Reviewed in December 28 by Nathan Rose on Pow Magazine
Balduin’s latest album, She’s The One was released on December 19th 2021 coming to you from Switzerland. She’s The One is a psychedelic pop album with shining compositions and chiming melodies. His catalog includes Neo-psychedelic rock music, lo-fi electronic, and harpsichord compositions. She’s The One is indie neo-psychedelia with retro tones, jangling guitars, organs and psych-pop melodies. Claudio Gianfreda of Switzerland is the mastermind behind Balduin and he writes the music and plays all the instrumentation for the arrangements.
She’s The One has well-written songs that are pop-friendly while incorporating contemporary and vintage psychedelic folk and rock music. The contemporary psychedelic rock scene has extensive variety with branches in heavy metal, indie, pop, R&B, space, and stoner rock. Psychedelic sounds have found a place in musical and audio production across genres including film and sound effects. She’s The One is focused on indie and psych-pop songs packed with imaginative instrumentation inspired by the 60s and today.
The smoothing vocals have elements from the English psych folk movement of the late 60s with singers like Donovan, Syd Barrett‘s fantastical folk music, early Pink Floyd, The Beatles as well as underground psych folk including bands like Forest and Rainbow Ffolly. These inspirations from the past are blended with recent musical trends from bands like Tame Impala, Temples and Jacco Gardner. Balduin has created an unique sound that is well-crafted, and enjoyable with a variety of instruments and engaging arrangements with a unique style.
Balduin released his first full-length Creative Cookery in 2001 after a series of early EPs. Creative Cookery is an instrumental album with elements of gypsy jazz, soundscapes, psychedelia and an air of retro vintage nostalgia. The horns, smooth Hammond keyboard sounds and simple drumming give the music a professional sound ready for jazz clubs and lounges but with creative edges and rhythms that are inspired by 70s krautrock and the infamous motorik beats.
Balduin’s previous release in 2020 titled, Look At Me I’m You see the band 19 years after the first album with a new sound that set the stage for the psych pop garage rock on She’s The One. Look At Me I’m You is eclectic and stretches into a variety of almost experimental moments with lo-fi electronics, string arrangements by way of Elenor Rigby by The Beatles, all built on bass, drums, guitars, and vocals. The sound seems to draw heavily from 60s rock with English psych and layered arrangements. The vocals follow simple folk melodies which are set back with reverb and echo.
She’s The One takes the sound of these previous releases and has made it all more digestible, focused, and edges toward a catchy sound with retro pop elements. The guitars take a stronger position on this latest album with rhythm and lead guitars pairing with the organs, bass, drums, vocals, synth and other overdubbed instrumentation. There are moments when the synth feels 80s and other times when it strikes a distinctive warm retro tone.
Balduin’s music has creative freedom on each note and feels open and uplifting. The album is very positive and playful, bringing to mind the optimism of the 60s ‘Summer Of Love’. The album feels like it comes from the start of the psychedelic arts and music genre with free flowing songs. The strength of the album as a whole is creativity, songwritting and the 60s sounds.
This album is a fairly cohesive effort with plenty of interesting musical choices which connect the collection of songs together. Balduin also takes musical risks that add to the theme of the album. For my taste She’s The One sit at the top of their catalog of releases. It retains the drive toward experimentation, 70s & 60s rock and folk inspirations refined with Claudio Gianfreda’s ever evolving song writing. She’s The One feels comfortable and self-referential; Balduin has settled into their sound or at least this latest version of their sound.
Balduin’s latest album, She’s The One was released on December 19th 2021 coming to you from Switzerland. She’s The One is a psychedelic pop album with shining compositions and chiming melodies. His catalog includes Neo-psychedelic rock music, lo-fi electronic, and harpsichord compositions. She’s The One is indie neo-psychedelia with retro tones, jangling guitars, organs and psych-pop melodies. Claudio Gianfreda of Switzerland is the mastermind behind Balduin and he writes the music and plays all the instrumentation for the arrangements.
She’s The One has well-written songs that are pop-friendly while incorporating contemporary and vintage psychedelic folk and rock music. The contemporary psychedelic rock scene has extensive variety with branches in heavy metal, indie, pop, R&B, space, and stoner rock. Psychedelic sounds have found a place in musical and audio production across genres including film and sound effects. She’s The One is focused on indie and psych-pop songs packed with imaginative instrumentation inspired by the 60s and today.
The smoothing vocals have elements from the English psych folk movement of the late 60s with singers like Donovan, Syd Barrett‘s fantastical folk music, early Pink Floyd, The Beatles as well as underground psych folk including bands like Forest and Rainbow Ffolly. These inspirations from the past are blended with recent musical trends from bands like Tame Impala, Temples and Jacco Gardner. Balduin has created an unique sound that is well-crafted, and enjoyable with a variety of instruments and engaging arrangements with a unique style.
Balduin released his first full-length Creative Cookery in 2001 after a series of early EPs. Creative Cookery is an instrumental album with elements of gypsy jazz, soundscapes, psychedelia and an air of retro vintage nostalgia. The horns, smooth Hammond keyboard sounds and simple drumming give the music a professional sound ready for jazz clubs and lounges but with creative edges and rhythms that are inspired by 70s krautrock and the infamous motorik beats.
Balduin’s previous release in 2020 titled, Look At Me I’m You see the band 19 years after the first album with a new sound that set the stage for the psych pop garage rock on She’s The One. Look At Me I’m You is eclectic and stretches into a variety of almost experimental moments with lo-fi electronics, string arrangements by way of Elenor Rigby by The Beatles, all built on bass, drums, guitars, and vocals. The sound seems to draw heavily from 60s rock with English psych and layered arrangements. The vocals follow simple folk melodies which are set back with reverb and echo.
She’s The One takes the sound of these previous releases and has made it all more digestible, focused, and edges toward a catchy sound with retro pop elements. The guitars take a stronger position on this latest album with rhythm and lead guitars pairing with the organs, bass, drums, vocals, synth and other overdubbed instrumentation. There are moments when the synth feels 80s and other times when it strikes a distinctive warm retro tone.
Balduin’s music has creative freedom on each note and feels open and uplifting. The album is very positive and playful, bringing to mind the optimism of the 60s ‘Summer Of Love’. The album feels like it comes from the start of the psychedelic arts and music genre with free flowing songs. The strength of the album as a whole is creativity, songwritting and the 60s sounds.
This album is a fairly cohesive effort with plenty of interesting musical choices which connect the collection of songs together. Balduin also takes musical risks that add to the theme of the album. For my taste She’s The One sit at the top of their catalog of releases. It retains the drive toward experimentation, 70s & 60s rock and folk inspirations refined with Claudio Gianfreda’s ever evolving song writing. She’s The One feels comfortable and self-referential; Balduin has settled into their sound or at least this latest version of their sound.
Review by Andy Morten on Shindig! Magazine
|
Review by Kim Harten, AQUAMARINE
Switzerland's BALDUIN started out as an electronic artist, but since changed direction to become one of the finest purveyors of 1960s British-style psych-pop, with two albums on Sunstone Records in this vein, Bohemian Garden being particularly superb. He has now moved to Sugarbush for his latest album Look at Me I'm You, which combines both sides of his sound, retaining the essence of 60s psychedelia while adding elements of electronica. The album is a mixture of original material and covers, ranging from very famous songs like The Kinks' Autumn Almanac to obscurities like Rainbow Eyes which I understand to be a Manfred Mann song that was never officially released. The Shadows of Your Mind brings kaleidoscopic psych-pop into the electronic age with its bouncy, 80s-ish synth rhythm. Rainbow Eyes combines the classic whimsical feel of 60s English psychedelia with swirling, dreamlike electronics. Four Elements is quirky psych-folk-pop ornamented by tablas and lilting Mellotron, reminding me in some ways of Donovan. People Without Faces, a Tages cover, is a kind of soft pop, almost like easy listening music yet subverted by an off-kilter psychedelic flavour, combining harpsichord and retro synth. Little Girl is bizarre, feverish psych-pop with booming electronic drums and ambient effects. The Tremeloes cover, Norman Stanley James St Clair, is baroque psych-pop, with biographical, kitchen sink drama-ish lyrics drenched in harpsichord. You'll also find the orchestrated, Sgt Pepper-ish Camera Obscura; Sassy Sauce which has a touch of Syd Barrett-esque quirkiness about it; and the swirly, whimsical Count the Clouds, with lyrics that show a certain childlike innocence. Finally there's The Jack, fractured, lo-fi, experimental psych-pop peppered with found sounds and all manner of weirdness. Something of a departure from Balduin's previous two albums, swapping the more authentic 1960s sound for a much more idiosyncratic approach towards 60s music. The overall result is quirky, inventive and fun.
Switzerland's BALDUIN started out as an electronic artist, but since changed direction to become one of the finest purveyors of 1960s British-style psych-pop, with two albums on Sunstone Records in this vein, Bohemian Garden being particularly superb. He has now moved to Sugarbush for his latest album Look at Me I'm You, which combines both sides of his sound, retaining the essence of 60s psychedelia while adding elements of electronica. The album is a mixture of original material and covers, ranging from very famous songs like The Kinks' Autumn Almanac to obscurities like Rainbow Eyes which I understand to be a Manfred Mann song that was never officially released. The Shadows of Your Mind brings kaleidoscopic psych-pop into the electronic age with its bouncy, 80s-ish synth rhythm. Rainbow Eyes combines the classic whimsical feel of 60s English psychedelia with swirling, dreamlike electronics. Four Elements is quirky psych-folk-pop ornamented by tablas and lilting Mellotron, reminding me in some ways of Donovan. People Without Faces, a Tages cover, is a kind of soft pop, almost like easy listening music yet subverted by an off-kilter psychedelic flavour, combining harpsichord and retro synth. Little Girl is bizarre, feverish psych-pop with booming electronic drums and ambient effects. The Tremeloes cover, Norman Stanley James St Clair, is baroque psych-pop, with biographical, kitchen sink drama-ish lyrics drenched in harpsichord. You'll also find the orchestrated, Sgt Pepper-ish Camera Obscura; Sassy Sauce which has a touch of Syd Barrett-esque quirkiness about it; and the swirly, whimsical Count the Clouds, with lyrics that show a certain childlike innocence. Finally there's The Jack, fractured, lo-fi, experimental psych-pop peppered with found sounds and all manner of weirdness. Something of a departure from Balduin's previous two albums, swapping the more authentic 1960s sound for a much more idiosyncratic approach towards 60s music. The overall result is quirky, inventive and fun.
Review by Sam Mumenthaler, BÄRN!BLOG & MIX
Kennen Sie Balduin? Den Berner Musiker, der gerade sein neues Album «Look At Me I’m You» für eine internationale Fangemeinde herausgegeben hat? Natürlich auf Vinyl und mit einem wahrhaft bewusstseinserweiternden Cover, das in der kreativen Berner Werkstatt des Büro Destruct entstanden ist?
Mehr als ein Dutzend Tonträger hat der Sound-Alchemist schon eingespielt. Aber eben: Kaum jemand ausserhalb des Zirkels der wirklich angefressenen «Music Lovers» kann mit seinem Namen etwas anfangen.
Denn Balduin drängt es nicht ins Rampenlicht. Er geniesst die grenzenlose Freiheit der Anonymität. Seine Platten, allesamt kleine Meisterwerke mit beachtlichem Detailreichtum, erscheinen auf ausländischen Liebhaberlabels. Dass sie meist schnell ausverkauft sind, liegt auch daran, dass sie zu aufwändig gestaltet sind, um in grossen Auflagen zu erscheinen. Unbeachtet bleiben sie nicht: «This guy is pretty darn great» oder «fabulously talented» sind nur ein paar der Rückmeldungen aus den einschlägigen Blogs und Fachblättern.
Kennen Sie die Beatles? Die Kinks, David Bowie und Manfred Mann? Sie alle spazieren durch Balduins liebevoll gepflegten Garten voller Sixties-Pflanzen, summen eingängige Harmonien und lassen sich von Vogelgezwitscher und samtigen Keyboards einlullen. Die Pop-Flora treibt psychedelische Blüten, gedüngt von viel Electronica. Schliesslich begann Multiinstrumentalist und Sitar-Spieler Balduin (Jahrgang 1978) einst als Electro-Musiker.
Das hört man in ein paar Discobeats zu Beginn seiner neuen Platte. Doch dann schleichen sich die lieblichsten Melodien an und man tritt ein in bunte Märchenwelten.
Einen wie Balduin trifft der Lockdown wohl etwas weniger, denkt man. Er kreiert seine Platten ja zurückgezogen in der «splendid isolation» seines Heimstudios. Balduin reist im Kopf. Und wer seine neue Platte auflegt, reist mit, auch wenn das Ziel unbekannt ist. Kein schlechter Plan, in diesen stationären Zeiten.
Kennen Sie Balduin? Den Berner Musiker, der gerade sein neues Album «Look At Me I’m You» für eine internationale Fangemeinde herausgegeben hat? Natürlich auf Vinyl und mit einem wahrhaft bewusstseinserweiternden Cover, das in der kreativen Berner Werkstatt des Büro Destruct entstanden ist?
Mehr als ein Dutzend Tonträger hat der Sound-Alchemist schon eingespielt. Aber eben: Kaum jemand ausserhalb des Zirkels der wirklich angefressenen «Music Lovers» kann mit seinem Namen etwas anfangen.
Denn Balduin drängt es nicht ins Rampenlicht. Er geniesst die grenzenlose Freiheit der Anonymität. Seine Platten, allesamt kleine Meisterwerke mit beachtlichem Detailreichtum, erscheinen auf ausländischen Liebhaberlabels. Dass sie meist schnell ausverkauft sind, liegt auch daran, dass sie zu aufwändig gestaltet sind, um in grossen Auflagen zu erscheinen. Unbeachtet bleiben sie nicht: «This guy is pretty darn great» oder «fabulously talented» sind nur ein paar der Rückmeldungen aus den einschlägigen Blogs und Fachblättern.
Kennen Sie die Beatles? Die Kinks, David Bowie und Manfred Mann? Sie alle spazieren durch Balduins liebevoll gepflegten Garten voller Sixties-Pflanzen, summen eingängige Harmonien und lassen sich von Vogelgezwitscher und samtigen Keyboards einlullen. Die Pop-Flora treibt psychedelische Blüten, gedüngt von viel Electronica. Schliesslich begann Multiinstrumentalist und Sitar-Spieler Balduin (Jahrgang 1978) einst als Electro-Musiker.
Das hört man in ein paar Discobeats zu Beginn seiner neuen Platte. Doch dann schleichen sich die lieblichsten Melodien an und man tritt ein in bunte Märchenwelten.
Einen wie Balduin trifft der Lockdown wohl etwas weniger, denkt man. Er kreiert seine Platten ja zurückgezogen in der «splendid isolation» seines Heimstudios. Balduin reist im Kopf. Und wer seine neue Platte auflegt, reist mit, auch wenn das Ziel unbekannt ist. Kein schlechter Plan, in diesen stationären Zeiten.
Review by Paolo Milea
Welcome to the fantastic sonic world of Balduin! "Look At Me I'm You" (Sugarbush - 2019) is the new album by the Swiss multi-instrumentalist from Berne, who continues to travel through the dreamlike landscapes of the sixties.
Here Balduin offers a collection of songs dyed with the intense colors and cubist forms of psychedelia, that blend and transmute into the melodic beauty of Baroque pop.
Welcome to the fantastic sonic world of Balduin! "Look At Me I'm You" (Sugarbush - 2019) is the new album by the Swiss multi-instrumentalist from Berne, who continues to travel through the dreamlike landscapes of the sixties.
