Sequences

Sequences - Thierry Zaboitzeff

‘Sequences’ features the soundtrack to a documentary by Nathalie Borgers. The film, entitled “Winds of Sand, Women of Rock”, focuses on the Tubu people living in the Sahara. More specifically, it centres on the women, who, from our perspective, live under extreme conditions. This refers not only to the climatic conditions, but also, amongst other things, to the fact that Tubu women cannot take a single step in their lives without their husbands’ permission.

The task of composing music depicting the life of a desert people carries the risk that the composer and arranger might resort to the obvious clichés and provide his clients primarily with melodies that sound ‘oriental’ to Europeans, set to ethnic percussion. The subject seems to suit Thierry Zaboitzeff well, as he has repeatedly demonstrated an interest in so-called ‘world music’ on his solo albums.
Naturally, Zaboitzeff had to fulfil his clients’ understandable wish to record music with an oriental flavour for film enthusiasts worldwide. Consequently, the expected passages featuring percussion, exotic string instruments, flute and violin – at one point even accompanied by the sound of the wind – are a staple of the album. However, Zaboitzeff sought to put his own stamp on the whole work by creating, in many places, a form of chamber prog interwoven with oriental elements, in which the contributions of the keyboard instruments (sometimes as a piano, at other times in the form of a string ensemble), with their often distinctively crafted motifs, serve as a common thread. Alongside exotic string instruments and acoustic guitars, the artist also utilised the sounds of cellos and wind instruments, which alternately convey densely interwoven and symphonically expansive structures.
In “Amina”, there are male and female world music vocals in French. At certain points in “Sequences”, I am reminded of Philip Glass, and at others of Jon Hassell’s dreamy ethno-ambient trumpet. Were it not for the fact that I would consider it almost impossible in film music of this kind, I would regard the restrained female vocals in “Women of Rock Variation” and “The Destiny of Amina” as a Zeuhl stylistic device.

Provided one isn’t put off by the fact that these musical sketches rarely exceed two minutes – designed to serve the film rather than the CD listener – and provided one bears in mind that a soundtrack must follow different rules to a regular release, “Sequences” can still provide plenty of entertainment for open-minded fans of chamber prog, even without the moving images.

BABYBLAUE SEITEN (D)
Siggy Zielinsk