Jac Berrocal + David Fenech + Vincent Epplay - Broken Allures

Featuring a trio of French musicians, improvisers and sound artists including the veteran legendary trumpeter and poet Jac Berrocal, who collaborated with Nurse With Wound and has worked with Vince Taylor, Lol Coxhill and countless others. Broken Allures is the fifth album from Jac Berrocal, David Fenech and Vincent Epplay. Previous albums have appeared on Blackest Ever Black, Klanggalerie amongst others and this is another of those surprising albums that regularly appear on Cold Spring. Don't think like I did this that this would be an album of improvisations, it isn't. Broken Allures blends Berrocal's inspired trumpet playing and distinct vocals in a genre-crossing setting of short songs comprising sound art, electronics, field recordings and various percussive techniques created by the composer and improviser David Fenech and the visual and sound artist Vincent Epplay. The result is a forward looking suite of songs containing aspects of jazz, industrial, world music, dub, musique concrète all held together by Berrocal's avant garde trumpet and raspy vocals and wails.

However, it's probably the involvement of Cosey Fanni Tutti who features on three tracks that will grab the attention of readers here. But before that there is 'Warszawa' with droning electronics and a late night trumpet score which given the trio's past propensity for interpretations on previous albums is no doubt inspired by Bowie and Eno. Cosey's contributions range from 'Tones Of Blue And Red' featuring her soothing tones amidst parps of trumpet, loose bass tones and slight glitchy electronics to the moody bass throb of 'Outspoken Caress'; her calm tones interrupted by passages of processed noisier elements and rhythmic snare clatter. While there's a nocturnal element reminiscent of Carter Tutti work to these tracks, 'Viva La Hacienda' is rooted in an industrial sound. Drenched in processing with echoed throb caught in the flicker of sound, jettisoning splinters of discordant guitar, which to my ears sounds unmistakably performed by Cosey. It's eventually coalesces around a crisp drum rhythm interspersed by the watery yelps of Berrocal and trumpet wails resulting in something carrying more than a hint of the DNA of Throbbing Gristle.

From then on Broken Allures takes many twists and turns in a number of short playful and inventive vignettes of sound where anything goes. 'Zadar Melodia' shimmers in a dreamy and filmic fashion, while 'Christal Venus' builds on the sound art aspect in shifting and swirling drones, accompanying Berrocal's breathy spoken word with subtle bass tones and tinkering keys. There are forays into world music such as on the brief 'Morocco Shanghai' which tumbles to hand drums and jazz guitar ripples with dizzying free-form eastern trumpet wails and assorted voices from field recordings. The jittery almost mechanical beats of 'Sondelimosa' are interspersed with a series of voice and laughter samples, noodling guitar lines woven with Berrocal's snaking trumpet score swelling with distorted throbs and the patter of hand drums.

Jah Wobble is the other credited guest here and he is no newcomer to this trio having collaborated on their previous Transcodex album and he returns to the fold on the title track supplying his customary deep dub bass lines, underpinning the twangy guitar mannerisms and smokey late night trumpet vibes on what would be perfectly fitting for a film noir soundtrack.

Berrocal returns on vocals for 'Coiffeur Pour Vince'. Against the jazzy soft brushed drums swathed in distortion Berrocal in ragged spoken French tones switches dials between the rock'n'roll stations, namechecking both Gene Vincent and Johnny Burnette, amidst buzzing guitar riffs and ringing electronic sound shifts. The final track, 'Preacher Feature', pitches what I thought was initially Berrocal inhabiting the persona of an American Preacher. It isn't though. It's a sample of American televangelist Kenneth Copeland bellowing a fire and brimstone sermon spitting out judgement, here cut with a stuttered rhythmic clank, slashes of droning guitar and a lamentful trumpet score. Now, if only they had got Berrocal to deliver this.

Cosey Fanni Tutti and Jah Wobble might be the reference points for this review. Elsewhere, others might focus on the veteran and legendary figure of Jac Berrocal. His varied trumpet techniques are undoubtedly what weaves this into a coherent whole but it is the collaboration with David Fenech and Vincent Epplay who create the fabric of these short varied songs, as well as editing, mixing and producing whilst retaining the spontaneity of the recordings. It's an album that reminds me slightly of Philippe Petit and Hervé Vincenti's collective Strings of Consciousness who also involve guest musicians. Broken Allures has been something of an unexpected treat and I'll certainly be digging into their previous releases. This is great stuff that's really worth seeking out. Released on Cold Spring, Broken Allures is available digitally, on CD and on vinyl in black and as a limited yellow edition available from Cold Spring and Cold Spring bandcamp