Here Balduin offers a collection of songs dyed with the intense colors and cubist forms of psychedelia, that blend and transmute into the melodic beauty of Baroque pop.
|
|
Balduin also presents and exercises some of his influences and references in five songs on the album, paying tribute to Manfred Mann, The Kinks, Tages, The Troll and The Tremeloes.
It's worth buying this ticket to travel back in time and enjoy all the magic of the star cradle of pop song, reconstructed here by the talented hands of Balduin.
It's worth buying this ticket to travel back in time and enjoy all the magic of the star cradle of pop song, reconstructed here by the talented hands of Balduin.
Review by Shaun C. Rogan on The Active Listener
In a corner of the Alps there is a tear in the dimensions of time and space. Within its uniquely swirling vortex is a time lock that is always oscillating between 1967 and 1973. From that forbidden zone, the new Balduin record, “Bohemian Garden” has reached escape velocity, striking like a lightning bolt into the present. In achieving this feat, Balduin shares a musical creation that makes a bold and compelling case for being the baroque psych-pop-analogue synth event of the year.
For those not familiar with Balduin’s previous forays on Sunstone Records we are very much in the cosmic sandpit here surrounded by pretty ballerinas while wind chimes hang down from the stained glass windows of the gingerbread house and though its hard we try not to stare at them. This new record sees his sonic palate expanded with tunes that deploy taste ripples of primitive synth – pushing the sonic envelope further into new territories that his previous outing on Sunstone, the delightful ‘All In A Dream’ .
The opening duo of the title track and “Leave to Seek The Light” are perfect confections of kaleidoscopically arranged psych-pop. Absolutely nailing a mood of dreaming introspection and tripped out wonder – this is highly developed craft at work here. It’s a really strong opening and I am pleased to report that it sets a benchmark for the rest of the record that it is able to match for the remaining 25 minutes of this brief but perfectly formed collection.
“Cap Frehel” pushes the envelope further, taking the listener into a meadow of early 1970’s pastoral scenery complete with primitive synth and chiming vibes. Its a real groovy ‘Dralon trip’ and provides a lovely counterpoint to the more established ‘Balduin’ vibe which occupies most of the album. That Balduin vibe being very much a strain of euphoric psych-pop that tweaks the classic approach of its forebears to create its own unique medicine show. Balduin knows his history but is his own guy and has his own twist on the genre that makes listening to him a joy.
The intimate vibe created on ‘Your Own’ with its subtle acoustic guitar shifts and spectral backing is a joy and sets up the strange acid drenched and haunted collision of bossa-waltz ‘Libelle’ perfectly. A very smart musical one-two that spins a web around the listener that I have no desire whatsoever to try and escape from.
“Madrigal” dives into yesterday with its flowered up toytown pop delights and gentle groove before spinning off into the clouds and making way for the deeply lysergic ‘ Song for the Moon’. This peach of a song is all chiming ‘She Said, She Said’ guitar lines and floaty vocals that threaten to go into orbit but opt instead for an earthbound kaleidoscopic patchwork of sounds before evaporating in front of your very ears. The skewed music hall moves (for the benefit) of ‘Mr Bat’ is a queasy seaside postcard from another day and another lifetime with its sinister offer of ‘dance with me and you’ll be mine’. Matters are brought to a suitably bewildering conclusion by the brief and baffling ‘Rondo Vampyros’. Or perhaps they have been brought back to the beginning? I certainly found myself hitting repeat to spend another half-hour in Balduin’s bohemian company.
So there you have it. Balduin. A man who sees the world through kaleidoscope eyes, whose pop sensibility is sharper than sherbet. A man whose quest to make the perfect pop-psych record has delivered this many jewelled wonder. Come play with him in the garden and leave your mind at home.
In a corner of the Alps there is a tear in the dimensions of time and space. Within its uniquely swirling vortex is a time lock that is always oscillating between 1967 and 1973. From that forbidden zone, the new Balduin record, “Bohemian Garden” has reached escape velocity, striking like a lightning bolt into the present. In achieving this feat, Balduin shares a musical creation that makes a bold and compelling case for being the baroque psych-pop-analogue synth event of the year.
For those not familiar with Balduin’s previous forays on Sunstone Records we are very much in the cosmic sandpit here surrounded by pretty ballerinas while wind chimes hang down from the stained glass windows of the gingerbread house and though its hard we try not to stare at them. This new record sees his sonic palate expanded with tunes that deploy taste ripples of primitive synth – pushing the sonic envelope further into new territories that his previous outing on Sunstone, the delightful ‘All In A Dream’ .
The opening duo of the title track and “Leave to Seek The Light” are perfect confections of kaleidoscopically arranged psych-pop. Absolutely nailing a mood of dreaming introspection and tripped out wonder – this is highly developed craft at work here. It’s a really strong opening and I am pleased to report that it sets a benchmark for the rest of the record that it is able to match for the remaining 25 minutes of this brief but perfectly formed collection.
“Cap Frehel” pushes the envelope further, taking the listener into a meadow of early 1970’s pastoral scenery complete with primitive synth and chiming vibes. Its a real groovy ‘Dralon trip’ and provides a lovely counterpoint to the more established ‘Balduin’ vibe which occupies most of the album. That Balduin vibe being very much a strain of euphoric psych-pop that tweaks the classic approach of its forebears to create its own unique medicine show. Balduin knows his history but is his own guy and has his own twist on the genre that makes listening to him a joy.
The intimate vibe created on ‘Your Own’ with its subtle acoustic guitar shifts and spectral backing is a joy and sets up the strange acid drenched and haunted collision of bossa-waltz ‘Libelle’ perfectly. A very smart musical one-two that spins a web around the listener that I have no desire whatsoever to try and escape from.
“Madrigal” dives into yesterday with its flowered up toytown pop delights and gentle groove before spinning off into the clouds and making way for the deeply lysergic ‘ Song for the Moon’. This peach of a song is all chiming ‘She Said, She Said’ guitar lines and floaty vocals that threaten to go into orbit but opt instead for an earthbound kaleidoscopic patchwork of sounds before evaporating in front of your very ears. The skewed music hall moves (for the benefit) of ‘Mr Bat’ is a queasy seaside postcard from another day and another lifetime with its sinister offer of ‘dance with me and you’ll be mine’. Matters are brought to a suitably bewildering conclusion by the brief and baffling ‘Rondo Vampyros’. Or perhaps they have been brought back to the beginning? I certainly found myself hitting repeat to spend another half-hour in Balduin’s bohemian company.
So there you have it. Balduin. A man who sees the world through kaleidoscope eyes, whose pop sensibility is sharper than sherbet. A man whose quest to make the perfect pop-psych record has delivered this many jewelled wonder. Come play with him in the garden and leave your mind at home.
Review by Jack Hopkin on MOOF . Purchase Issues here.
Very seldom does a modern artist capture my imagination in the same manner as Swiss popsike warlock Balduin has with his upcoming release, ‘Bohemian Garden’. Due to be unleashed in October, Baldiun’s magnum opus wears its luminous sixties influences proudly like a DayGlo tattoo sleeve, yet achieves a unique atmosphere, something all too uncommon for modern day purveyors of psychedelia. The album represents one of those strange and rare instances where a vast smorgasbord of disparate sounds and ideas mesh together seemingly with absolute harmony.
What makes this all the more mind-bogglingly impressive is the fact that Balduin achieves this with no band behind him. Playing all of the instruments himself, his intricate arrangements cast him as a Brian Wilson type character in terms of his ability to command a wide range of instruments, including sitar and harpsichord, to complete his ever so un-evil bidding. It is this remarkable level of competence with several musical styles and forms that fuels the experimental playfulness of the album, and is perhaps why ‘Bohemian Garden’ appeals so much.
The title track is particularly sublime, establishing the effervescent tone of the album in a manner similar to the similarly jaunty Blossom Toes excursion ‘We Are Ever So Clean.’ As for the ebullient vocal performance throughout this LP, Baldiun manages to both evoke and shed his influences to become something wholly original. For example, whilst both the lyrics and title of ‘Teeny Weeny Queen’ evoke early Marc Bolan, elsewhere he manages to remind of the softly spoken and crisply pronounced delivery of British popsike merchants such as the Zombies (the cheerful beauty of ‘I Am Here And You Are There’). My play-through of this record reminded me in part of the Beatles’ ‘Love’ remixes, namely where parts of seemingly unrelated songs are blended seamlessly together to create something new. The keyboard in ‘Bohemian Garden’ is often more in the melodic Country Joe and the Fish style to the more repetitive playing of Ray Manzarek, whilst the fade out of the blissfully baroque ‘St. John’s Shop’ combines the feel of ‘Future‘ era Seeds with the psychedelic bridges of the Mirage’s ‘Wedding of Ramona Blair.’ The spiky sitar flourishes subliminally ingrained in ‘Mr Bat’ sound satisfyingly sharp in the mix which, combined with the repetition of the trance-inducing chorus reveals perhaps some inspiration from Indian classical music. Balduin is very clearly a man with excellent taste and an even more impressive streak for musical arrangement.
The marriage of old and new is prevalent throughout and offers a pleasingly contemporary take on the genre. The instrumental ‘Libelle’ starts out as a marriage between ‘Three Kingfishers’ by Gabor Szabo and ‘Flute Thing’ by the Blues Project before a surprising electronic flourish approximately midway through that supplements the retro style rather than standing at odds with it. These excursions into electronic music massively boost the album. One of my personal highlights, ‘Cap Fréhel’, manages to summon strong memories of George Harrison’s ‘Wonderwall Music‘ and whisperings of the the Zodiac’s ‘Cosmic Sounds’.
Balduin kindly agreed to speak to MOOF, offering us some insight into the creative process involved in crafting this blissed out oeuvre…
MOOF: WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY INFLUENCES UPON ‘BOHEMIAN GARDEN’S ECLECTIC SOUND?
Balduin: ‘The album title, ‘Bohemian Garden’, came up during my excessive Czech art period. I travelled to Prague seeking the surreal alchemists of film like Jan Švankmajer, Karel Zeman and many others. For rounding the title up I thought of a ‘bouquet’ name and that became ‘garden’. For me it’s a colourful garden full of influences. Polish films, especially Polanski’s ‘Dance of the Vampires‘, along with the composer Krzysztof Komeda, were huge influences. Vampires are spread everywhere, so there are contrasts. My last album, ‘All In A Dream‘, was about dreams. ‘Bohemian Garden‘ is about waking dreams.’
MOOF: HOW LONG DID THE ALBUM TAKE TO CREATE?
Balduin: ‘The following songs were composed a long time before: ‘I Am Here And You Are There’, ‘Your Own’, ‘Teeny Weeny Queen’ and ‘Mr Bat’. I had several demo takes for those but they were re-recorded for the album. The whole album ‘puzzle’ took about two years.’
MOOF: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK FROM THE ALBUM AND WHY?
Balduin: ‘I’m proud of many songs from this album. To choose one is a tricky thing because they’re mostly connected. Maybe the wicked ‘Mr Bat’, a clever, witty ditty.’
MOOF: THE ARRANGEMENTS ON THIS ALBUM HAVE A VERY ORNATE, INTRICATE ‘SGT PEPPER’ SORT OF VIBE. HOW MUCH TRIAL AND ERROR WAS INVOLVED IN CREATING THESE SONGS AND ON AVERAGE HOW MANY TAKES DID EACH REQUIRE?
Balduin: ‘I didn’t intend to sound like ‘Pepper’ for this record, but I take it as a big compliment! Sometimes it was painful realising I had no professional session musicians playing some of the ‘orchestral’ parts properly. Glueing everything microscopically in layers and recording the whole thing by myself is nice but it takes a lot of time and energy. When the whole song is in the box I really forget what I was actually playing, which means getting onto the next composition can be a relief. Sometimes I’m very fast in arranging each instrument the right way. Sometimes it take months just for one song. It took half a year just for the mastering process.’
This is an excellent album you really ought to hear; buoyant in execution and painstakingly crafted to perfection, Balduin’s new LP stands comfortably alongside the very best of the psych canon. I believe fairies lurk at the bottom of Balduin’s ‘Bohemian Garden‘ to imbue it with such magic, and when you have your first exposure to the pixie dust engrained therein I’m all too sure you’ll agree.
Baldiun’s ‘Bohemian Garden‘ will receive a limited release on special edition transparent frosted glass vinyl next month courtesy of the infallible Sunstone Records.
Very seldom does a modern artist capture my imagination in the same manner as Swiss popsike warlock Balduin has with his upcoming release, ‘Bohemian Garden’. Due to be unleashed in October, Baldiun’s magnum opus wears its luminous sixties influences proudly like a DayGlo tattoo sleeve, yet achieves a unique atmosphere, something all too uncommon for modern day purveyors of psychedelia. The album represents one of those strange and rare instances where a vast smorgasbord of disparate sounds and ideas mesh together seemingly with absolute harmony.
What makes this all the more mind-bogglingly impressive is the fact that Balduin achieves this with no band behind him. Playing all of the instruments himself, his intricate arrangements cast him as a Brian Wilson type character in terms of his ability to command a wide range of instruments, including sitar and harpsichord, to complete his ever so un-evil bidding. It is this remarkable level of competence with several musical styles and forms that fuels the experimental playfulness of the album, and is perhaps why ‘Bohemian Garden’ appeals so much.
The title track is particularly sublime, establishing the effervescent tone of the album in a manner similar to the similarly jaunty Blossom Toes excursion ‘We Are Ever So Clean.’ As for the ebullient vocal performance throughout this LP, Baldiun manages to both evoke and shed his influences to become something wholly original. For example, whilst both the lyrics and title of ‘Teeny Weeny Queen’ evoke early Marc Bolan, elsewhere he manages to remind of the softly spoken and crisply pronounced delivery of British popsike merchants such as the Zombies (the cheerful beauty of ‘I Am Here And You Are There’). My play-through of this record reminded me in part of the Beatles’ ‘Love’ remixes, namely where parts of seemingly unrelated songs are blended seamlessly together to create something new. The keyboard in ‘Bohemian Garden’ is often more in the melodic Country Joe and the Fish style to the more repetitive playing of Ray Manzarek, whilst the fade out of the blissfully baroque ‘St. John’s Shop’ combines the feel of ‘Future‘ era Seeds with the psychedelic bridges of the Mirage’s ‘Wedding of Ramona Blair.’ The spiky sitar flourishes subliminally ingrained in ‘Mr Bat’ sound satisfyingly sharp in the mix which, combined with the repetition of the trance-inducing chorus reveals perhaps some inspiration from Indian classical music. Balduin is very clearly a man with excellent taste and an even more impressive streak for musical arrangement.
The marriage of old and new is prevalent throughout and offers a pleasingly contemporary take on the genre. The instrumental ‘Libelle’ starts out as a marriage between ‘Three Kingfishers’ by Gabor Szabo and ‘Flute Thing’ by the Blues Project before a surprising electronic flourish approximately midway through that supplements the retro style rather than standing at odds with it. These excursions into electronic music massively boost the album. One of my personal highlights, ‘Cap Fréhel’, manages to summon strong memories of George Harrison’s ‘Wonderwall Music‘ and whisperings of the the Zodiac’s ‘Cosmic Sounds’.
Balduin kindly agreed to speak to MOOF, offering us some insight into the creative process involved in crafting this blissed out oeuvre…
MOOF: WHAT ARE THE PRIMARY INFLUENCES UPON ‘BOHEMIAN GARDEN’S ECLECTIC SOUND?
