Pascal Comelade - Musique de Genres

All Music Guide

Musique de Genres is a best-of collection released in South Asia by the label Noise Asia in way of an introduction to the man's music. Culled from all the albums he released between 1991 (Ragazzin' the Blues) and 1997 (Oblique Sessions), these 23 pieces make an excellent sampler, even more than that. They take out the repetitive factor one can feel creeping in when listening to the albums in sequence. Comelade's highly personal kind of musical genius can at times turn into a recipe, but the diversity represented by the tracks makes listeners forget any shortfalls. From the highly atmospheric duet with Richard Pinhas, "Back to Schizo," to street fanfares like "Dithyrambe du Passe-Montagne" and "The Lolobrigidada Fox-Trot," down to Victor Young's "Johnny Guitar" turned upside down by Comelade's toy piano and Pierre Bastien's musical saw, each one of the short gems contains a melody to whistle and a source of amazement. Deceptively simple, Comelade's music is a fountain of youth, something to please the inner child while still addressing important issues in modern music: the use of cheap toy instruments and homemade contraptions, the subversive power of simple song forms, and more. Comelade would record some great music after 1997, but for anyone who wants to take a first look into his oeuvre, Musique de Genres is the perfect keyhole.

- François Couture, All Music Guide