Multiple Distortions

Multiple Distortions

Archives 2005-2016

Label : Booster/wtpl-music BTZ122 / LC09621
Digital release date : 18/04/2016
Digital distribution: Believe for Booster-wtpl-music
Physical release date : 2016
Genre : art rock - ambient - contemporary classical - alternative - soundtrack - experimental - electro acoustic...
Number of tracks : 15 | Duration : 75:00
Musicians : Thierry Zaboitzeff (bass guitar, guitars, keyboards, cello, samplers, percussion programming and other virtual instruments)
Composition: Thierry Zaboitzeff
Artwork: The Anonymus Designers 

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Multiple Distortions

The music of Thierry Zaboitzeff cannot be neatly fitted into any existing musical category. On and off one might be tempted by a few bars which indicate a category but soon enough such certainty is shattered.

If Zaboitzeff is in the mood to sound like a child immersed in games, he will. But if he wishes to create a monster through his music, he can and will do so just as well. His music ranges from light and airy to deep and heavy, it is as diverse as life itself. The music accommodates the personality of the musician as well as it accommodates its audience.

It may seem repetitive but his type of music never pales or becomes dull, one wants to hear it over and over again - to start at its beginning once the last sound has faded.

One should take the trouble to look for the inner resonance, for the images the music evokes.

They are of a vast, impressive, even massive quality. And as a listener, you feel as if the music speaks to you alone, as if your true self is addressed. It comes as a surprise how seemingly simple it is, but it reveals hidden images whenever you listen closely. The music achieves its unique quality in just such ways it is woven tightly and transparent at the same time, reminiscent of a man who is complex, full of imagination, strong as well as sensitive. He can thus afford to pass through life in a simple, almost naive way and to approach others sincerely - as he is so securely anchored in his own strength and integrity.

Harald Friedl, Vienna on March 11th, 2016

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Reviews

Impro Jazz (F) - Koid9 (F) - Progresiste (B) - Rythmes Croisés (F) - Proggnosis (?) - Chromatique.net (F) - Inrock (RU) - Babyblaue Seiten (D) - Exposé (USA)

IMPRO JAZZ (F)
by Philippe Renaud (10/2016)

Multiple Distortions

Although the former Art Zoyd bassist continues to follow in the footsteps of his former band (which he, incidentally, still mentions on the cover), these recordings only date back to 2005 – a world away from the originality of this band, which was classified as ‘Rock in Opposition’ in the mid-1970s. However, to avoid disappointing the band’s aficionados, it should be noted that the spirit remains the same, even though Thierry Zaboitzeff is now a one-man band.
There is little information on the cover, just the track listings and running times, so one cannot tell when any particular track was recorded. But that hardly matters, as – I repeat – the sonic foundation that allowed us to discover a new kind of music, an unprecedented sound, is still very much there: a haunting, repetitive framework overlaid with various other instruments, including percussion, tubular bells, distorted guitars (hence the album’s title), and electronic elements that didn’t exist when ‘Symphonie pour le jour où brûleront les cités’ was recorded… Fifteen tracks unfold in this way, to be listened to at full volume, preferably in the dark (it reminds me of a fascinating video of the band filmed in the north of France), a journey through time but expressed in a modern and futuristic way.

IMPRO JAZZ (F)
Philippe Renaud

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KOID9 (F)
by Renaud Oualid (2016)

Multiple Distortions

Thierry Zaboitzeff’s name crops up fairly regularly in Koid‘9 – and it has to be said that this is by no means his first musical work! I reviewed three of his solo albums in issue 88 in particular – *Sequences* (2009), *Planet Luvos* and *Sixteenth* (2012) – as well as his DVD of the famous silent film *The Cabinet of Dr Caligari* (2014) in issue 90, which features a beautifully crafted musical reimagining.