Balduin: ‘The album title, ‘Bohemian Garden’, came up during my excessive Czech art period. I travelled to Prague seeking the surreal alchemists of film like Jan Švankmajer, Karel Zeman and many others. For rounding the title up I thought of a ‘bouquet’ name and that became ‘garden’. For me it’s a colourful garden full of influences. Polish films, especially Polanski’s ‘Dance of the Vampires‘, along with the composer Krzysztof Komeda, were huge influences. Vampires are spread everywhere, so there are contrasts. My last album, ‘All In A Dream‘, was about dreams. ‘Bohemian Garden‘ is about waking dreams.’
MOOF: HOW LONG DID THE ALBUM TAKE TO CREATE?
Balduin: ‘The following songs were composed a long time before: ‘I Am Here And You Are There’, ‘Your Own’, ‘Teeny Weeny Queen’ and ‘Mr Bat’. I had several demo takes for those but they were re-recorded for the album. The whole album ‘puzzle’ took about two years.’
MOOF: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK FROM THE ALBUM AND WHY?
Balduin: ‘I’m proud of many songs from this album. To choose one is a tricky thing because they’re mostly connected. Maybe the wicked ‘Mr Bat’, a clever, witty ditty.’
MOOF: THE ARRANGEMENTS ON THIS ALBUM HAVE A VERY ORNATE, INTRICATE ‘SGT PEPPER’ SORT OF VIBE. HOW MUCH TRIAL AND ERROR WAS INVOLVED IN CREATING THESE SONGS AND ON AVERAGE HOW MANY TAKES DID EACH REQUIRE?
Balduin: ‘I didn’t intend to sound like ‘Pepper’ for this record, but I take it as a big compliment! Sometimes it was painful realising I had no professional session musicians playing some of the ‘orchestral’ parts properly. Glueing everything microscopically in layers and recording the whole thing by myself is nice but it takes a lot of time and energy. When the whole song is in the box I really forget what I was actually playing, which means getting onto the next composition can be a relief. Sometimes I’m very fast in arranging each instrument the right way. Sometimes it take months just for one song. It took half a year just for the mastering process.’
This is an excellent album you really ought to hear; buoyant in execution and painstakingly crafted to perfection, Balduin’s new LP stands comfortably alongside the very best of the psych canon. I believe fairies lurk at the bottom of Balduin’s ‘Bohemian Garden‘ to imbue it with such magic, and when you have your first exposure to the pixie dust engrained therein I’m all too sure you’ll agree.
Baldiun’s ‘Bohemian Garden‘ will receive a limited release on special edition transparent frosted glass vinyl next month courtesy of the infallible Sunstone Records.
|
Review by Andy Morten on Shindig! Magazine
The self-proclaimed “Swiss Alchemist of Music since 1988” returns with his umpteenth long-player, a collection that builds on the gently psychedelic ambient sunshine-pop of2014’s All In A Dream, without that record’s sprawling over-ambition. This is a concertedly reigned-in affair; 12 songs, most barely nudging the three-minute mark, performed solely by Balduin on a multitude of instruments both archaic and modern, and it's this embrace of technology that lifts his already colourful sound into the realms of the cinematic. For every nod to his beloved Beatles, Zombies and UK pop-psych obscurity (Paul & Barry Ryan’s ‘Madrigal’ is reproduced in astonishing detail) there’s an instrumental vignette worthy of a forgotten Mario Bava Giallo or British sexploitation film, wherein harpsichords and Mellotrons swirl and multi-tracked voices purr. Occasionally things slip into the realm of pastiche – ‘I Am Here And You Are There’ is a little too full of “rainbows and tangerine trees” for comfort – but when Balduin allows his own voice to speak, as he does on the impeccably crafted ‘Teeny Weeny Queen’, every Shindigger should be paying attention. |
|
Review by Andrew Young on Terrascope
Sunstone records have a new Balduin album out, ‘Bohemian Garden’ on 150 clear vinyl copies. Balduin hails from Switzerland, not the natural home of this type of baroque psychedelia which arrives as if the last forty years have not happened, playing a mixture of mid period Beatles, Zombies and all things 1967.“Bohemian Gardens” announces itself with harpsichords, bass, guitars and drums accompanied by multi tracked vocals in a breathy Colin Blunstone way; it also reminds me of English band The Clientele, colours fly. ”Leave to Seek the Light” sounds at once familiar, a feeling that this must be some classic song from this time frame that you just can’t put your finger on, nicely baroque, a term I think I might use more than once during this review. “Cap Frehel “shimmers in an acoustic vein with some tasty vibraphone, a pretty little instrumental with descending electric piano.
“I Am Here And You Are There” a down tempo Mellotron infused sad song, a meeting up of old friends under tangerine skies. “St. John’s Shop” is a gently orchestrated Mellotron inflected pop song with mildly martial drumming, all minor key moodiness. “Your Own” ends side one with our protagonist chasing a silver moon on a bicycle for two. “Libelle” is a quirky orchestrated tune that would not have been out of place on one of those sixties children’s programmes, it has some lovely scattered percussion and some Vernon Elliot style woodwind performed on analogue keyboards, i like this one a lot, it’s also purely instrumental.
“Madrigal” a pretty straightforward rendition of the classic Paul and Barry Ryan song, perfectly in keeping with the rest of this album, so a good choice as it is perfectly suited to him, ending with a nice sitar flourish.
“A Song For The Moon” brings the tempo right back up, the sun and moon being referenced plenty throughout the album. “Teeny Weeny Queen” has mention of pearly kings and could have beamed in straight from the Carnaby Street of the mid sixties. “Mr Bat” a baroque mellotron song, again with touches of Vernon Elliot styled instrumentation and one of my favourites on this short succinct album. “Rondo Vampyros” closes out the record; with a very short but sweet instrumental, all tootling keys, harpsichords and accordion. A fine addition to the small but perfectly formed Sunstone label.
Sunstone records have a new Balduin album out, ‘Bohemian Garden’ on 150 clear vinyl copies. Balduin hails from Switzerland, not the natural home of this type of baroque psychedelia which arrives as if the last forty years have not happened, playing a mixture of mid period Beatles, Zombies and all things 1967.“Bohemian Gardens” announces itself with harpsichords, bass, guitars and drums accompanied by multi tracked vocals in a breathy Colin Blunstone way; it also reminds me of English band The Clientele, colours fly. ”Leave to Seek the Light” sounds at once familiar, a feeling that this must be some classic song from this time frame that you just can’t put your finger on, nicely baroque, a term I think I might use more than once during this review. “Cap Frehel “shimmers in an acoustic vein with some tasty vibraphone, a pretty little instrumental with descending electric piano.
“I Am Here And You Are There” a down tempo Mellotron infused sad song, a meeting up of old friends under tangerine skies. “St. John’s Shop” is a gently orchestrated Mellotron inflected pop song with mildly martial drumming, all minor key moodiness. “Your Own” ends side one with our protagonist chasing a silver moon on a bicycle for two. “Libelle” is a quirky orchestrated tune that would not have been out of place on one of those sixties children’s programmes, it has some lovely scattered percussion and some Vernon Elliot style woodwind performed on analogue keyboards, i like this one a lot, it’s also purely instrumental.
“Madrigal” a pretty straightforward rendition of the classic Paul and Barry Ryan song, perfectly in keeping with the rest of this album, so a good choice as it is perfectly suited to him, ending with a nice sitar flourish.
“A Song For The Moon” brings the tempo right back up, the sun and moon being referenced plenty throughout the album. “Teeny Weeny Queen” has mention of pearly kings and could have beamed in straight from the Carnaby Street of the mid sixties. “Mr Bat” a baroque mellotron song, again with touches of Vernon Elliot styled instrumentation and one of my favourites on this short succinct album. “Rondo Vampyros” closes out the record; with a very short but sweet instrumental, all tootling keys, harpsichords and accordion. A fine addition to the small but perfectly formed Sunstone label.
Review by Andreas Gossweiler
1967 war das kreativste, verrückteste Jahr der Popgeschichte. Das war vor genau 50 Jahren. Beim Berner Musiker Balduin ist jeden Tag 1967. Auch seine neueste LP «Bohemian Garden» klingt zu grossen Teilen wie die bunten Sounds aus dem annus mirabilis. Sphärische, entrückte mehrstimmige Gesänge, treibende Basslinien, schwelgendes Mellotron, folkige Gitarren, versponnene Keyboardakkorde und flirrende Sitarklänge erinnern an die euphorische Zeit, als plötzlich alles möglich schien und die Fantasie für kurze Zeit die Macht übernahm. Doch Balduin ist kein Nostalgiker. Sein musikalisches Spektrum ist nicht auf ein Jahr beschränkt, sondern reicht von barocker Cembalomusik bis zu Techno (seine ersten Platten hatte er beim Technolabel «Crippled Dick Hot Wax» veröffentlicht). Er nimmt sich die Freiheit, im gleichen Stück Vibraphon und Synthesizer zu verwenden oder Streicher und Drumbox. Bei aller Retro-Ästhetik ist seine Musik immer in der Gegenwart verankert. Dazu trägt auch die topmoderne Optik seiner Plattencovers bei, die vom Berner Büro Destruct stammen.
Balduin ist ein Phänomen – als One-Man-Band spielt er jeden Ton selbst ein, schreibt die Stücke selbst und produziert seine Platten selbst. Seit 1988 zieht er sein Ding durch – mal mit mehr Barock-Einschlag, mal mit mehr Techno-Rhythmen, seit einiger Zeit wieder mit starkem Bezug auf die schillernde Musikszene von 1967. Mal erinnert das an die jugendliche Euphorie von Billy Nicholls, The Left Banke oder auch sekundenweise an die Beatles, mal an Filmmusik von Nino Rota (und ehrlich gesagt erinnert mich die Musik stellenweise auch an die, die ich vor Jahren selbst gemacht habe). Balduin hat genügend kreativen Schnauf, um auch einen abendfüllenden Film zu vertonen, wie er das meisterhaft beim Film «Electroboy» gemacht hat. «Bohemian Garden» hat als LP keine Durchhänger, der Spannungsbogen reicht ungebrochen vom Titelstück bis zum letzten Track «Rondo Vampyros», einer Mischung aus Barockmusik und Valse-Musette im 6/8-Takt. Und dazwischen hat Balduin zwei geschmackvoll gewählte Coverversionen eingebaut – «St John’s Shop» von der US-Garagenband «We The People» und «Madrigal» von Barry & Paul Ryan, die bestens zu seinen eigenen Stücken passen. Vom träumerischen Instrumentalstück «Cap Fréhel» kann man sich in die wilde Szenerie der bretonischen Küste versetzen lassen. Kurz: Eine von Balduins besten Platten.
1967 war das kreativste, verrückteste Jahr der Popgeschichte. Das war vor genau 50 Jahren. Beim Berner Musiker Balduin ist jeden Tag 1967. Auch seine neueste LP «Bohemian Garden» klingt zu grossen Teilen wie die bunten Sounds aus dem annus mirabilis. Sphärische, entrückte mehrstimmige Gesänge, treibende Basslinien, schwelgendes Mellotron, folkige Gitarren, versponnene Keyboardakkorde und flirrende Sitarklänge erinnern an die euphorische Zeit, als plötzlich alles möglich schien und die Fantasie für kurze Zeit die Macht übernahm. Doch Balduin ist kein Nostalgiker. Sein musikalisches Spektrum ist nicht auf ein Jahr beschränkt, sondern reicht von barocker Cembalomusik bis zu Techno (seine ersten Platten hatte er beim Technolabel «Crippled Dick Hot Wax» veröffentlicht). Er nimmt sich die Freiheit, im gleichen Stück Vibraphon und Synthesizer zu verwenden oder Streicher und Drumbox. Bei aller Retro-Ästhetik ist seine Musik immer in der Gegenwart verankert. Dazu trägt auch die topmoderne Optik seiner Plattencovers bei, die vom Berner Büro Destruct stammen.
Balduin ist ein Phänomen – als One-Man-Band spielt er jeden Ton selbst ein, schreibt die Stücke selbst und produziert seine Platten selbst. Seit 1988 zieht er sein Ding durch – mal mit mehr Barock-Einschlag, mal mit mehr Techno-Rhythmen, seit einiger Zeit wieder mit starkem Bezug auf die schillernde Musikszene von 1967. Mal erinnert das an die jugendliche Euphorie von Billy Nicholls, The Left Banke oder auch sekundenweise an die Beatles, mal an Filmmusik von Nino Rota (und ehrlich gesagt erinnert mich die Musik stellenweise auch an die, die ich vor Jahren selbst gemacht habe). Balduin hat genügend kreativen Schnauf, um auch einen abendfüllenden Film zu vertonen, wie er das meisterhaft beim Film «Electroboy» gemacht hat. «Bohemian Garden» hat als LP keine Durchhänger, der Spannungsbogen reicht ungebrochen vom Titelstück bis zum letzten Track «Rondo Vampyros», einer Mischung aus Barockmusik und Valse-Musette im 6/8-Takt. Und dazwischen hat Balduin zwei geschmackvoll gewählte Coverversionen eingebaut – «St John’s Shop» von der US-Garagenband «We The People» und «Madrigal» von Barry & Paul Ryan, die bestens zu seinen eigenen Stücken passen. Vom träumerischen Instrumentalstück «Cap Fréhel» kann man sich in die wilde Szenerie der bretonischen Küste versetzen lassen. Kurz: Eine von Balduins besten Platten.
Review by Golden Glades
I honestly couldn’t believe my ears when I discovered that this great artist called Balduin is hailing from Bern (Switzerland) – what a pleasant surprise! Fact is, I live in this city for almost 10 years now and I always had to struggle with the local scene, which seemed to be different and difficult for me on all terms. Eventually I made my peace, thinking there’s nothing to expect from this city music wise… But then I heard the songs from Balduin and his second album All In A Dream (2014) which left me relieved and excited at once.
The one-man-orchestra of Balduin shows a great sensibility for shimmering 60ties pop and psychedelia. And I can tell you: he gets better with every release! His third long player Bohemian Garden was just released and the first minutes are like a clear statement: Balduin wasn’t made for these times and his music wasn’t made for the small world of Switzerland.
Between sophisticated baroque pop arrangements, where vibraphone meets analog synth tunes, there’s a colourful cosmos to discover. Some of the tracks achieve a cinematic quality from the likes of Morricone or Theodorakis, taking you on a trip with compelling sounds and melodies. Listening to A Song For The Moon makes you think that Syd Barrett joined The Beatles for an unreleased hit single. All this sounds unique, although the aesthetic is very specific and some influence easy to pinpoint. Because Balduin makes sure, that his music takes a playful approach, that it’s resolving in some unexpected turns and vibes. The effect is simply highly enjoyable and worthwhile.
I honestly couldn’t believe my ears when I discovered that this great artist called Balduin is hailing from Bern (Switzerland) – what a pleasant surprise! Fact is, I live in this city for almost 10 years now and I always had to struggle with the local scene, which seemed to be different and difficult for me on all terms. Eventually I made my peace, thinking there’s nothing to expect from this city music wise… But then I heard the songs from Balduin and his second album All In A Dream (2014) which left me relieved and excited at once.
The one-man-orchestra of Balduin shows a great sensibility for shimmering 60ties pop and psychedelia. And I can tell you: he gets better with every release! His third long player Bohemian Garden was just released and the first minutes are like a clear statement: Balduin wasn’t made for these times and his music wasn’t made for the small world of Switzerland.
