Pole, the
French project from the mid-'70s, wasn't so much a proper group, but
rather the name used for the first two records put out by the Pole
label, which then went on to release several other records by similar
artists. Inside the Dream is the second Pole album, and the dedication
to French electronics pioneer Heldon gives one some idea of the music of
Pole. Though maybe not quite as powerful as some of Heldon's material,
Pole work in a similar vein of abstract minimalist experimental
electronics. On one side of Inside the Dream, the sidelong title track
starts off less Held on-like, with an almost cosmic folk sound with
strummed guitar and wispy vocals, with the echoing and looping
electronics kept in the background until about halfway through before
they take over, and as befits the title, the piece is very abstract and
dreamy. The other side features a pair of ARP 2600 synth solos: "Outside
the Nightmare," done by Jean Louis Rizet, and "In the Malestrom," with
Rizet, Paul Putti, and Pierre Chavigny. The Rizet piece is minimalist
improvised pulsing drones that are stark and eerie, similar to Heldon or
Conrad Schnitzler, that shift and change to never get too repetitive,
as eventually the sound becomes more full. "In the Malestrom" has a more
focused rhythmic component, maybe closer to Cluster though darker and
edgier. All in all, the album represents some of the more creative
aspects of 1970s electronic music. Line-up / Musicians Paul Putti/synthesizer,guitar,effects Thierry Aubrun/effects,electronics Daniel Bodon/electronics Jean-Louis Rizet/synthesizer Pierre Chavigny/electronics Eric Dervieu/bass Christian Rouch/vocals Marc Azad/guita Discography(Album) Inside the Dream 1975
1.Inside the Dream 2.Outside the Nightmare 3.In the Mäelstrom