The 19th solo album by the former Art Zoyd musician, *Multiple Distortions* (subtitled *Archives 2005–2016*) really does listen like a proper album rather than a compilation of miscellaneous outtakes. All these tracks share a common thread: electrification and excessive sequencing, saturation, dynamics and sensory distortion. Terribly eclectic, and therefore inevitably delightful (you won’t get bored) but a little dangerous (you can’t love everything), this record features previously unreleased compositions as well as a third version of ‘Lac des Signes’ (no spelling mistake!) and four tracks from a stillborn project: ‘Overdrive’. The man is a seasoned multi-instrumentalist – judge for yourselves: here he plays electric bass, guitar and cello, acoustic guitar, keyboards, percussion, samples, electronics and programming! I’m partial to the more rock-oriented tracks, such as “Pourquoi tant d’agitation?” (and its literally chaotic opening!) or the four ‘movements’ of “Overdrive”, where the guitar is often distinctly Fripp-esque (just listen to “Overdrive 3” (3:35), which sounds as if it’s taken from an unreleased King Crimson album!).

There are other atmospheres on this album, with electronic programming and loops mixed with more traditional electric instruments (“Die Maschine”, “Wings”), wild world music (“Vorschrift”), a bass guitar quintet (“Lose—extended for Electric Bass Quintet”, 8:40 – a must-listen for all bassists, urgently!), or utterly mad and utterly indescribable stuff (“Maniphands”, “Sign 2”, “Continents”,...).

Call it avant-garde rock, contemporary music, electronic music, or even – for the craziest among you – progressive (!!!), but give Dr. Zab a chance: he’s an extremely talented musician who ventures far off the (well-trodden) beaten track with 76’11 (!) of extraordinary music.

Renaud Oualid
KOID9 (F)

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PROGRESISTE (B)
by Dominique Genin (2016)

Multiple Distortions

Unlike the previous album, which featured a variety of atmospheres, *Muliiple Distortions* strikes me as less varied in terms of atmosphere. The moods are more uniform, with dark, oppressive tones and less contrast. This album is a compilation of archive material spanning from 2005 to 2016. Most of the tracks are previously unreleased, but no
information is given regarding when they were created. Other tracks are alternative versions of older compositions, such as ‘Le lac des Signes’, performed with Art Zoyd on ‘Marathon-
nerre’. Four tracks also originate from an earlier project that never came to fruition, ‘Overdrive’. Others have been used as the soundtrack for various shows. Some compositions are reminiscent of Art Zoyd from the 1980s, such as *Rebonds*; others, more numerous, are more electronic and minimalist, built on repetitive loops and dominated by machines, such as … *Die Machine*. But Dr Zab, a multi-instrumentalist, knows how to strike a balance between his machines and electro-acoustic instruments. He excels on the cello and bass, as on the ‘lose-extended for electric bass quintet’, or on guitar on the four ‘Overdrive’ tracks, which are not unlike a certain Fripp-era Crimson.
These archives therefore represent a skilful blend of contemporary, avant-garde and electronic music, all simmering in a dark cauldron,
which creates murky atmospheres and provokes unsettling reveries.

Dominique Genin
Prog-résiste N° 93

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RYTHMES CROISES (F)
by Stéphane Fougère (15/09/2016)

Multiple Distortions

Are there still people in the audience who don’t know that Thierry ZABOITZEFF has an extensive discography outside of ART ZOYD? No, because if that were the case, they’d need to find a way to thrive away from the radiator… With this new CD, ‘Dr ZAB’ is now on his 18th album. Much of his music serves as the soundtrack for dance performances, some for film concerts, some was intended for projects that ultimately never came to fruition, and still others serve no particular purpose; they are simply there for the pleasure of listening and may quite simply result in a solo album to be enjoyed in its own right. It is in this category that *Multiple Distorsions* should be placed.

Like *Iva Lirma*, which brought together archive material from the period 2002–2007, *Multiple Distorsions* is presented as a collection of archive material from the last ten years. It features previously unreleased original compositions, a new version of *Lac des signes* (which Thierry had revisited in his solo concert *Cross the Bridge*) and four tracks from an unrealised project, *Overdrive*.