Between sophisticated baroque pop arrangements, where vibraphone meets analog synth tunes, there’s a colourful cosmos to discover. Some of the tracks achieve a cinematic quality from the likes of Morricone or Theodorakis, taking you on a trip with compelling sounds and melodies. Listening to A Song For The Moon makes you think that Syd Barrett joined The Beatles for an unreleased hit single. All this sounds unique, although the aesthetic is very specific and some influence easy to pinpoint. Because Balduin makes sure, that his music takes a playful approach, that it’s resolving in some unexpected turns and vibes. The effect is simply highly enjoyable and worthwhile.
Review by Henry Schneider on Exposé Online
It has been three years since Balduin’s previous release All in a Dream. The new album, Bohemian Garden, reflects his travels between then and now, giving us twelve trippy, lysergic-drenched pop songs where he pays homage to Japanese bands The Mops and Tigers, Goblin, Ennio Morricone, and of course The Beatles. His voice continues to channel John Lennon and he continues using the harpsichord on most of the songs. Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies and you will have a good idea of what to expect from Bohemian Garden. There are a couple of instrumental tracks as well. “Cap Fréhel” is a bluesy tune that has some resemblance to The Beach Boys’ “Let’s Go Away for Awhile.” “Libelle” is a cute little stately dance tune with multiple layers that would not be out of place in a 70s vampire movie. And then there is the short classical music inspired “Rondo Vampyros” with electronics and concertina that closes the album. Along the way “Teeny Weeny Queen" references Donovan and “A Song for the Moon” sounding like West Coast psych with jangling guitars and a bit of The Byrds. Just like All in a Dream, there is a little bit of everything for all lovers of 60s psychedelia while continuing to sound contemporary.
It has been three years since Balduin’s previous release All in a Dream. The new album, Bohemian Garden, reflects his travels between then and now, giving us twelve trippy, lysergic-drenched pop songs where he pays homage to Japanese bands The Mops and Tigers, Goblin, Ennio Morricone, and of course The Beatles. His voice continues to channel John Lennon and he continues using the harpsichord on most of the songs. Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies and you will have a good idea of what to expect from Bohemian Garden. There are a couple of instrumental tracks as well. “Cap Fréhel” is a bluesy tune that has some resemblance to The Beach Boys’ “Let’s Go Away for Awhile.” “Libelle” is a cute little stately dance tune with multiple layers that would not be out of place in a 70s vampire movie. And then there is the short classical music inspired “Rondo Vampyros” with electronics and concertina that closes the album. Along the way “Teeny Weeny Queen" references Donovan and “A Song for the Moon” sounding like West Coast psych with jangling guitars and a bit of The Byrds. Just like All in a Dream, there is a little bit of everything for all lovers of 60s psychedelia while continuing to sound contemporary.
Review by Carry's New Underground Music
Balduin werd in december 1978 te Bern, Zwitserland geboren, schreef als 8 jarige zijn eerste song, is multi-instrumentalist en besloot als éénman's band op te treden onder de naam Creative Cookery .
Hij brengt zijn muziek (LP's en EP's) sinds 2001 uit via diverse labels, zoals Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Everest Records, Buro Destruct, Active Listener Records en via zijn eigen Balduin label.
De volgende platen verschenen van hem: "Creative Cookery" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2001), "Choose Cheese" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2002), "Balduin" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2004), "Rainbow Tapes" (Everest records/2009), "Balduin «4»" (Balduin/2010), "Gravity Lander" (Büro Destruct/2010), "Choose Balduin" (Balduin/2011), "Early Tapes (1988-1994)" (Balduin/2011), "10th Anniversary Mixes of Creative Cookery" (Balduin/2011), "People do buy Music..." (Balduin/2012), "Musical Images for Harpsichord" (Everest records/2012), "My Love Soon" [Single] (Balduin/2012), "The Glamour Forest" [EP] (Sunstone Records/2014) en "Post From Mars" (Active Listener Records/2014).
Op "Post From Mars" zijn de beste opnamen te beluisteren van eerder verschenen materiaal, dat door hem zelf werd uitgebracht.
De LP "All In A Dream", waarop 16 songs staan, verscheen in 2014 in een gelimiteerde met kleuren bespatte vinyl uitgave in een klaphoes en was beperkt tot 500 exemplaren.
De LP, die ook nu weer via Sunstone Records werd uitgebracht, was zijn dertiende uitgave en de opvolger van "Post From Mars", die in maart 2014 verscheen.
Het album "Bohemian Garden", dat 12 nummers bevat, is hier weer de opvolger van en dit album werd eind september 2017 door Sunstone Records uitgebracht.
De eerste song van het album is de titel song "Bohemian Garden" en daarin hoor ik Balduin een prachtige vrij rustige psychedelische pop song spelen, die gevolgd wordt door "Leave To Seek The Light", een heerlijke vrolijke pop song, die een aanstekelijk dansbaar ritme heeft.
Daarna zet hij me "Cap Fréhel" voor en krijg ik een uitstekend instrumentaal stukje pop muziek te horen, dat in een niet al te hoog tempo gespeeld wordt, waarna "I Am Here And You Are There" volgt en daarin laat hij me genieten van een schitterende psychedelische pop song, die dromerige zang bevat.
Dan schotelt hij me "St.John's Shop" voor en hoor ik hem opnieuw een lekker in het gehoor klinkende pop song spelen, die lichte folk invloeden heeft en gevolgd wordt door "Your Own", een mooie, vrij rustige, song.
In "Libelle" speelt Balduin weer een fantastisch instrumentaal stukje muziek, dat film invloeden heeft en een aangenaam ritme bevat, dat me mee doet deinen op de maat van de muziek en in "Madrigal" krijg ik een verrukkelijke licht psychedelische pop song voorgezet.
Vervolgens hoor ik "A Song For The Moon", waarin hij een uptempo pop song speelt, die een dansbaar ritme heeft, waarna "Teeny Weeny Queen" volgt en hierin krijg ik weer zo'n schitterende vrolijke pop song voorgeschoteld, waarbij stil zitten niet aan de orde is.
Verder speelt hij "Mr.Bat", een opgewekt klinkende pop song, die een licht psychedelisch karakter heeft en swingt (luister naar dit nummer via de soundcloud link onder de recensie) en "Rondo Vampyros", een aangenaam kort instrumentaal nummer.
"Bohemian Garden" van Balduin staat vol lekker in het gehoor klinkende nummers, die zeker bij liefhebbers bij de betere pop in de smaak zullen vallen en ik kan hen dan ook aanraden, deze schijf eens te gaan beluisteren.
Balduin werd in december 1978 te Bern, Zwitserland geboren, schreef als 8 jarige zijn eerste song, is multi-instrumentalist en besloot als éénman's band op te treden onder de naam Creative Cookery .
Hij brengt zijn muziek (LP's en EP's) sinds 2001 uit via diverse labels, zoals Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Everest Records, Buro Destruct, Active Listener Records en via zijn eigen Balduin label.
De volgende platen verschenen van hem: "Creative Cookery" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2001), "Choose Cheese" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2002), "Balduin" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2004), "Rainbow Tapes" (Everest records/2009), "Balduin «4»" (Balduin/2010), "Gravity Lander" (Büro Destruct/2010), "Choose Balduin" (Balduin/2011), "Early Tapes (1988-1994)" (Balduin/2011), "10th Anniversary Mixes of Creative Cookery" (Balduin/2011), "People do buy Music..." (Balduin/2012), "Musical Images for Harpsichord" (Everest records/2012), "My Love Soon" [Single] (Balduin/2012), "The Glamour Forest" [EP] (Sunstone Records/2014) en "Post From Mars" (Active Listener Records/2014).
Op "Post From Mars" zijn de beste opnamen te beluisteren van eerder verschenen materiaal, dat door hem zelf werd uitgebracht.
De LP "All In A Dream", waarop 16 songs staan, verscheen in 2014 in een gelimiteerde met kleuren bespatte vinyl uitgave in een klaphoes en was beperkt tot 500 exemplaren.
De LP, die ook nu weer via Sunstone Records werd uitgebracht, was zijn dertiende uitgave en de opvolger van "Post From Mars", die in maart 2014 verscheen.
Het album "Bohemian Garden", dat 12 nummers bevat, is hier weer de opvolger van en dit album werd eind september 2017 door Sunstone Records uitgebracht.
De eerste song van het album is de titel song "Bohemian Garden" en daarin hoor ik Balduin een prachtige vrij rustige psychedelische pop song spelen, die gevolgd wordt door "Leave To Seek The Light", een heerlijke vrolijke pop song, die een aanstekelijk dansbaar ritme heeft.
Daarna zet hij me "Cap Fréhel" voor en krijg ik een uitstekend instrumentaal stukje pop muziek te horen, dat in een niet al te hoog tempo gespeeld wordt, waarna "I Am Here And You Are There" volgt en daarin laat hij me genieten van een schitterende psychedelische pop song, die dromerige zang bevat.
Dan schotelt hij me "St.John's Shop" voor en hoor ik hem opnieuw een lekker in het gehoor klinkende pop song spelen, die lichte folk invloeden heeft en gevolgd wordt door "Your Own", een mooie, vrij rustige, song.
In "Libelle" speelt Balduin weer een fantastisch instrumentaal stukje muziek, dat film invloeden heeft en een aangenaam ritme bevat, dat me mee doet deinen op de maat van de muziek en in "Madrigal" krijg ik een verrukkelijke licht psychedelische pop song voorgezet.
Vervolgens hoor ik "A Song For The Moon", waarin hij een uptempo pop song speelt, die een dansbaar ritme heeft, waarna "Teeny Weeny Queen" volgt en hierin krijg ik weer zo'n schitterende vrolijke pop song voorgeschoteld, waarbij stil zitten niet aan de orde is.
Verder speelt hij "Mr.Bat", een opgewekt klinkende pop song, die een licht psychedelisch karakter heeft en swingt (luister naar dit nummer via de soundcloud link onder de recensie) en "Rondo Vampyros", een aangenaam kort instrumentaal nummer.
"Bohemian Garden" van Balduin staat vol lekker in het gehoor klinkende nummers, die zeker bij liefhebbers bij de betere pop in de smaak zullen vallen en ik kan hen dan ook aanraden, deze schijf eens te gaan beluisteren.
Review by FLAT ED
Depuis son plus jeune age Balduin ce compositeur multi-instrumentiste confectionne dans sa cuisine en Suisse, non pas du chocolat, quoique sa musique ne manque pas de douceur, ni des montres, bien que ses productions semblent orchestrées tel un engrenage dentelé de précision. Ici s’achèvent les lieux communs sur nos “chers” amis helvètes.
Pour avoir suivi Choose Balduin depuis quelques années, je ne peux m’empêcher de voir avant tout dans son entreprise, celle d’un fan de musiques. Si l’on peut penser qu’il a jeté son dévolu sur la deuxième partie des années 60, son spectre ratisse beaucoup plus large ses influences allant de la musique baroque (il a tout de même sorti un EP de compositions au clavecin) à diverses incursions dans l’electronica…
Avec Bohemian Garden il poursuit la maitrise de son art de la pop baroque, déjà bien présent dans son dernier album, All In A Dream en 2016.
Justement le titre de l’album est également celui de la chanson qui ouvre ce nouveau LP. Comme à son accoutumée les claviers offrent un écrin dans lequel s’entremêlent différentes couches d’harmonies vocales et de guitares subliminales qui font mouche émotionnellement.
La même impression persiste avec le plus rapide leave To Seek The Light, car si ce titre démarre comme une mélodie que l’on peut siffloter en conduisant il se joue rapidement de nous avec une composition “en escalier” qui aurait pu trouver sur Smile des Beach Boys. Une jolie perle pop.
Arrive ensuite le premier titre instrumental, il y en a plusieurs sur cet album offrant des respirations et des incursions dans des ambiances différentes. Cap Fréhel, en tous cas au niveau du son aurait pu être enregistré en 1973 à Abbey Road, un peu comme si McCartney était en train de bricoler une séquence improbable sur laquelle il n’aurait pas trouvé de mélodie, ou bien paroles et aurait voulu l’utiliser pour Live & Let Die, la BO de James Bond sur laquelle il travaillait à l’époque… Et que Balduin aurait par un réseau secret mis la main sur cette démo écartée et nous la révélait aujourd’hui.
I Am Here & You Are There, fait peut être moins dans la dentelle au niveau de sa production avec son rythme presque maladroit et ce son ultra compressé mais ses défauts de fabrication rapporte un peu de proximité avec le chanteur et son incursion à ce moment de l’album nous permet d’obtenir une perspective plus dénudée de son travail.
Première cover présentée, une version de St John’s Shop à l’origine enregistrée par We The People, un obscur groupe américain d’Orlando ayant eu quelques hits mineurs au mileu des 60’s que Balduin nous raffraichit ici sans trahir l’originale, en tous cas ce choix est pertinent tant il aurait pu l’écrire lui même donc c’est sans surprise qu’il se l’approprie sans effort.
S’ensuit Your Own, une délicieuse incursion dans l’acid folk si l’arrangement reste limité à sa plus simple expression la structure mélodique elle est complètement originale avec des inflexions quasiment jazz… Une combinaison qui fonctionne particulièrement bien.
Libelle est le deuxième intermède instrumental, en mode baroque total jusqu’à l’incursion d’un rythme proto-Drum & Bass qui souligne parfaitement une ligne mélodique que Jean-Jacques Perrey n’aurait pas renié.
Le choix des covers n’est pas le fruit du hasard, puisque sur cette nouvelle reprise Balduin s’attaque encore à une obscurité qui lui ressemble. Madrigal encore une résurrection d’un titre de Paul & Barry Ryan sorti en 1968.
A Song For The Moon est une charmante pop song psychédélique, au sens le plus strict du terme, on jurerait que Ringo Starr est venu donner un coup de main à la batterie.
A Teeny Weeny Queen en contraste est une incursion dans la pop “pure” qui malgré ses qualité et sa production impeccable est peut être le titre qui me touche le moins sur cet album.
Je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de penser à “Being For The benefit Of Mr Kite” quand Mr Bat a démarré et j’ai pris la référence avec un sourire amusé. Beaucoup d’humour dans ce titre ou ce Mr bat nous demande de danser avec lui pour lui appartenir… Difficile de résister.
Et en toute logique nous terminon cet album avec la gigue du Vampire “Rondo Vampyros”, terminant sur cette dernière pastille instrumentale Balduin tire sa révérence avec son chapeau à plumes multicolores.
Encore une belle réalisation pour ce cuisinier solitaire, si même on peut s’amuser de repérer les références assez évidentes piochées dans la pop des 60’s, Balduin a ce talent rare de les incorporer avec gout et sophistication dans une potion dont le secret est caché dans une pochette d’un veux vinyle dont lui seul connait la boutique pour aller l’y acheter…
Depuis son plus jeune age Balduin ce compositeur multi-instrumentiste confectionne dans sa cuisine en Suisse, non pas du chocolat, quoique sa musique ne manque pas de douceur, ni des montres, bien que ses productions semblent orchestrées tel un engrenage dentelé de précision. Ici s’achèvent les lieux communs sur nos “chers” amis helvètes.
Pour avoir suivi Choose Balduin depuis quelques années, je ne peux m’empêcher de voir avant tout dans son entreprise, celle d’un fan de musiques. Si l’on peut penser qu’il a jeté son dévolu sur la deuxième partie des années 60, son spectre ratisse beaucoup plus large ses influences allant de la musique baroque (il a tout de même sorti un EP de compositions au clavecin) à diverses incursions dans l’electronica…
Avec Bohemian Garden il poursuit la maitrise de son art de la pop baroque, déjà bien présent dans son dernier album, All In A Dream en 2016.
