The Godel Codex - Oak

Michel Delville is more than just a member from the bands with Machine Mass and The Wrong Object. And this one, took me towards a very interesting level that combines electroacoustic, post-rock, and jazz into one. It’s a project called The Godel Codex. Released via Off Records and powered by MoonJune Records, Oak is one of those combinations that follows into the footsteps of Avant-Pop.

While they’re background is in Jazz, The Godel Codex takes it a step further by creating these trippy effects that goes beyond the Machine Mass sound. And as Derek Bailey would say, “Improvisation is not knowing what it is until you do it, composition is not doing it until you know what it is.” When I was listening to Oak, it was a very interesting take for Michel to tackle those genres. And it was a challenge for me to tackle.

And these four centerpieces that are on the album, is like walking on a tightrope from Mount Rushmore to the Grand Canyon. And walking on those structures between the two mountains are very dangerous. And you never can tell if someone is about to cut the rope or not.

The Needle’s Eye is a late ‘60s psychedelic trip and The Godel Codex’s answer to the early Soft Machine as Michel’s vocals is a nod to both the lyrical structures of Syd Barrett and Robert Wyatt. It takes you towards that amazing time period when London was swinging back then. Plumer’s ride cymbals and drumming give insights of a surreal-like ballad on Stand or Fall.

Guenet goes into the styles of Mike Garson’s piano playing that he honors the era’s between David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane and Outside. The electronic hay-wiring effects gives us some insights of insanity as Delville, Guenet, and Bailleau create some of the most intensive moments throughout the electronic loops before Guenet closes it off with a wacky Keith Tippett-like finale with a harsh-like sound.

The first two minutes of Can it Be starts off with some minor piano chords and electro loops before Guenet’s voice channels the style of William D. Drake as if it was recorded during the sessions for The Rising of the Lights. Antoine channels Drake’s haunting arrangements with some unexpected changes from the piano to raise the temp up a little quicker.

Guenet takes the listener on One Last Stand as he takes them into these abandoned hallways as if the pin itself has already dropped. The composition can make you feel a little at ease as he hits those alarming notes before the vocals come in as you are reaching the last final door to be opened. It then crossover into the styles of Radiohead with a pounding rhythm that Antoine does by creating these uprising adventures while Michel channels Jonny Greenwood’s playing before the pulsating beats change.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, this was a challenge for me to tackle with The Godel Codex’s Oak. Michel, Antoine, Etienne, Christophe and Phillipe Franck have embarked on this surreal ride. And while it was worth tackling, this will whet your appetite for embarking ideas that The Godel Codex will take into the next journey that awaits you.

The Wrong Object - Into the Herd

It’s been about six years since I’ve listened to The Wrong Object’s music. There’s been so many great music out there that I had my ears delved into. And I had almost completely forgotten about The Wrong Object. Until now. This is their follow-up to their 2013 release, After the Exhibition entitled Into the Herd. Released via Off Records and powered by MoonJune Records, this brings them back for another welcoming return for the Belgium sextet.

Listening to their new album, I almost get the feeling that Michel Delville, who launched the band back in 2002, hasn’t forgotten his roots. He’s making sure that the wagons on the wheel don’t accidentally come off. And the wheels themselves haven’t come off for The Wrong Object. And right from the moment I listened to their follow-up release, it shows that they are still going strong and they’re showing no sign of stopping.

From the moment you listen to the opening title-track and Mango Juice, you can tell that Michel channels the styles of Brian Godding (Blossom Toes, Magma). From Pierre’s wah-wah bass introduction, you can tell that the band are going straight back into the Egyptian’s tombs of Emehntehtt-Re to see where the missing clues are hidden.

The snarling tones that Deville brings into the opening composition is almost a revelation on what secrets did the Egyptian king has hidden from every historian buff. And then on the sixth track, it becomes a mysterious thickening plot. And when Melia and Lourtie begin to write down the final pieces of the puzzle from the sax’s, Antoine Guenet’s take of a Terry Riley-sque keyboard section begins to close up the book and finally heading out to see the sun rising.

Another Thing sees the two sax’s going into this surreal fanfare before Delchambre and Delville kick the door down with a gigantic battering ram whilst going into some Twilight Zone-sque sections by seeing and hearing of what the late great Rod Serling will take the viewers into tonight’s story. There is that tidal wave section from the drums that Laurent does to increase the tension for Delville. He begins to release the flaming fires that was inside his heart as he lets it all out on his guitar.

And then Laurent’s drumming closes it off by going into this crescendo as Antoine finishes up the piece by taking his keyboards through time and space. Antoine’s composition of Many Lives, sees him going into a mournful piano section that fills up the void as Laurent, Marti, and Francois go into this unexpected waltz-like figure that have these odd time signatures.

The two saxophonists go into this spiral staircase-like arrangement that nearly goes into a brief section of the Canterbury scene as Antoine goes into the heart and soul of Vince Guaraldi. But then, The Wrong Object time travels into the 1950s as if they’re performing the closing track, Psithurism at a smoky nightclub either in New York or in Paris at around midnight.

You can imagine it’s getting the crowd’s attention to know that they’re into something special of what the band are doing before Antoine channels the styles of Keith Emerson’s clavinet section on Tank and Kerry Minnear’s medieval sections from Gentle Giant as Antoine tips his hat to the two masters.

It is an odd section, but it works well. And then the last minute of the composition at first goes into this clattering section from the drums, but then they come together as one by reaching the finish line as they bring the house down to releasing their energy in their instruments before reaching to an abrupt end.

I have to say that The Wrong Object’s Into the Herd gives the band a chance to be back in action once more. It’s almost as if the band have finally unleashed the hounds to come back with a vengeance. Now if you are a newcomer to The Wrong Object’s music, I would definitely recommend both After the Exhibition and their new release, Into the Herd.