Given the man’s insatiable musical curiosity – which explores contemporary music, electronic music, avant-garde rock and world music alike – alongside his talent as a multi-instrumentalist (electric bass, guitar and cello, percussion, keyboards, sampling…), one can safely assume that the content of *Multiple Distorsions* does not fall into stylistic uniformity. Connoisseurs of ‘Zaboitzeffian’ work will therefore find their bearings here but are bound to be surprised by certain directions.

Thus, within these ‘Archives 2005–2016’, one finds a track somewhat reminiscent of the sound of 1980s ART ZOYD (‘Rebonds’), tense and unsettling ambient-industrial sequences (‘Sign 2’, ‘Continents’), and electro tracks that are a touch more accessible as they are built around melodic or rhythmic loops (Maniphands, Confusion), a track with an exhilarating atmosphere written for a bass-guitar quartet (Lose – extended), tracks where acoustic sounds, electric bursts and electro loops and programming intertwine (Die Maschine, Wings), and others that give pride of place to the electric guitar, as in ‘Pourquoi autant d’agitation?’ and the ‘Overdrive’ series. On this note, it is possible that Dr ZAB has never come closer to the ‘classic’ rock idiom than with *Overdrive 3*, introduced by a riff as raw as it is stunning and fuelled by a ‘Fripp-esque’ solo that could easily be mistaken for the real thing!

Thierry ZABOITZEFF is unrivalled when it comes to composing pieces that act as mirrors or reflections of the hidden and dark side of the human psyche.
The atmospheres depicted in this collection are certainly steeped in chilling reveries, palpable anxieties, magmatic rage and chaotic upheavals, rendered with a refined eye for detail; yet humour also has its place, as illustrated in particular by ‘Vorschrift’, which combines a ‘dance’ rhythm with banjo and trumpet!

Admittedly, these *Multiple Distorsions* display an eclecticism that may baffle some, but the fifteen tracks brought together on this album all bear an unmistakable signature and each, in their own way, illustrate a form of sensory distortion. And, on closer inspection, Thierry ZABOITZEFF’s solo albums have always stood out for their profusion of ideas, inventiveness and stylistic richness. This is why *Multiple Distorsions* rises far above the mere status of a compilation of outtakes and can be listened to as a solo album in the tradition of *Dr. Zab and his Robotic Strings Orchestra*, *Heartbeat*, *India*, *The Fantômatick Bands*, *Iva Lirma* and *16*. And something tells me that Thierry ZABOITZEFF, even after clearing out his hard drives, has probably not yet said his last word.

RYTHMES CROISES (F)
Stéphane Fougère

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PROGGNOSIS
by Valerio (17/01/2017

Multiple Distortions

Archives – Multiple Distorsions as it may seem to many of us is NOT just an Archive. Some artists publish an 'archive' album when they have left too many ideas through the years and they have no NEW ideas to make a “new” album. For this 'archive' this is absolutely not the case.
In Dr Zab's Multiple Distorsions theyears of the compositions are not provided so all we just know is a time frame of 2005-2016. No more details, no info…just music and excuse me if I underline just.
Let’s make a step backwards. Who is Thierry Zaboitzeff? If You are into adventorous avantprog and Rock In Opposition You know for sure the legendery French band Art Zoyd, and Dr. Zab is the founder and leader of this legendary band.
After travelling abroad whole world in Theatres composing music for ballett he decided in 1997 to leave the band and start his solo career founding a new band. Zaboitzeff & Crew, and opening his own recording Studio where he focuses more into collaborations with video/film makers creating many (and I say MANY) soundtracks.
Ok, - let’s get down to Multiple Distorsions. If you are familiar with the music of Art Zoyd You have just a little advantage over newnew listeners.. but just a little advantage because Dr.Zab’s music and composing SOLO is not the same. He focuses less into orchestral arrangements and he is more concrete coming directly from soul, a hidden mr.hyde soul maybe.
The Music is most of the time extremely dark and perhaps sad. But even if it’s dark and sad, (as well it was in Art Zoyd), now the development jumps even into beats and electronics typical of the new generation music making. You dive into a rainbow of sound and “positive” feelings…oh dear I saw my wife shaking ass dancing listening track 06 Vorschrift and this is just A M A Z I N G. Imagine to be on a desert Island in the Pacific Ocean… this is the idea it gives me. Anything is extremely beautiful but at the same time it’s dangerous, everything can save You or kill You and every second can be a surprise, can be the end, can be the beginning. It can rain suddenly, it can get extremely windy suddenly.
In this it’s well evident the “soundtrack” orientation of the artist, living little extracts, little minutes of pure joy, defragmented music sometimes…oh well a snake can kill you - but it can also become a good meal full of proteins for your surviving.
This means Thierry Zaboitzeff's music is not a labelled music, an elite music, I mean my wife is even well trained and we don’t listen MTV Music I mean… I just mean everybody can enjoy this music from rock fans to classical accademical students or happy listeners..or depressed fans of emo music.
The electronics are strong and Dr.Zab, multi-instrumentalist, is found playing both basses and guitars in a magistral way with keyboards and sampling doing the rest.
I highly recommend this album for fans of adventorous music. For those who are looking for something different - something in between a soundtrack and a night mare (always a la French way with estreme elegance and attention to details) I suggest you take a listen. You may discover a new kind of music to enjoy.

