FRICTION NYC

Sure, the French have Ed Banger now, but turn back the clock to the 1960’s and 70’s and you’ll find one of the most innovative labels specialized in music libraries, L’Illustration Musicale or “IM” for short. Self-described as a “label of modern rhythms,” IM released 26 records in the genre’s of electronic, jazz, latin, and rock during its existence. The album art for pretty much all of the label’s releases looked the same, designed around the IM logo. The only real difference was the color of the album sleeves. One album cover that’s a little different is Bernard Fevre’s The Strange World of Bernard Fevre which lays concentric circles over the label logo, resembling ripples of water.

Fevre’s world is indeed quite strange, otherworldly to put it best. Released as an “all electronic” record in 1975, The Strange World of Bernard Fevre is part science fiction and part Universal Horror. The 14-tracks that make up the record are a pleasant galactic experience, but at the same time really really creepy, especially “Monster Laboratory” which sounds exactly as the title would lead you to believe. Spacey synths and trippy bleeps lend the album it’s cosmic feel, conjuring up images of celestial journeys to distant galaxies and planets.

Fevre released two other solo works, Cosmos 2043 and Suspense before teaming up with Jackie Giordano to form Black Devil. Under the pseudonyms Joachim Sherylee and Junior Claristidge, the duo recorded the once rare disco masterpiece Disco Club in 1978, which was highly influential to the rise of acid house and still sounds fresh today. Rephlex expanded Black Devil’s audience with a much wider release of Disco Club in 2004, which contained two bonus tracks (”Timing Forget Timing”, “We Never Fly Away Again”) and a remix of “Timing Forget Timing” by Kerrier District.

After 28 years, Bernard Fevre returned last year with 28 After under the moniker Black Devil Disco Club. The title is in reference to the amount of years that passed since the first release of Disco Club and it’s been debated if the new songs are actually from the 70’s. In March of this year, Fevre released the 3-song Black Sunshine 12″ in which each song received remixes by Quiet Village, Elitechnique, and CU faves In Flagranti.

eMusic has a good article on Fevre and Black Devil.

Click on the following links to buy Fevre’s work: The Strange World of Bernard Fevre, Disco Club, 28 After

Bernard Fevre  ”Expectation” (from The Strange World of Bernard Fevre)

Find tracks by Black Devil and Black Devil Disco Club