the great G indicated the path of subjectivity, and perhaps I could describe my emotions...

But thinking about it, I don't really feel like overthinking it. I like 1313 as it sounds, it could belong to any musical era and come out unscathed. I leave the mental masturbation to be translated into music by Daniel Denis and the other Univers Zero members. I humbly enjoy being transported to unknown terrains; you always have to watch where you step, unlike so much other music where you already know what happens next, like in Hollywood movies.

Alright, I'm losing inspiration, and this review is a bit crappy, but I'll send it anyway, just to read your lovely comments, which I'm sure at least three of you will post. I'm off now; I have the rest of the discography to listen to. Universally reset hugs to everyone.