PROGGNOSIS
Reviewed by Valerio on 17 Jan 2017

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CHROMATIQUE.NET (F)
by Jean- Philippe Haas  (28/07/2016)

Multiple Distortions

From our perspective, Thierry Zaboïtzeff never stops composing or performing. Since 2014 and *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*, he has been composing music for productions by Editta Braun’s dance company, as well as releasing a substantial single entitled *Aria Primitiva*. He has also appeared on stage in film-concert performances, or with his former bandmates from Art Zoyd for the ‘44 ans ½’ project, an anniversary celebration held on 19 September 2015 in Carmaux at the RIO festival. Amidst all these activities, the artist has nevertheless found the time to organise his archives and release this album, *Multiple Distortions*.

Most of the fifteen tracks featured here fall within the realm of electronic music, in the broadest sense of the term, but he always manages to strike a balance between the use of ‘real’ instruments and the use of sampling and programming. From original compositions to alternative versions of older tracks, the multi-instrumentalist covers a fairly broad spectrum in his compositions. As he has demonstrated time and again in his soundtracks for silent film classics – whether working alone or with his former collaborators – he knows how to create unique atmospheres, enriched with catchy little motifs (‘Confusion’, ‘Le lac des signes v.3’, the first version of which appears on Art Zoyd’s *Marathonnerre II*). Often rhythmic, and at times almost dance-like (‘Vorschrift’), some tracks also have a cinematic quality (‘Sign 2’, ‘Confusion’) or at least quite pronounced ambient elements, whilst others follow a more defined melodic line. Zaboïtzeff creates repetitive, shifting or minimalist loops, weaving in his favourite instruments such as the bass (‘Lose-extended version for electric bass guitars quintet’) or the guitar (the ‘Overdrive’ series).

There’s something for everyone, as they say, in these archives, which offer a wide variety of atmospheres and uses of electronics. *Multiple Distortions* is a great way to get into Thierry Zaboïtzeff’s current music – and once you do, you’ll never want to leave.

CHROMATIQUE.NET (F)
Jean-Philippe Haas

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INROCK (RU)
by Елена САВИЦКАЯ (2016)

