Review in Hollow Ear (USA)
“acidic voice plays hard against all of this, and she takes the most
obvious themes and makes them her own in surprising ways.”
“acidic voice plays hard against all of this, and she takes the most obvious themes
and makes them her own in surprising ways.”
On this side of the Atlantic, the experiments continue in a more agressive fashion in
Montréal. Joane Hétu, wondeur-brasser and composer has released another jarring adventure,
Castor et Compagnie. This is her first “solo” recording, although she is joined
by AM regulars Diane Labrosse (keys and accordion), Jean Derome (brass, woodwinds, percussion
and effects), Pierre Tanguay (percussion) and some bass tracks from Luc Bonin. The beauty of
all the music Hétu makes is its refusal to be described by genre or comparison: jazz, new
classical, punk-funk, experimental noise; Stockhausen, Glass, Beefheart and Zappa all seem
vaguely appropriate until you really listen. Castor et Compagnie adds another element, one of
erotic romance. The texts that inspire these pieces come from Hindi love recipes, Arabic
sex-play games and old ribald folk songs, and the music created around them is a rich mix of
lush and lustful, one moment a Brazilian cliché, the next a raw revel or a scream. Her edgy,
acidic voice plays hard against all of this, and she takes the most obvious themes and makes
them her own in surprising ways.
other texts in
Minimal #12 (Portugal),
Zona Tóxica #1 (Mexico),
New World (USA),
Cadence #19:7 (USA), July 1, 1993
Voir (Québec), September 14, 1995
“… une poésie musicale où se côtoient allègrement amour et
érotisme, tendresse et tensions…”
Montreal Mirror (Québec), September 14, 1995
“… If your notion of a good time takes on the heretofore unfathomed
form of Nina Hagen scatting, Nina Simone squawking, or Nico rocking, have I got
a girl for you!…”
Informator “Ars” 2 #17 (Poland),
November 1, 1995
The Wire #142 (UK), December 10, 1995
“Highly recommended.”
Revue & Corrigée #27 (France), March 1, 1996
“… Si Joane Hétu se révèle être une chanteuse expressive, à la voix
tendre, ou enjouée et gaie (selon le thème abordé), elle est aussi, et surtout,
une compositrice et une musicienne/instrumentiste confirmée, qui fait de ses
chansons de véritables chefs-d’oeuvre d’orchestration, faits
d’arrangements subtils, malicieux, savoureux, auxquels ont contribué Jean
Derome, Diane Labrosse et Pierre Tanguay…”
Octopus #4 (France), March 1, 1996
Margen #5 (Spain), March 1, 1996
ImproJazz (France), April 1, 1996
“… Castor et compagnie est un cycle de chansons pour les amoureux
de sens, du sens et des sons où se côtoient avec bonheur érotisme, bruitisme et
mélodie.”
Musicworks (Canada), June 1, 1996
“… Ce disque présente un très heureux mélange de textes et de
musiques d’une grande qualité.”
Le Journal de Montréal (Québec), December 11, 1996