Here's another CDRWL revisit. My notes from 12+ years ago state:
Kashmir's debut Alarme! is similar to other electronic duos like Eden (France), Jonathan (Germany) and Space Art (France). I hear their second album Histoire Cruelle better than the debut. It is, however, not an easy album to describe. Four listens in, and I'm not sure what I can tell you here. It's a mix of Tangerine Dream styled electronic, new wave synth pop, keyboard heavy progressive rock with fat fuzzy guitar leads and early Klaus Schulze styled dirges. There's a lot here to discover, and I think it could be a grower.
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In hearing the album again last night for the first time since, it really doesn't fit neatly into any kind of bucket. In my overall ranking system (not music rating) I have a +1 metric for being "unique". This album gets awarded that one point and that appellation generally buys shelf space at the UMR household. When hearing it with my current perspective, I'm also moving it out of the progressive electronic collection and into the x-wave collection. 80s music as it were. And while its foundation remains steadfastly that of an electronic based musician, it's very clear band leader Patrice Guenat is striving for more variety. This is also magnified by the fact that no less than 10 musical guests appear on the album.
Ownership: LP: 1982 Kobold. Single sleeve with thick cardboard insert. Acquired from a friend (2012).
The album remains without any kind of reissue.
Some of you may recall discussion around a possible third album by Kashmir. I'd continued my search for it all these years, and it was only last night I finally made some headway as to what that album might be. Turns out it's not a Kashmir album, but rather released as Patrice Guenat (with possibly Laurent Beguelin in the marquee). It's still not in Discogs, but I did find the cover. More info here.
6/17/11 (first listen / review); 5/10/12; 1/21/24 (update / new entry)
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