Justement le titre de l’album est également celui de la chanson qui ouvre ce nouveau LP. Comme à son accoutumée les claviers offrent un écrin dans lequel s’entremêlent différentes couches d’harmonies vocales et de guitares subliminales qui font mouche émotionnellement.
La même impression persiste avec le plus rapide leave To Seek The Light, car si ce titre démarre comme une mélodie que l’on peut siffloter en conduisant il se joue rapidement de nous avec une composition “en escalier” qui aurait pu trouver sur Smile des Beach Boys. Une jolie perle pop.
Arrive ensuite le premier titre instrumental, il y en a plusieurs sur cet album offrant des respirations et des incursions dans des ambiances différentes. Cap Fréhel, en tous cas au niveau du son aurait pu être enregistré en 1973 à Abbey Road, un peu comme si McCartney était en train de bricoler une séquence improbable sur laquelle il n’aurait pas trouvé de mélodie, ou bien paroles et aurait voulu l’utiliser pour Live & Let Die, la BO de James Bond sur laquelle il travaillait à l’époque… Et que Balduin aurait par un réseau secret mis la main sur cette démo écartée et nous la révélait aujourd’hui.
I Am Here & You Are There, fait peut être moins dans la dentelle au niveau de sa production avec son rythme presque maladroit et ce son ultra compressé mais ses défauts de fabrication rapporte un peu de proximité avec le chanteur et son incursion à ce moment de l’album nous permet d’obtenir une perspective plus dénudée de son travail.
Première cover présentée, une version de St John’s Shop à l’origine enregistrée par We The People, un obscur groupe américain d’Orlando ayant eu quelques hits mineurs au mileu des 60’s que Balduin nous raffraichit ici sans trahir l’originale, en tous cas ce choix est pertinent tant il aurait pu l’écrire lui même donc c’est sans surprise qu’il se l’approprie sans effort.
S’ensuit Your Own, une délicieuse incursion dans l’acid folk si l’arrangement reste limité à sa plus simple expression la structure mélodique elle est complètement originale avec des inflexions quasiment jazz… Une combinaison qui fonctionne particulièrement bien.
Libelle est le deuxième intermède instrumental, en mode baroque total jusqu’à l’incursion d’un rythme proto-Drum & Bass qui souligne parfaitement une ligne mélodique que Jean-Jacques Perrey n’aurait pas renié.
Le choix des covers n’est pas le fruit du hasard, puisque sur cette nouvelle reprise Balduin s’attaque encore à une obscurité qui lui ressemble. Madrigal encore une résurrection d’un titre de Paul & Barry Ryan sorti en 1968.
A Song For The Moon est une charmante pop song psychédélique, au sens le plus strict du terme, on jurerait que Ringo Starr est venu donner un coup de main à la batterie.
A Teeny Weeny Queen en contraste est une incursion dans la pop “pure” qui malgré ses qualité et sa production impeccable est peut être le titre qui me touche le moins sur cet album.
Je n’ai pas pu m’empêcher de penser à “Being For The benefit Of Mr Kite” quand Mr Bat a démarré et j’ai pris la référence avec un sourire amusé. Beaucoup d’humour dans ce titre ou ce Mr bat nous demande de danser avec lui pour lui appartenir… Difficile de résister.
Et en toute logique nous terminon cet album avec la gigue du Vampire “Rondo Vampyros”, terminant sur cette dernière pastille instrumentale Balduin tire sa révérence avec son chapeau à plumes multicolores.
Encore une belle réalisation pour ce cuisinier solitaire, si même on peut s’amuser de repérer les références assez évidentes piochées dans la pop des 60’s, Balduin a ce talent rare de les incorporer avec gout et sophistication dans une potion dont le secret est caché dans une pochette d’un veux vinyle dont lui seul connait la boutique pour aller l’y acheter…
Review by Andy Morten and Interview on
Shindig! Magazine No. 42 The fact that this LP includes a cover of Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup's 'Which Dreamed It?' will prick up the ears of psych hounds everywhere. That this Swiss-born one man band already cut a super-authentic version of the other side of the Soup 45, 'Jabberwock', for his Sunstone EP, 'The Glamour Forest', earlier in 2014, tells you were not dealing with a dilettante. The remainder of this highly-anticipated 16-tracker is penned by Balduin himself and, whilst things rarely leave the world of the lysergic pop song, they skip adroitly from skewed art-pop to baroque minimalism to sensitive balladeering. If the likes of 'Love Is You' and 'Kite Come Back' don't press all of your happy buttons at once then you probably need new buttons. Sure, you can hear the echoes of a thousand 60s pop-psych 45s here but the lasting impression is that of Balduin alone. A triumph and a joy. PHIL ISTINE heads into The Glamour Forest to forage for answers: Get this issue here. |
|
Review by Henry Schneider
Exposé Online
Looking a bit like a 60s Syd Barrett, young Swiss psych magician Balduin has released a new LP of 16 songs in the two to three minute range and the album artwork completes the image. Most songs are his recreation of 60s Brit pop-psych like The Beatles, Idle Race, The Zombies, and The Hollies. Along the way he inserts some raga rock and acid folk as well. His mission is to make vintage psychedelia for new ears, and he has succeeded. The lyrics on the opening track “Love Is You” reminded me of the Stones’ “Something Happened to Me Yesterday” from Between the Buttons. The second song, “Which Dreamed It,” and the sitar are close reminders of George Harrison’s “Within You Without You.” And on several songs his voice evokes comparisons to John Lennon. Peppered throughout the disc is judicious use of Mellotron and harpsichord, an instrument you do not hear much today. Of particular interest to me are the songs “The Music,” a pop-psych song with strings added half way through, “Through the Snow,” an exquisite acid folk tune going through some changes and eventually including reversed tracks and blowing wind, and “Waves, Stars & Moon,” an acid folk ballad that reminded me of Chad and Jeremy. There is something to please most every lover of 60s psych on this album and it does remind me of what a 60s album sounded like. Quite a remarkable feat, straddling the line between pastiche and originality!
Exposé Online
Looking a bit like a 60s Syd Barrett, young Swiss psych magician Balduin has released a new LP of 16 songs in the two to three minute range and the album artwork completes the image. Most songs are his recreation of 60s Brit pop-psych like The Beatles, Idle Race, The Zombies, and The Hollies. Along the way he inserts some raga rock and acid folk as well. His mission is to make vintage psychedelia for new ears, and he has succeeded. The lyrics on the opening track “Love Is You” reminded me of the Stones’ “Something Happened to Me Yesterday” from Between the Buttons. The second song, “Which Dreamed It,” and the sitar are close reminders of George Harrison’s “Within You Without You.” And on several songs his voice evokes comparisons to John Lennon. Peppered throughout the disc is judicious use of Mellotron and harpsichord, an instrument you do not hear much today. Of particular interest to me are the songs “The Music,” a pop-psych song with strings added half way through, “Through the Snow,” an exquisite acid folk tune going through some changes and eventually including reversed tracks and blowing wind, and “Waves, Stars & Moon,” an acid folk ballad that reminded me of Chad and Jeremy. There is something to please most every lover of 60s psych on this album and it does remind me of what a 60s album sounded like. Quite a remarkable feat, straddling the line between pastiche and originality!
Review by
Andreas Gossweiler
Balduin – die tollste CH-Einmann-Band
Ereignis 1: Zum ersten Mal seit ca 20 Jahren habe ich eine Platte von einem Schweizer Musiker gekauft. Ereignis 2: Zum ersten Mal in diesem Jahr habe ich eine neue Platte gekauft. Die neue Platte des Berner Musikers Balduin. Eigentlich heisst er Claudio Gianfreda. Aber das ist egal. Balduin passt besser zu diesem kreativen Multiinstrumentalisten. Balduin ist ein Phänomen: Er lebt – musikalisch gesprochen – im Jahr 1967. Bei ihm zirpen Sitars, schwirren Rückwärtsgitarren, wabert das Mellotron, dass es einem warm ums Herz wird, und er verbreitet die euphorische Stimmung, die auf epochalen Platten wie «Sergeant Pepper», «The Notorious Byrd Brothers» oder «Their Satanic Majesties Request» zu spüren war. Und bei alledem ist Balduin kein Nostalgiker. Er hat die 1967er Euphorie, die der knapp 36-Jährige nur von Tonträgern kennt, verinnerlicht und benützt diese musikalischen Zeichen so kreativ, dass etwas Neues, Eigenes entsteht. Wenn Balduin 1967 Platten gemacht hätte, hätte er den Titel «Swiss Beatles» mehr verdient als die Sauterelles. Er emuliert aber die Beatles nicht, sondern schafft eine höchst originelle Musik. Was den Sauterelles nur mit Mühe gelang. Balduin spielt alles selbst: von Gitarren und Bass über alle möglichen Tasteninstrumente bis zur Sitar und Drums. Andere Einmann-Bands tönen oft etwas eindimensional. Nicht so Balduin. Er ist so kreativ, und er spielt alle Instrumente genug gut, dass eine runde Sache entsteht. Jedes Stück klingt überraschend. Und die Studioproduktion ist enorm einfallsreich. Leider ist Balduin fast unbekannt. Keine Zeitung hat bisher seine Platten besprochen, obwohl er schon seit 20 Jahren musiziert. 2009 brachte er seine ersten Werke unter dem Titel «Rainbow Tapes» als LP heraus. Der Sound dieser Tapes ist ein wenig rauher, aber die musikalische Einfallskraft ist genauso sprühend. Als Songschreiber ist Balduin raffinierter geworden. Auf seinen ersten Werken merkte man die Inspirationsquellen deutlicher: ein Stück klingt sehr wie «Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds», andere wie Songs von Grateful Dead oder Small Faces. Das ist vorbei. Auf seinem neusten Werk klingt alles wie Balduin. Die Rhythmusgruppe (Bass: Balduin, Drums: Balduin) klingt leicht modernisiert, stampfender. Erwähnung verdient auch das supercoole Grafikdesign der LP-Hülle. Mit der psychedelisch verzerrten Schrift und der Fotocollage erinnert auch das Design stark an Platten der sechziger Jahre. Aber mit den leuchtorangen Farbakzenten sieht das Ganze auch sehr aktuell aus. Gestaltet wurde die Hülle von Lopetz vom famosen Büro Destruct. Dass Balduin ein enorm einfallsreicher Klangmaler ist, haben auch Filmregisseure gemerkt. So hat Balduin unter anderem den Filmsoundtrack des neuen Dokumentarfilms «Electroboy» von Marcel Gisler komponiert, der Ende Oktober in die Kinos kommt. Hoffentlich gibts davon dann auch eine Platte. Ich würde sie sofort kaufen, wie alle Platten von Balduin.
Andreas Gossweiler
Balduin – die tollste CH-Einmann-Band
Ereignis 1: Zum ersten Mal seit ca 20 Jahren habe ich eine Platte von einem Schweizer Musiker gekauft. Ereignis 2: Zum ersten Mal in diesem Jahr habe ich eine neue Platte gekauft. Die neue Platte des Berner Musikers Balduin. Eigentlich heisst er Claudio Gianfreda. Aber das ist egal. Balduin passt besser zu diesem kreativen Multiinstrumentalisten. Balduin ist ein Phänomen: Er lebt – musikalisch gesprochen – im Jahr 1967. Bei ihm zirpen Sitars, schwirren Rückwärtsgitarren, wabert das Mellotron, dass es einem warm ums Herz wird, und er verbreitet die euphorische Stimmung, die auf epochalen Platten wie «Sergeant Pepper», «The Notorious Byrd Brothers» oder «Their Satanic Majesties Request» zu spüren war. Und bei alledem ist Balduin kein Nostalgiker. Er hat die 1967er Euphorie, die der knapp 36-Jährige nur von Tonträgern kennt, verinnerlicht und benützt diese musikalischen Zeichen so kreativ, dass etwas Neues, Eigenes entsteht. Wenn Balduin 1967 Platten gemacht hätte, hätte er den Titel «Swiss Beatles» mehr verdient als die Sauterelles. Er emuliert aber die Beatles nicht, sondern schafft eine höchst originelle Musik. Was den Sauterelles nur mit Mühe gelang. Balduin spielt alles selbst: von Gitarren und Bass über alle möglichen Tasteninstrumente bis zur Sitar und Drums. Andere Einmann-Bands tönen oft etwas eindimensional. Nicht so Balduin. Er ist so kreativ, und er spielt alle Instrumente genug gut, dass eine runde Sache entsteht. Jedes Stück klingt überraschend. Und die Studioproduktion ist enorm einfallsreich. Leider ist Balduin fast unbekannt. Keine Zeitung hat bisher seine Platten besprochen, obwohl er schon seit 20 Jahren musiziert. 2009 brachte er seine ersten Werke unter dem Titel «Rainbow Tapes» als LP heraus. Der Sound dieser Tapes ist ein wenig rauher, aber die musikalische Einfallskraft ist genauso sprühend. Als Songschreiber ist Balduin raffinierter geworden. Auf seinen ersten Werken merkte man die Inspirationsquellen deutlicher: ein Stück klingt sehr wie «Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds», andere wie Songs von Grateful Dead oder Small Faces. Das ist vorbei. Auf seinem neusten Werk klingt alles wie Balduin. Die Rhythmusgruppe (Bass: Balduin, Drums: Balduin) klingt leicht modernisiert, stampfender. Erwähnung verdient auch das supercoole Grafikdesign der LP-Hülle. Mit der psychedelisch verzerrten Schrift und der Fotocollage erinnert auch das Design stark an Platten der sechziger Jahre. Aber mit den leuchtorangen Farbakzenten sieht das Ganze auch sehr aktuell aus. Gestaltet wurde die Hülle von Lopetz vom famosen Büro Destruct. Dass Balduin ein enorm einfallsreicher Klangmaler ist, haben auch Filmregisseure gemerkt. So hat Balduin unter anderem den Filmsoundtrack des neuen Dokumentarfilms «Electroboy» von Marcel Gisler komponiert, der Ende Oktober in die Kinos kommt. Hoffentlich gibts davon dann auch eine Platte. Ich würde sie sofort kaufen, wie alle Platten von Balduin.
Review by Ricardo Martillos
Distorsioni
Il ritorno alle sonorità psichedeliche che resero indimenticabile la stagione sixties inglese sono ormai un dato di fatto incontestabile. Non staremo qui a rifarvi l'elenco della spesa ed a parlare di tutti quegli artisti che negli ultimi anni ci hanno deliziato con i loro lavori conditi a dovere con spezie acide. Lo svizzero Balduin, di Berna, è soltanto l'ultimo della serie, per lui un lungo apprendistato dal 2001, cinque dischi adulti che nessuno ha ascoltato per approdare poi a questo meraviglioso "All in a dream", stampato dalla Sunstone in vinile multicolorato, detto anche coloured splattered vinyl. Un artista che viaggia nella stessa direzione di due mirabili artigiani sonori come l'olandese Jacco Gardner ed il nostro magnifico Trip Hill. Come quest'ultimo ha la stessa strabiliante capacità di suonare una quantità di strumenti impressionante. Qui dentro lo possiamo trovare alle prese con chitarra, basso, mellotron, harpsichord, vibrafono, sitar, tambura, percussioni e tablas.
