Zoviet France "Hessian" LP (1982/90) packed in a genuine Hessian bag

$

25

Baron Elmo proudly presents a most desirable vinyl item for those experimentally inclined: an LP copy of the 1982 debut from avant-soundscapers ZOVIET FRANCE, released way back when their name began with an "S." This album has no title listed but was known as Hessian, as it was packed in a hessian bag – that is, an outer sleeve made of coarse, knitted burlap-like material with the artwork printed on one side (see below). This is NOT a first edition copy (on the Red Rhino label), but a identically packaged later pressing from 1990 on the group’s own Chaarm Records that was reissued simultaneously with the first CD version – itself out of print for more than two decades. This astonishing album (mastered at 45 speed for maximum fidelity) is an ideal introduction to one of the best experimental ensembles of the last few decades. Zoviet France considered themselves "organizers of sound" (a term coined by Edgard Varese), in the sense that, in their hands, the production and arrangement of sounds essentially becomes the act of composition itself. The group used the recording studio as their primary instrument, disfiguring, shaping and manipulating the actual "playing" to create a completely new music, a veritable world of bizarre and beautiful soundscapes: great blocks of drone, many of which seem to hail from location recordings; harsh and aggressive volleys of percussion; beautiful, head-filling hisses and hums; mysterious snatches of voice that disappear into the sonic murk as soon as they are perceived; sudden bursts of sound and aural shifts that startle. It’s often very difficult to tell what instruments are being employed at any given time, and that very mystery is one of this group’s most pleasing attributes. This particular LP features more vocal parts than would figure on later ZF albums, including a great acapella bit where some guy is screaming about cheese. At its best, Zoviet France's music explodes with ideas – and Hessian captures our intrepid sound explorers in peak form right out of the starting gate. A handsome insert with artwork and track titles is included inside. The record plays very well, though with little bits of surface noise here and there – but hell, this LP came in a burlap bag, after all. We’ve never seen a copy in flawless condition, even brand new. (At any rate, we put the record in a plastic inner sleeve slipped sideways into another sleeve right after purchase, to better protect the precious vinyl.) It should be mentioned that this LP looks very strange on one side, with a weird cloudy appearance that we can only assume is a result of the odd packaging. (This is a phenomenon we've observed in every copy of the Chaarm edition of Hessian that has passed our way. Happily, this “cloudiness” does not appear to affect the sound quality in the slightest. )

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Track listing
Ritual
Mudbast Boys
Sem Boys
Bring Hessa
Mounw
Ji Boys