The 2013 Fruits de Mer Annual: Temple Music / Vespero split single (Fruits de Mer Records 2012, Crustacean 35, 7″ vinyl)

The Fruits de Mer annuals feature what the label considers the best of what they hoped to release the past year but for whatever reasons couldn’t. And the 2013 edition has a pair of winners indeed.

One might furrow the brow or purse the lips at the thought of pairing covers of Hollies and Faust songs with one another. Well, I wouldn’t, I think that’s cool as hell. But when you hear how Temple Music handles The Hollies’ Pegasus, you’ll realize that this decidedly un-Hollies-ish treatment sounds like they might have wished they’d been assigned a Faust song instead. Temple Music take this 3 minute slice of pop craftsmanship and run it through an avant-psychedelic slice ‘n’ dice. The vocal portion of the song and core melody are intact, but everything else that surrounds it is 8 minutes of spaced out, tripped out drones and lysergic mind-fuckery. In fact, I’d say that Temple Music’s interpretation of Pegasus should be held up as a model of the kind of imagination and creative license that should be taken with cover songs. Absolutely kick ass! Note that this will be on the Hollies covers LP Fruits de Mer has scheduled for 2013.

Faust have covered a wide range of music over years, from abstract experimentalism, to Krautrock, psychedelia, and songs. Jennifer was one of their songs, and to me it’s a beautiful blend of meditative drift, avant-psychedelia, and noisy experimental elements. Russian space rockers Vespero tackle the song, and to my knowledge this is the first recording that the usually all instrumental band have released with vocals. Vespero put their own stamp on the song by dispensing with Faust’s more overt experimental elements and focus their efforts on creating pure trippy psychedelia. At least they do that for the first 6 minutes. The last two minutes consist of a free-wheeling space improv with rumbling, droning, soundscapey electronics and bursts of drumming. It must be tough to take a piece of music that’s already firmly in the experimental realm and put your own spin on it, and Vespero do an admirable nice job.

The single will be available mid-December and is limited to 800 copies, and as usual this is vinyl ONLY, no CDs or downloads. If interested you better hurry because Fruits de Mer releases sell out QUICK!

For more information visit the Fruits de Mer Records web site at: http://www.fruitsdemerrecords.com

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz

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