Tutto l'occorrente necessario per il perfetto disco psichedelico. Se a tutto questo aggiungiamo una voce presa in prestito direttamente da qualche cantore d'Albione dell'epoca floreale/Swinging London il gioco è fatto. Ed è un gioco che riesce molto bene. Sono in totale 16 brevi pezzi, otto per lato, completamente imbevuti di sonoritàBalduin Beatles/Floyd 67 ed in generale di tutti quei gruppi delle Rubble Collection e simili artefatti sonori. Non ci sono particolari differenze fra le due facciate del vinile, Balduin ci regala ben 15 canzoni scritte di proprio pugno ed una sola cover, Which is dreamed, dei misteriosi Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup. Si rimane colpiti dalla cura per ogni particolare, ogni frammento sonoro è al suo posto, la voce è sempre calibrata perfettamente. Una precisione, appunto, svizzera. Di gioiellini ne troverete a bizzeffe fra questi solchi. Parliamo di Mirror mirar, singolo perfetto, il clavicembalo che colora The music, il sitar beatlesiano di You can never pipe my fancy from my dear, la breve e dolcissima Autumn.
Ma pure Change eLabyrinth hanno i profumi giusti, duro lasciarle fuori dalla descrizione. Ci sono tracce che battono territori acid folk, come Waves, stars & moog, c'è Glamour forest che poteva andare benissimo per il soundtrack floydiano di "More". Altrove invece si balduin-bannermaterializza il fantasma di John Lennon come in Father, quasi a fare da contraltare alla Mother del compianto Beatle. Ed a proposito di genitori Balduin sottolinea che "questo disco è dedicato a mio padre". Chissà, forse proprio l'educazione musicale paterna è servita al ragazzo per trovare ispirazione e realizzare un lavoro come questo. Difficile credere che "All in a dream" sia targato 2014: i più, ingannati anche dalla bella copertina con quel logo colorato d'arancione lo scambieranno per una ristampa di qualche gemma della British Psych. Facile sbagliarsi, basta mettere il vinile multicolorato sul piatto per rimanere abbagliati a livello visivo e sonoro e lasciarsi avvolgere dalle spire acide del prode alchimista sonoro di nome Balduin.
Distorsioni
Il ritorno alle sonorità psichedeliche che resero indimenticabile la stagione sixties inglese sono ormai un dato di fatto incontestabile. Non staremo qui a rifarvi l'elenco della spesa ed a parlare di tutti quegli artisti che negli ultimi anni ci hanno deliziato con i loro lavori conditi a dovere con spezie acide. Lo svizzero Balduin, di Berna, è soltanto l'ultimo della serie, per lui un lungo apprendistato dal 2001, cinque dischi adulti che nessuno ha ascoltato per approdare poi a questo meraviglioso "All in a dream", stampato dalla Sunstone in vinile multicolorato, detto anche coloured splattered vinyl. Un artista che viaggia nella stessa direzione di due mirabili artigiani sonori come l'olandese Jacco Gardner ed il nostro magnifico Trip Hill. Come quest'ultimo ha la stessa strabiliante capacità di suonare una quantità di strumenti impressionante. Qui dentro lo possiamo trovare alle prese con chitarra, basso, mellotron, harpsichord, vibrafono, sitar, tambura, percussioni e tablas.
Tutto l'occorrente necessario per il perfetto disco psichedelico. Se a tutto questo aggiungiamo una voce presa in prestito direttamente da qualche cantore d'Albione dell'epoca floreale/Swinging London il gioco è fatto. Ed è un gioco che riesce molto bene. Sono in totale 16 brevi pezzi, otto per lato, completamente imbevuti di sonoritàBalduin Beatles/Floyd 67 ed in generale di tutti quei gruppi delle Rubble Collection e simili artefatti sonori. Non ci sono particolari differenze fra le due facciate del vinile, Balduin ci regala ben 15 canzoni scritte di proprio pugno ed una sola cover, Which is dreamed, dei misteriosi Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup. Si rimane colpiti dalla cura per ogni particolare, ogni frammento sonoro è al suo posto, la voce è sempre calibrata perfettamente. Una precisione, appunto, svizzera. Di gioiellini ne troverete a bizzeffe fra questi solchi. Parliamo di Mirror mirar, singolo perfetto, il clavicembalo che colora The music, il sitar beatlesiano di You can never pipe my fancy from my dear, la breve e dolcissima Autumn.
Ma pure Change eLabyrinth hanno i profumi giusti, duro lasciarle fuori dalla descrizione. Ci sono tracce che battono territori acid folk, come Waves, stars & moog, c'è Glamour forest che poteva andare benissimo per il soundtrack floydiano di "More". Altrove invece si balduin-bannermaterializza il fantasma di John Lennon come in Father, quasi a fare da contraltare alla Mother del compianto Beatle. Ed a proposito di genitori Balduin sottolinea che "questo disco è dedicato a mio padre". Chissà, forse proprio l'educazione musicale paterna è servita al ragazzo per trovare ispirazione e realizzare un lavoro come questo. Difficile credere che "All in a dream" sia targato 2014: i più, ingannati anche dalla bella copertina con quel logo colorato d'arancione lo scambieranno per una ristampa di qualche gemma della British Psych. Facile sbagliarsi, basta mettere il vinile multicolorato sul piatto per rimanere abbagliati a livello visivo e sonoro e lasciarsi avvolgere dalle spire acide del prode alchimista sonoro di nome Balduin.
Review on Pop Craving!
Balduin - All in a Dream Una one man band svizzera dedita al recupero delle migliori sonorità popsyke del 1968 inglese? Tutto vero. Un concentrato di Barrett e Tomorrow, delle raccolte della Toytown e dei fab four post 1965. Un Magical Mystery tour-de-force fatto di sedici brevi tappe di soave psichedelia ad orientamento tastieristico intrise di magia; un album assemblato nel momento perfetto, in cui tutto quello che tocchi diventa oro. La Sunstone lo ha immortalato in una splendida edizione limitata in vinile, formato in cui All in a Dream merita di vivere e prosperare nei secoli dei secoli.
Balduin - All in a Dream Una one man band svizzera dedita al recupero delle migliori sonorità popsyke del 1968 inglese? Tutto vero. Un concentrato di Barrett e Tomorrow, delle raccolte della Toytown e dei fab four post 1965. Un Magical Mystery tour-de-force fatto di sedici brevi tappe di soave psichedelia ad orientamento tastieristico intrise di magia; un album assemblato nel momento perfetto, in cui tutto quello che tocchi diventa oro. La Sunstone lo ha immortalato in una splendida edizione limitata in vinile, formato in cui All in a Dream merita di vivere e prosperare nei secoli dei secoli.
Review on Rate Your Music
A fantastic psych-pop album from this musician who is the Swiss equivalent of Dutch 'genius' Jacco Gardner or Great Britain's Rick Corcoran/The Orgone Box. The Sunstone Records limited edition - the only one that I know of and the one that I own - boasts a fantastic sound and an absolutely gorgeous multicolored vinyl disc which reflects its kaleidoscopic content.
A fantastic psych-pop album from this musician who is the Swiss equivalent of Dutch 'genius' Jacco Gardner or Great Britain's Rick Corcoran/The Orgone Box. The Sunstone Records limited edition - the only one that I know of and the one that I own - boasts a fantastic sound and an absolutely gorgeous multicolored vinyl disc which reflects its kaleidoscopic content.
Review by Harmonic Distortion
A little something to blow your mind. Switzerland's one-man answer to The Dukes Of Stratosphear. Switzerland's multi-instrumentalist Balduin has been making and honing his brand of psychedelic pop music since 2001. On the strength of this debut LP release for Sunstone Records perhaps now is the time he becomes more widely known. All In A Dream is released at a time when '60s psych influenced music is enjoying something of a renaissance. With the likes of Temples and Jacco Gardner gaining popularity, and psych festivals popping up everywhere from Tokyo to Liverpool, Austin to Berlin, it seems that now is a great time for music that explores inner head-space. And if it has a catchy poppy side too, well even better. All In A Dream has this in spades. And then some. Which Dreamed It, Balduin's sitar-based opus is up there with any '60s pop royalty's foray into eastern music. George Harrison and Brian Jones included. Any notion of pastiche is eroded by the track's sheer playfulness. With lilting time signatures, shifting quarter notes, modal scales and melody, it's a true joy and highlight of the album. Though there are many more delights to be enjoyed. With an ever shifting musical palette that contains echoes of Syd Barrett, Brian Wilson and a thousand great but long-lost psych bands, Balduin covers much musical ground. Father is a Lennon-esque piano ballad that Beatle John himself would have been proud of. Autumn is an amicable meeting between Merseybeat and folk-pop complete with baroque harpsichord. It would be a fair to assume that Balduin's record collection and favoured listening is mid to late '60s British psych, in particular Donovan's purple patch of Mickie Most produced albums. That said this album will resonate nicely with fans of each subsequent psychedelic era, from XTC, through the Coral and on towards today's neo-psych torch bearers such as Maston and Jacco Gardner. UK dates are planned for later in the year and it will be interesting to see how this man-of-many instruments translates these recordings into a live setting. But in the meantime this LP offers more than enough delights.
A little something to blow your mind. Switzerland's one-man answer to The Dukes Of Stratosphear. Switzerland's multi-instrumentalist Balduin has been making and honing his brand of psychedelic pop music since 2001. On the strength of this debut LP release for Sunstone Records perhaps now is the time he becomes more widely known. All In A Dream is released at a time when '60s psych influenced music is enjoying something of a renaissance. With the likes of Temples and Jacco Gardner gaining popularity, and psych festivals popping up everywhere from Tokyo to Liverpool, Austin to Berlin, it seems that now is a great time for music that explores inner head-space. And if it has a catchy poppy side too, well even better. All In A Dream has this in spades. And then some. Which Dreamed It, Balduin's sitar-based opus is up there with any '60s pop royalty's foray into eastern music. George Harrison and Brian Jones included. Any notion of pastiche is eroded by the track's sheer playfulness. With lilting time signatures, shifting quarter notes, modal scales and melody, it's a true joy and highlight of the album. Though there are many more delights to be enjoyed. With an ever shifting musical palette that contains echoes of Syd Barrett, Brian Wilson and a thousand great but long-lost psych bands, Balduin covers much musical ground. Father is a Lennon-esque piano ballad that Beatle John himself would have been proud of. Autumn is an amicable meeting between Merseybeat and folk-pop complete with baroque harpsichord. It would be a fair to assume that Balduin's record collection and favoured listening is mid to late '60s British psych, in particular Donovan's purple patch of Mickie Most produced albums. That said this album will resonate nicely with fans of each subsequent psychedelic era, from XTC, through the Coral and on towards today's neo-psych torch bearers such as Maston and Jacco Gardner. UK dates are planned for later in the year and it will be interesting to see how this man-of-many instruments translates these recordings into a live setting. But in the meantime this LP offers more than enough delights.
Introduction from
DISK UNION, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
★01年から活動するスイスのワンマン・ポップ・サイケ・アクト、BALDUINのデビューLP! ●BALDUIN / ALL IN A DREAM 輸入LP 4,644円(税込) (SUNSTONE / SSLP1001) 60Sブリティッシュ・サイケに倣ったディープなエコーとフラワー感、レイト60SのBEE GEES、KEVIN AYERS、SYD BARRETTにRAINBOW FFOLLYやVELVETT FOGGといったバンドをフェイヴァリットに挙げるマジカルでサージェントペパーなポップセンス、近年リイシューもされた68年のシングル一枚で散ったオブスキュア・サイケBOEING DUVEEN & THE BEAUTIFUL SOUPの超激レア盤B面曲"WHICH DREAMED IT?"をカヴァーするマニア感と、現行バンドながらもそのヴィンテージでアンダーグラウンドなバロック・アート・ポップ・サイケは60Sサイケ・ファンも思わずニンマリな必携盤です。 500枚限定盤、ダウンロードコード付。
DISK UNION, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
★01年から活動するスイスのワンマン・ポップ・サイケ・アクト、BALDUINのデビューLP! ●BALDUIN / ALL IN A DREAM 輸入LP 4,644円(税込) (SUNSTONE / SSLP1001) 60Sブリティッシュ・サイケに倣ったディープなエコーとフラワー感、レイト60SのBEE GEES、KEVIN AYERS、SYD BARRETTにRAINBOW FFOLLYやVELVETT FOGGといったバンドをフェイヴァリットに挙げるマジカルでサージェントペパーなポップセンス、近年リイシューもされた68年のシングル一枚で散ったオブスキュア・サイケBOEING DUVEEN & THE BEAUTIFUL SOUPの超激レア盤B面曲"WHICH DREAMED IT?"をカヴァーするマニア感と、現行バンドながらもそのヴィンテージでアンダーグラウンドなバロック・アート・ポップ・サイケは60Sサイケ・ファンも思わずニンマリな必携盤です。 500枚限定盤、ダウンロードコード付。
Review by Iwamoto Kouichirou
Strange Days Magazine Japan (November 12 2014/No. 181)
Strange Days Magazine Japan (November 12 2014/No. 181)
Review on Power Popaholic
Balduin is a bit of a mystery man from Switzerland, but for lovers of retro pop this is one of the best recreations of psychedelic music I’ve heard. Heavily influenced by British pop of the late 60’s, Balduin performs these songs on a plethora of period instruments (sitar, mellotron, harpsichord, harmonium, etc.) and if you didn’t know better you’d think this was a lost gem from the record bins of 1968. “Love Is You” is a sunny baroque pop confection similar to late era Beatles, and most consumer friendly with its sly hook. Next is the sitar raga “Which Dreamed It” recalling George Harrison, and the folky “Autumn” is a reverb heavy folk number like the Byrds or Donovan. Fans of retro acts like The Sunchymes or Any Version of Me will marvel at the delicate arrangements that Balduin creates, bringing the era to life. You can also play spot-the-influences of Syd Barrett, The Moody Blues, and The Kinks. There is some instrumental filler scattered about the 16 tracks, but most of these are gorgeous (“Prisma Colora”). “Father” is another standout, like a lost John Lennon solo (the missing piece between “Mother” and “Beautiful Boy”). Fans of period baroque can do no better. Highly recommended.
Balduin is a bit of a mystery man from Switzerland, but for lovers of retro pop this is one of the best recreations of psychedelic music I’ve heard. Heavily influenced by British pop of the late 60’s, Balduin performs these songs on a plethora of period instruments (sitar, mellotron, harpsichord, harmonium, etc.) and if you didn’t know better you’d think this was a lost gem from the record bins of 1968. “Love Is You” is a sunny baroque pop confection similar to late era Beatles, and most consumer friendly with its sly hook. Next is the sitar raga “Which Dreamed It” recalling George Harrison, and the folky “Autumn” is a reverb heavy folk number like the Byrds or Donovan. Fans of retro acts like The Sunchymes or Any Version of Me will marvel at the delicate arrangements that Balduin creates, bringing the era to life. You can also play spot-the-influences of Syd Barrett, The Moody Blues, and The Kinks. There is some instrumental filler scattered about the 16 tracks, but most of these are gorgeous (“Prisma Colora”). “Father” is another standout, like a lost John Lennon solo (the missing piece between “Mother” and “Beautiful Boy”). Fans of period baroque can do no better. Highly recommended.