Multiple Distortions
avant-rock 10/10
Booster/wtpl-music

Thierry Zaboytsev, one of the ‘masterminds’ behind the famous French RIO group Art Zoyd, left his alma mater in 1997 and has been working independently ever since. He composes music for theatre and dance productions, performs – as he did in his Art Zoyd days – ‘cine-concerts’ (soundtracks to black-and-white silent films), and records albums with his own band, Zaboitzeff & Crew. The landmark reunion with Art Zoyd at the 2015 RIO Festival in France is now history: the two-hour programme performed on that occasion will almost certainly be released on an audio recording, but there was never any question of a long-term reunion. So Thierry continues to create in his studio – he has released 17 albums since leaving Art Zoyd. One of his most ambitious recent projects is *Missa Furiosa*, set to Latin Catholic texts for singers and… a techno-pop ensemble (2002). The fact that Zabojceff is keen on contemporary genres such as techno, and uses samples, programmed drums and other electronic elements, should come as no surprise – the musician keeps up with the times. Although his main instruments remain the bass guitar and the electric cello. As the album title suggests, this is a collection of archive material spanning the years 2005–2016. In other words, it’s not really ‘archival’ material at all, but rather contemporary. There are 15 tracks in total, running for 76 minutes. Admittedly, the liner notes do not specify the exact year each track was recorded, but that doesn’t really matter – the album listens like a single, cohesive work, with a unified flow. Perhaps only the first track, ‘Rebonds’, belongs more distinctly to the ‘Artzoid’ sphere, thanks to its characteristic tense atmosphere, unsettling percussion rhythms and the dissonant ‘calls’ of electronic ‘trumpets’. Although even here there is a rather sudden non-swing section. The second track, ‘Le lac des signes v.3’, with its schizoid repetition of an ominous harpsichord motif, is reminiscent of both the finest moments of ‘Zoidian’ music and… the ‘chimes scene’ from Mussorgsky’s *Boris Godunov*. In general, on this album you’ll find a completely unexpected side to Thierry: playing cheerful Latin music (‘Vorschrift’) and sombre flamenco (‘Overdrive 3’), quite straightforward guitar rock riffs in ‘Overdrive 4’, radical noise/sonorism (“Sign 2”) and ethereal ambient (“Continents”), light symphonic art rock (“Die Maschine”) and some rather twisted disco (“Wings”)... Incidentally, regarding the aforementioned ‘Overdrive’: tracks bearing this title, but with different track numbers that do not follow sequential order, are scattered throughout the album and are based on electric and acoustic guitar sounds. Sometimes these are riffs, sometimes shimmering strums or fully developed themes, sounding very melancholic and… human (at times even reminiscent of late King Crimson, though this reference is merely a ‘hook’ to appeal to a wider audience). One of the most impressive compositions is ‘Lose-extended for electric bass quintet’. There is no doubt that this is Zaboytsev’s own bass guitar, playing the five parts of this avant-garde fugue and used as a highly expressive melodic instrument. There’s also a surprise hidden here, honestly noted in a footnote to the track listing: the composition contains a ‘little snippet’ of the catchy musical theatre theme ‘My Favourite Things’ – a prize for whoever spots it! This is also a rather unexpected move for someone we’ve come to regard as both a genius (which is undisputed) and ‘terrible’. All in all, ‘Multiple Distortions’ showcases various and at times quite unusual facets of Thierry Zaboytsev – an outstanding composer of the second half of the 20th century, whose work became a model for many avant-garde bands of subsequent generations. And if you’re interested in avant-rock, this album is sure to take its rightful place in your collection.
INROCK (RUSSIA)

Елена САВИЦКАЯ

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BABYBLAUE SEITEN (D)
by Achim Breiling (2016)