8/10 score staff review on Norman Records Limited (GB)
At first glance I thought this new album from Balduin was some long-lost bit of '60s psych pop being reissued, but upon closer inspection this is actually a new album, although this chap's obsession with the '60s doesn't stop at the artwork. 'All In A Dream' is full of tightly arranged psychedelic pop that's clearly heavily influenced by the British invasion of the '60s, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, The Kinks, all fairly clear influences here. Thankfully it's more than pure homage, though, since Balduin has a good pop head on his shoulders and an intimidating arsenal of instruments - he plays guitar, bass, mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ, vibraphone, lyre, sitar, tanpura, harmonium, wurlitzer, drums, tingsha, tabla and percussion here, and the variety of sounds really help give it the widescreen warmth you'd expect from a much bigger-budget offering. The fledgling label Sunstone have gone all out with the packaging - there's a gatefold sleeve and the record itself is on beautiful multicoloured vinyl, plus there's a download code for those of you with computers. In terms of the music itself, Balduin's ambitious and reverby bedroom pop sound reminds me of other one-man psych-pop machines who've been doing the rounds lately - namely Jacco Gardner (for the formulaic but impeccably realised songwriting nous), with a bit of Maston's dreaminess and Spectral Park's irreverence on tracks like the bouncy instrumental 'Prisma Colora'. There's a bit of Tame Impala in there somewhere too. If lovingly made psych-pop which wears its Syd Barrett and Beatles influences on its sleeve sounds like your idea of a good time, click "Add to cart".
At first glance I thought this new album from Balduin was some long-lost bit of '60s psych pop being reissued, but upon closer inspection this is actually a new album, although this chap's obsession with the '60s doesn't stop at the artwork. 'All In A Dream' is full of tightly arranged psychedelic pop that's clearly heavily influenced by the British invasion of the '60s, Syd Barrett, The Beatles, The Kinks, all fairly clear influences here. Thankfully it's more than pure homage, though, since Balduin has a good pop head on his shoulders and an intimidating arsenal of instruments - he plays guitar, bass, mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ, vibraphone, lyre, sitar, tanpura, harmonium, wurlitzer, drums, tingsha, tabla and percussion here, and the variety of sounds really help give it the widescreen warmth you'd expect from a much bigger-budget offering. The fledgling label Sunstone have gone all out with the packaging - there's a gatefold sleeve and the record itself is on beautiful multicoloured vinyl, plus there's a download code for those of you with computers. In terms of the music itself, Balduin's ambitious and reverby bedroom pop sound reminds me of other one-man psych-pop machines who've been doing the rounds lately - namely Jacco Gardner (for the formulaic but impeccably realised songwriting nous), with a bit of Maston's dreaminess and Spectral Park's irreverence on tracks like the bouncy instrumental 'Prisma Colora'. There's a bit of Tame Impala in there somewhere too. If lovingly made psych-pop which wears its Syd Barrett and Beatles influences on its sleeve sounds like your idea of a good time, click "Add to cart".
Review by Lenny Helsing on It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine
I was just thinking there, after listening to this astonishingly groovy set again, and also some of Balduin's previous Rainbow Tapes material, that this is actually how I imagined Nick Nicely could’ve sounded had he also thought to create his very own LP back around the time of 'Vox Dreams' and the great 'Hilly Fields' single, that were issued (the latter on EMI) at the very beginning of the 1980s. However, putting such strange, odd little parallels aside, let us now meet Balduin, Switzerland's supremely gifted solo artist / multi-instrumental playing, one-man band sensation who is currently, and effervescently so, keen to embrace many of the wide-eyed, wide-ranging, not to mention inherently melodic waves now being brought back, and forward (again and again) into focus. In doing so it’s creating a beautiful swirling movement of flowing sounds that are now cresting on a sea of mindblowing pop-style psychedelia; this daring do perhaps even more so than the likes of fellow journeyman Jacco Gardner; and all manner of other wily, enquiring, relatively young minds that are operating and experimenting from as far afield as Britain, and Spain, to California and beyond in these last few years. And now Switzerland! Torn between the frequent accessibility of the pre- '68 / full-bearded Beatles goings on and some of the thought-provoking angles and intelligent pop-absurdism that emanates from the recordings by early Pink Floyd, Donovan, Incredible String Band, Jason Crest and, say, well just for argument's sake Boeing Duveen & the Beautiful Soup. The last I mention because of our hero's seemingly abiding passion for Dr. Hutt's oddly strange and weirdly prescriptive formula; not only has he covered the confusingly brilliant 'Which Dreamed It' right here within the grooves of All In A Dream but he’d already thought to include a hugely tasty version of the Duveen's wickedly whacked-out topside wonder 'Jabberwock' as part of a liquidly languid golden pearl of an EP issued earlier this year called The Glamour Forest. However, it's perhaps in the sheer breadth of seemingly fearless musical and lyrical glad-roaming found within the words and music of some of his own self-composed works that the indomitable spirit of Balduin is at its most creative; highly-charged, and spanglingly illuminating. This is where the likes of 'Kite Come Back' with its filigree air, the instantaneously grasp of 'Change', 'Glamour Forest' itself (the shimmeringly beautiful cut that's not included on the EP of the same name) and the altogether more spiritual sounding and highly personalised tones he adopts in 'Father', plus many more palpable, tangible, kinetic, Lennon-esque passages ... Some of what's happening within is difficult to aptly describe, and perhaps what each individual recipient also feels will be different, like the rise of some new, or at least untapped emotion breaking through; music like this can sometimes be that with us as the conduit as we drift into reverie, or zone out completely. Many of the selections here add such extra-appealing features as mellotron, sitar, flute, plentiful juicy fuzz licks, plus a whole kaboodle of passionately executed simplistic, effective drum patterns and deliciously played soft guitar strummings. So as you can imagine, there's more than enough to make a whole new world of intrigue and mystery for you to explore. Everything heard seems to weave to and fro enmeshed in sets of well-chosen lyrics, and well-placed vocal rhymes; some new, others borrowed, some ching, others vibrate while one or two disappear almost as soon as they arrive. Almost instantly the rewards will be most obvious whichever way you look at it and, in fact, almost everything Balduin has utilised here works in some practical way or is an artistic endeavour that helps formulate what is fast becoming one of the modern music world's most excellently realised psychedelic art-pop aural installations! Hear, see, feel, float, trip
I was just thinking there, after listening to this astonishingly groovy set again, and also some of Balduin's previous Rainbow Tapes material, that this is actually how I imagined Nick Nicely could’ve sounded had he also thought to create his very own LP back around the time of 'Vox Dreams' and the great 'Hilly Fields' single, that were issued (the latter on EMI) at the very beginning of the 1980s. However, putting such strange, odd little parallels aside, let us now meet Balduin, Switzerland's supremely gifted solo artist / multi-instrumental playing, one-man band sensation who is currently, and effervescently so, keen to embrace many of the wide-eyed, wide-ranging, not to mention inherently melodic waves now being brought back, and forward (again and again) into focus. In doing so it’s creating a beautiful swirling movement of flowing sounds that are now cresting on a sea of mindblowing pop-style psychedelia; this daring do perhaps even more so than the likes of fellow journeyman Jacco Gardner; and all manner of other wily, enquiring, relatively young minds that are operating and experimenting from as far afield as Britain, and Spain, to California and beyond in these last few years. And now Switzerland! Torn between the frequent accessibility of the pre- '68 / full-bearded Beatles goings on and some of the thought-provoking angles and intelligent pop-absurdism that emanates from the recordings by early Pink Floyd, Donovan, Incredible String Band, Jason Crest and, say, well just for argument's sake Boeing Duveen & the Beautiful Soup. The last I mention because of our hero's seemingly abiding passion for Dr. Hutt's oddly strange and weirdly prescriptive formula; not only has he covered the confusingly brilliant 'Which Dreamed It' right here within the grooves of All In A Dream but he’d already thought to include a hugely tasty version of the Duveen's wickedly whacked-out topside wonder 'Jabberwock' as part of a liquidly languid golden pearl of an EP issued earlier this year called The Glamour Forest. However, it's perhaps in the sheer breadth of seemingly fearless musical and lyrical glad-roaming found within the words and music of some of his own self-composed works that the indomitable spirit of Balduin is at its most creative; highly-charged, and spanglingly illuminating. This is where the likes of 'Kite Come Back' with its filigree air, the instantaneously grasp of 'Change', 'Glamour Forest' itself (the shimmeringly beautiful cut that's not included on the EP of the same name) and the altogether more spiritual sounding and highly personalised tones he adopts in 'Father', plus many more palpable, tangible, kinetic, Lennon-esque passages ... Some of what's happening within is difficult to aptly describe, and perhaps what each individual recipient also feels will be different, like the rise of some new, or at least untapped emotion breaking through; music like this can sometimes be that with us as the conduit as we drift into reverie, or zone out completely. Many of the selections here add such extra-appealing features as mellotron, sitar, flute, plentiful juicy fuzz licks, plus a whole kaboodle of passionately executed simplistic, effective drum patterns and deliciously played soft guitar strummings. So as you can imagine, there's more than enough to make a whole new world of intrigue and mystery for you to explore. Everything heard seems to weave to and fro enmeshed in sets of well-chosen lyrics, and well-placed vocal rhymes; some new, others borrowed, some ching, others vibrate while one or two disappear almost as soon as they arrive. Almost instantly the rewards will be most obvious whichever way you look at it and, in fact, almost everything Balduin has utilised here works in some practical way or is an artistic endeavour that helps formulate what is fast becoming one of the modern music world's most excellently realised psychedelic art-pop aural installations! Hear, see, feel, float, trip
Review by Fabio Guastalla Onda Rock
Polistrumentista, appassionato di apparecchi e procedimenti vintage, folgorato dallo psych-pop anni Sessanta, che riproduce con piglio moderno e tocco barocco. Alzi la mano chi non sta pensando a Jacco Gardner, e come darvi torto: i punti di contatto non finiscono qui. Benché più vecchio di una decina d'anni rispetto al collega olandese, e a fronte di una carriera inaugurata nell'ormai lontano 2001, e fino a oggi rimasta nell'ombra, anche Balduin ha iniziato a suonare quando aveva soltanto otto anni allorché, in seguito all'ascolto di “Revolver”, si fece comperare una chitarra acustica. L'exploit di Gardner ha probabilmente tracciato una strada inedita nel revival sixties, e l'alchimista (così si definisce) di Berna ha colto la palla al balzo: di fatto, lui era già pronto da molto tempo. Inserito nel roster della giovane label inglese Sunstone Records, il compositore svizzero - che suona letteralmente tutto, dal sitar alle tastiere ai device elettronici - ha pubblicato pochi mesi fa l'Ep “The Glamour Forest” e dà alle stampe oggi “All In A Dream”, raccolta dei brani scritti nell'ultima manciata di anni. I riferimenti sono chiari, talvolta persino espliciti: la preziosa cover di “Which Dreamed It”, ipnotico capolavoro di Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup datato 1968, instrada l'album verso lidi lisergici dopo la sbarazzina introduzione di “Love Is You”, peraltro già ampiamente speziata di quelle sonorità beatlesiane che torneranno a farsi sentire nelle sperimentazioni surrealiste di “You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear” e nella ballata in puro stile Lennon “Father”. Balduin, però, sa andare ben oltre i modelli: con stile asciutto e tocco sopraffino dà vita a un campionario di brani mai banali, sempre votati a quella ricerca melodica che è il vero marchio di fabbrica dell'opera. Il pop-rock di “Kite Come Back” si accende di suggestioni cinematiche, “Change” è un'onirica quanto splendida ballata, “Autumn” e la breve “Glamour Forest” si raccolgono in lievi atmosfere folk, la caleidoscopica marcia di “Prisma Colora” dona nuove inflessioni alla materia psych mentre “The Labyrinth” si dilata in panorami barrettiani e “Through The Snow” torna alla lezione dei Fab Four per veicolarla verso sonorità barocche e chiudere la corsa in un finale di pura sperimentazione. La chiave di lettura di “All In A Dream” risiede nell'apparente facilità con cui Balduin assembla soluzioni e suggestioni vicine e lontane in un sound leggero nei toni e affascinante nei contenuti. Classe e sostanza: una gran bella scoperta.
Polistrumentista, appassionato di apparecchi e procedimenti vintage, folgorato dallo psych-pop anni Sessanta, che riproduce con piglio moderno e tocco barocco. Alzi la mano chi non sta pensando a Jacco Gardner, e come darvi torto: i punti di contatto non finiscono qui. Benché più vecchio di una decina d'anni rispetto al collega olandese, e a fronte di una carriera inaugurata nell'ormai lontano 2001, e fino a oggi rimasta nell'ombra, anche Balduin ha iniziato a suonare quando aveva soltanto otto anni allorché, in seguito all'ascolto di “Revolver”, si fece comperare una chitarra acustica. L'exploit di Gardner ha probabilmente tracciato una strada inedita nel revival sixties, e l'alchimista (così si definisce) di Berna ha colto la palla al balzo: di fatto, lui era già pronto da molto tempo. Inserito nel roster della giovane label inglese Sunstone Records, il compositore svizzero - che suona letteralmente tutto, dal sitar alle tastiere ai device elettronici - ha pubblicato pochi mesi fa l'Ep “The Glamour Forest” e dà alle stampe oggi “All In A Dream”, raccolta dei brani scritti nell'ultima manciata di anni. I riferimenti sono chiari, talvolta persino espliciti: la preziosa cover di “Which Dreamed It”, ipnotico capolavoro di Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup datato 1968, instrada l'album verso lidi lisergici dopo la sbarazzina introduzione di “Love Is You”, peraltro già ampiamente speziata di quelle sonorità beatlesiane che torneranno a farsi sentire nelle sperimentazioni surrealiste di “You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear” e nella ballata in puro stile Lennon “Father”. Balduin, però, sa andare ben oltre i modelli: con stile asciutto e tocco sopraffino dà vita a un campionario di brani mai banali, sempre votati a quella ricerca melodica che è il vero marchio di fabbrica dell'opera. Il pop-rock di “Kite Come Back” si accende di suggestioni cinematiche, “Change” è un'onirica quanto splendida ballata, “Autumn” e la breve “Glamour Forest” si raccolgono in lievi atmosfere folk, la caleidoscopica marcia di “Prisma Colora” dona nuove inflessioni alla materia psych mentre “The Labyrinth” si dilata in panorami barrettiani e “Through The Snow” torna alla lezione dei Fab Four per veicolarla verso sonorità barocche e chiudere la corsa in un finale di pura sperimentazione. La chiave di lettura di “All In A Dream” risiede nell'apparente facilità con cui Balduin assembla soluzioni e suggestioni vicine e lontane in un sound leggero nei toni e affascinante nei contenuti. Classe e sostanza: una gran bella scoperta.
Review by Jason Barnard The Strange Brew
The past few years have seen some great records that haven’t troubled the charts but have created a lot of noise for those in the know over the interweb. Swiss marvel Balduin is one such artist who’s been quietly creating pop-sike marvels echoing psychedelic British whimsy of the late 60s. However to categorise him solely in that genre would be unfair and in his songs there’s great examples of the inventive and novel to make him unique. Before I spread the word on his latest long player it’s worth mentioning the excellent collection that the Active Listener has released. “Post From Mars” collects much of earlier material, my favourites including the infectious “People Do Buy Music”, gorgeous “A Hope For Loving You” and the Air meets Beach Boys sound of “My Love Soon”. However he’s kicked up into another gear for his new album “All In A Dream”. “I Can Hear You’ out will interest Jacco Gardner fans, there’s a touch of Honeybus with “The Music” whilst Gary Usher would be proud to have recorded the lovely “Waves, Star and Moon”. As well as a pop sike sound there’s a West Coast Beach Boys/Sagittarius feel to proceedings and the production is throughout is splendid. Just check out the bouncy “Love Is You”. Balduin also mixes this with analogue electronica for “Mirror Mirror”. This really is great stuff so do take a listen.