Multiple Distortions

Following a series of works available only as downloads or as limited-edition CD-Rs (or ‘on demand’), Thierry Zaboitzeff – who, incidentally, still (as of early summer 2016) still deems it necessary to point out on the very homepage of his website that he was once one of the two founding members of Art Zoyd, is releasing “Multiple Distortions” – another album – in the traditional (perhaps soon to be considered “old-fashioned”) format on CD. ‘Archives 2005–2016’ is the subtitle, which immediately defines the origin of the material found here. As with ‘Iva Lirma’, this is therefore a collection of various tracks, this time recorded during the period just mentioned. The tracks on ‘Iva Lirma’, by contrast, were recorded between 2002 and 2007.
One certainly cannot claim that Zaboitzeff offers music here that is particularly different from that on his previous albums. Essentially, he found his style by the time of “Heartbeat” at the latest – a sort of simplification of the sound found in Art Zoyd at the time – and has changed very little about it since then (with the exception of the rather delicate “Nebensonnen”). However, the stylistic range has broadened over the years, with dancefloor-friendly, world music and slightly metal-rock-inspired sounds gradually finding their way into Zaboitzeff’s music.
A kind of electronically rich, one-man chamber prog can therefore mostly be found on *Multiple Distortions*, which glides along in a voluminous, offbeat, varied and rather sombre manner, underpinned by all manner of keyboard sounds and electronic drones, whilst at the same time possessing a character more akin to chamber music and symphonic sounds, very much in the spirit of the Franco-Belgian rock avant-garde from the Art Zoyd and UZ scene. Typical examples of this sound include, for instance, “Le lac des signes v.3”, or the wonderful “Lose-extended for electric bass guitar quintet”.
However, Zaboitzeff has more to offer – the aforementioned expansion of his stylistic range – for example, very rock-oriented, solemn to the point of being angular and unwieldy instrumental tracks that are somewhat reminiscent of modern Stick prog realms (yes, much like a track by the Stick Men), as can be heard, for instance, in the four ‘Overdrive’ tracks. Otherwise, there are quite a few bewildering mixtures of electronic patterns, MIDI instrumental imitations, all manner of sampled sounds and percussive elements (mostly synthetic) to be heard (“Maniphands”, “Continents” or “Confusion” are cited as examples). Added to this are free-form soundscapes that, once again, sound more like modern chamber music (“Sign 2”, for example).
The humorous “Vorschrift” stands out somewhat from the rest, with acoustic-guitar-like sounds, banjo strumming, thump-thump rhythms and bossa nova strumming dancing merrily along. Speaking of ‘wums-ums’: from time to time, a rather monotonous rhythmic rumble works its way to the fore (as on the Frenchman’s earlier albums), though usually within a rather unwieldy, offbeat sonic landscape (as can be heard, for example, in the closing track ‘Wings’).
All in all, “Multiple Distortions” comes across as a fairly cohesive whole and exudes the typical (familiar) atmosphere found on all of Zaboitzeff’s productions – a powerful, sonorous, sombre ambience dominated by bass sounds and electronics (the cello is rarely heard). Anyone who appreciates the music of Art Zoyd and Zaboitzeff’s previous work won’t go far wrong here, provided they’re looking for more of these sounds. For those unfamiliar with Zaboitzeff’s music, however, “Multiple Distortions” would be a perfectly suitable introduction.

BABYBLAUE SEITEN (D)
Achim Breiling

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EXPOSE (USA)
by Peter Thelen (30/05/2016)

Multiple Distortions

Subtitled “Archives 2005-2016,” one might get the idea from that subtitle that this is a bunch of leftovers from the last ten years or so, but that’s certainly not the case — nothing could be further from the truth. This collection is superb from the beginning to end, the fruit from the top of the tree so to speak. Many of the 15 pieces here have a definite cinematic quality, much like fragmentary elements of suspense soundtracks that bubble up from dark corners of the psyche. Zaboitzeff is a master of the groove as well as generating melodic intensity, often in dark and mysterious ways, captivating the imagination. Elements of electronic, groove, quasi-orchestral, rock, and avant-garde all collide herein to create a varied sound that completely defies classification, yet holds the listener’s interest throughout. Zaboitzeff plays every instrument on the album, which includes electric bass, electric cello, all manner of guitars, keyboards and synthesizers, acoustic and electronic percussion, samples and programming. One has to wonder from where the composer draws these ideas that seem to grow out of dark fractures of emotion, with powerful driving forces from depths far below the surface. Sharp jagged rock structures first appear with multiple screaming overdriven guitar leads on “Overdrive 4,” one of several related pieces that are scattered throughout the track list in random order. “Confusion” grows out of a backdrop of chattering electronica with some wild and unusual effects that alternately yield to a darker vision, yet maintain a strong melodic current throughout. More dark cavernous explorations ensue with “Sign 2,” a short vignette that seems to follow an improvisational thread. “Vorschrift” follows it, with a catchy repeating melodic riff gently giving way to some whispered effected voices over an electronic foundation. That’s just four, but there are plenty more surprises here that will engage the intrepid listener.

EXPOSE (USA)
Peter Thelen

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