The past few years have seen some great records that haven’t troubled the charts but have created a lot of noise for those in the know over the interweb. Swiss marvel Balduin is one such artist who’s been quietly creating pop-sike marvels echoing psychedelic British whimsy of the late 60s. However to categorise him solely in that genre would be unfair and in his songs there’s great examples of the inventive and novel to make him unique. Before I spread the word on his latest long player it’s worth mentioning the excellent collection that the Active Listener has released. “Post From Mars” collects much of earlier material, my favourites including the infectious “People Do Buy Music”, gorgeous “A Hope For Loving You” and the Air meets Beach Boys sound of “My Love Soon”. However he’s kicked up into another gear for his new album “All In A Dream”. “I Can Hear You’ out will interest Jacco Gardner fans, there’s a touch of Honeybus with “The Music” whilst Gary Usher would be proud to have recorded the lovely “Waves, Star and Moon”. As well as a pop sike sound there’s a West Coast Beach Boys/Sagittarius feel to proceedings and the production is throughout is splendid. Just check out the bouncy “Love Is You”. Balduin also mixes this with analogue electronica for “Mirror Mirror”. This really is great stuff so do take a listen.
Review by Valis Trip Inside This House
Hail Voyagers! We're back with a new Pick: from Switzerland, Balduin! A one-man wunderkind from Bern, his new album, All In A Dream, is out via Sunstone Records UK. A veteran musician, (recording material since 2001 if I'm correct,) who's clearly unafraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. The new album provides 16 tracks worthy of our attention most of which are in the psych-pop vein. (He's cut from much the same cloth as another one-man show: Jacco Gardner. I hope Balduin attracts a similar amount of attention.) Perhaps most telling, to me, is the choice of cover he's gone with on this outing, "Which Dreamed It," by Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup. Not the first time he's covered them. An EP released back in January of this year had him try on their "Jabberwock" for size. It fit. If whimsy and brighter hues of the sound palette read as tempting I recommend Balduin.
Hail Voyagers! We're back with a new Pick: from Switzerland, Balduin! A one-man wunderkind from Bern, his new album, All In A Dream, is out via Sunstone Records UK. A veteran musician, (recording material since 2001 if I'm correct,) who's clearly unafraid to wear his influences on his sleeve. The new album provides 16 tracks worthy of our attention most of which are in the psych-pop vein. (He's cut from much the same cloth as another one-man show: Jacco Gardner. I hope Balduin attracts a similar amount of attention.) Perhaps most telling, to me, is the choice of cover he's gone with on this outing, "Which Dreamed It," by Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup. Not the first time he's covered them. An EP released back in January of this year had him try on their "Jabberwock" for size. It fit. If whimsy and brighter hues of the sound palette read as tempting I recommend Balduin.
Review by Jeff Penczak Soundblab
Our favourite Swiss musical gnome returns with a much-anticipated full-length of (relatively) new songs, some of which date back a decade, others reprised from his essential Glamour Forest EP. In fact, he gets extra points for flipping over Rubbles favourite, Boeing Duveen’s 'Jabberwock', which he covered on Glamour Forest, for a 21st century update on ‘Which Dreamed It', complete with tablas, sitars, and assorted headswirling effects. The harpsichord gem 'Mirror Mirror' and the nostalgic, music-box-driven 'Waves Stars and Moon' also return, and we finally get to hear the 'title' track, which he opted to leave off the EP. But what about the new material? If your appetite was whetted by the career-spanning Post From Mars from The Active Listener’s Introducing series, then you know what to expect: gorgeous baroque melodies; nostalgic 60s whimsy; imaginative Beatlesque arrangements… Balduin also brings some new acoustic folk numbers along for the trip, including the wonderfully Donovanesque 'Autumn' and the quite Barrett-like 'Glamour Forest', which Dodson and Fogg and Tyrannosaurus Rex fans will appreciate. Then there’s the harder edged 'Kite Come Back' with its extremely busy arrangement, backwards, phased guitars, and soaring melody which perfectly suits its subject matter. 'The Music' is baroque heaven, like some long lost Left Banke b-side full of harpsichords, flutes, and strings, aaahhhhh… I also wept at the intimate, Floydian floater 'Through the Snow', which sounds like a leftover from their soundtrack recording sessions (eg, Obscured By Clouds, More, Zabriskie Point). Elsewhere, Balduin does things to a sitar that you usually don’t hear in a pop song (including a rather strange solo) in the surreal and quite unsettling tongue twister 'You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear', and Lennon’s spirit nods approvingly and sings along with 'Father'. To be sure, there are a few missteps: the dreamy-yet-dreary 'Labyrinth'; the pleasant-but-fey 'Prisma Colora'; the meandering, uncharacteristically flat 'Change' and "I Can Hear You', but these are minor bumps on this yellow brick road to the wizard of wonderland and we encourage you to hop aboard for the ride.
Our favourite Swiss musical gnome returns with a much-anticipated full-length of (relatively) new songs, some of which date back a decade, others reprised from his essential Glamour Forest EP. In fact, he gets extra points for flipping over Rubbles favourite, Boeing Duveen’s 'Jabberwock', which he covered on Glamour Forest, for a 21st century update on ‘Which Dreamed It', complete with tablas, sitars, and assorted headswirling effects. The harpsichord gem 'Mirror Mirror' and the nostalgic, music-box-driven 'Waves Stars and Moon' also return, and we finally get to hear the 'title' track, which he opted to leave off the EP. But what about the new material? If your appetite was whetted by the career-spanning Post From Mars from The Active Listener’s Introducing series, then you know what to expect: gorgeous baroque melodies; nostalgic 60s whimsy; imaginative Beatlesque arrangements… Balduin also brings some new acoustic folk numbers along for the trip, including the wonderfully Donovanesque 'Autumn' and the quite Barrett-like 'Glamour Forest', which Dodson and Fogg and Tyrannosaurus Rex fans will appreciate. Then there’s the harder edged 'Kite Come Back' with its extremely busy arrangement, backwards, phased guitars, and soaring melody which perfectly suits its subject matter. 'The Music' is baroque heaven, like some long lost Left Banke b-side full of harpsichords, flutes, and strings, aaahhhhh… I also wept at the intimate, Floydian floater 'Through the Snow', which sounds like a leftover from their soundtrack recording sessions (eg, Obscured By Clouds, More, Zabriskie Point). Elsewhere, Balduin does things to a sitar that you usually don’t hear in a pop song (including a rather strange solo) in the surreal and quite unsettling tongue twister 'You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear', and Lennon’s spirit nods approvingly and sings along with 'Father'. To be sure, there are a few missteps: the dreamy-yet-dreary 'Labyrinth'; the pleasant-but-fey 'Prisma Colora'; the meandering, uncharacteristically flat 'Change' and "I Can Hear You', but these are minor bumps on this yellow brick road to the wizard of wonderland and we encourage you to hop aboard for the ride.
Review by Gereon Helmer
Ox-Fanzone #116
Balduin ist ein Einzelkämpfer. Als Ein-Mann-Band der besonderen Art liefert er seit 2001 schon so einige Pop-Psychedelia-Alben ab, die gestandene Kenner der Materie jedes Mal aufs Neue fürchten lassen, sie hätten ein Juwel der späten Sechziger verpasst. Seine absolut authentischen Underground-Pop-Sounds bringen natürlich haufenweise Reminiszenzen an die Großen des Genres, die späten BEATLES, die frühen BEE GEES, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers oder auch Velvet Fogg stehen hier Pate. Und dennoch ist Balduin clever genug, sich nicht sklavisch an die Fersen der Vorbilder zu heften. Es gelingt ihm stets, ihnen seinen eigenen Stempel aufzudrücken, seine hohe songschreiberische Kunst zu verfeinern, und mit atemberaubender Finesse und Spielwitz verzierte Kleinode psychedelischer Popmusik zusammenzustellen. Einzig ein Coversong, „Which dreamed it?“ von Boeing Duveen, hat sich unter die 16 ausnahmslos hochklassigen Songs verirrt und mit keiner einzigen Nummer lässt das aberwitzig hohe Niveau auch nur ein bisschen nach. Im Jahr eins nach Jacco Gardners Mini-Pop-Psych-Revival legt Balduin nicht weniger eindrucksvolles Material vor und kann sich einen Platz unter den obersten Rängen der ersten Liga der Paisley-Popper sichern.
Ox-Fanzone #116
Balduin ist ein Einzelkämpfer. Als Ein-Mann-Band der besonderen Art liefert er seit 2001 schon so einige Pop-Psychedelia-Alben ab, die gestandene Kenner der Materie jedes Mal aufs Neue fürchten lassen, sie hätten ein Juwel der späten Sechziger verpasst. Seine absolut authentischen Underground-Pop-Sounds bringen natürlich haufenweise Reminiszenzen an die Großen des Genres, die späten BEATLES, die frühen BEE GEES, Syd Barrett, Kevin Ayers oder auch Velvet Fogg stehen hier Pate. Und dennoch ist Balduin clever genug, sich nicht sklavisch an die Fersen der Vorbilder zu heften. Es gelingt ihm stets, ihnen seinen eigenen Stempel aufzudrücken, seine hohe songschreiberische Kunst zu verfeinern, und mit atemberaubender Finesse und Spielwitz verzierte Kleinode psychedelischer Popmusik zusammenzustellen. Einzig ein Coversong, „Which dreamed it?“ von Boeing Duveen, hat sich unter die 16 ausnahmslos hochklassigen Songs verirrt und mit keiner einzigen Nummer lässt das aberwitzig hohe Niveau auch nur ein bisschen nach. Im Jahr eins nach Jacco Gardners Mini-Pop-Psych-Revival legt Balduin nicht weniger eindrucksvolles Material vor und kann sich einen Platz unter den obersten Rängen der ersten Liga der Paisley-Popper sichern.
eview by Pacopepe Gil
loff
EL MÚSICO SUIZO BALDUIN ES UN CERTERO ALQUIMISTA DEL POP MÁS LISÉRGICO.
Para describir la música de Baalduin, este multi-instrumentista suizo nacido en Berna en diciembre de 1978, hay que tener la mente muy abierta, y los oídos aún más. Entrar en su mundo es arriesgarse a iniciar un viaje de la mano de la Alicia de Lewis Carroll, una aventura de la que sólo sabemos una cosa: vamos a perder la cabeza. A lo largo de carrera, que empezó a los ocho años, cuando compuso su primera canción, ha atravesado diversas etapas, a veces bajo el nombre de Creative Cookery, en las que ha utilizado desde el minimalismo pop de Kraftwerk, con diminutos instrumentales electrónicos con clara influencia de la banda alemana, hasta los más variados sonidos en espiral. Allí nos encontramos con los momentos más experimentales de The Beatles o la apertura a esa entonces una nueva psicodelia que entreabrió Syd Barret y Pink Floyd; Kevin Ayers, Löl Coxil y otros miembros del llamado Sonido Canterbury; esa olvida pero brillante etapa de los Bee Gee´s a finales de los 60, algo de Left Banke y su baroque-pop, el infantilismo esotérico con el que impregnaba su folk el duende Donovan e, incluso, la locura de Daevid Allen y su enigmática banda Gong. Y la puerta sigue abierta, de par en par, y por allí cabe cualquier soplo imaginativo y lleno de color que inspire su música. Lleva grabando música, su música, desde, al menos, 1988, ya que tiene recogidas en un disco sus primeras maquetas y algunas datan de esa fecha. En una de las canciones, “Dance, Dance, Dance”, Balduin tiene sólo diez años, y otra posterior, “Autumn”, la grabó cuando consiguió su primera guitarra. El álbum digital se titula “Early Tapes 1988-1994”. Curioso. Además de esté disco, entre singles y Lp´s su discografía cuenta con diecisiete referencias. Su nuevo trabajo se titula “All In A Dream”, ha sido grabado íntegramente por Balduin, voces, instrumentos, y hay un montón de ellos, y producción, y se editará el próximo 10 de octubre a través del sello inglés Sunstone Records. Quince temas propios y una versión de una rareza psicodélica, “Which Dreamed it?”, de Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup, encerrados en una plancha de vinilo 12” y edición limitada. Ahora te toca elegir. Si tomar la píldora, ya no habrá marcha atrás y empezarás un viaje que te llevará a descubrir un nuevo universo musical. Un disco simplemente extraordinario. Y flipante
loff
EL MÚSICO SUIZO BALDUIN ES UN CERTERO ALQUIMISTA DEL POP MÁS LISÉRGICO.
Para describir la música de Baalduin, este multi-instrumentista suizo nacido en Berna en diciembre de 1978, hay que tener la mente muy abierta, y los oídos aún más. Entrar en su mundo es arriesgarse a iniciar un viaje de la mano de la Alicia de Lewis Carroll, una aventura de la que sólo sabemos una cosa: vamos a perder la cabeza. A lo largo de carrera, que empezó a los ocho años, cuando compuso su primera canción, ha atravesado diversas etapas, a veces bajo el nombre de Creative Cookery, en las que ha utilizado desde el minimalismo pop de Kraftwerk, con diminutos instrumentales electrónicos con clara influencia de la banda alemana, hasta los más variados sonidos en espiral. Allí nos encontramos con los momentos más experimentales de The Beatles o la apertura a esa entonces una nueva psicodelia que entreabrió Syd Barret y Pink Floyd; Kevin Ayers, Löl Coxil y otros miembros del llamado Sonido Canterbury; esa olvida pero brillante etapa de los Bee Gee´s a finales de los 60, algo de Left Banke y su baroque-pop, el infantilismo esotérico con el que impregnaba su folk el duende Donovan e, incluso, la locura de Daevid Allen y su enigmática banda Gong. Y la puerta sigue abierta, de par en par, y por allí cabe cualquier soplo imaginativo y lleno de color que inspire su música. Lleva grabando música, su música, desde, al menos, 1988, ya que tiene recogidas en un disco sus primeras maquetas y algunas datan de esa fecha. En una de las canciones, “Dance, Dance, Dance”, Balduin tiene sólo diez años, y otra posterior, “Autumn”, la grabó cuando consiguió su primera guitarra. El álbum digital se titula “Early Tapes 1988-1994”. Curioso. Además de esté disco, entre singles y Lp´s su discografía cuenta con diecisiete referencias. Su nuevo trabajo se titula “All In A Dream”, ha sido grabado íntegramente por Balduin, voces, instrumentos, y hay un montón de ellos, y producción, y se editará el próximo 10 de octubre a través del sello inglés Sunstone Records. Quince temas propios y una versión de una rareza psicodélica, “Which Dreamed it?”, de Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup, encerrados en una plancha de vinilo 12” y edición limitada. Ahora te toca elegir. Si tomar la píldora, ya no habrá marcha atrás y empezarás un viaje que te llevará a descubrir un nuevo universo musical. Un disco simplemente extraordinario. Y flipante
Review by Under The Tangerine TreeE
Il logo colorato di psichedelico arancio e l'esclusiva pubblicazione in vinile; le tracce, ben sedici, brevi e brevissime, che sanno di petali di fiori multicolore e di entusiasmo di un'epoca lontana. Di Inghilterra, soprattutto, di profonda Inghilterra. Si ode, lontano, il lieto fracasso del Magical Mystery Tour e si vede, in trasparenza, in fondo al corridoio, la sagoma del cappellaio matto, naturalmente intento a ridere di gusto. Da dove proviene, dunque, uno dei migliori dischi usciti nel 2014? Dalla Svizzera, of course. Da Berna, per la precisione. Balduin è un genietto solo al comando, approdato al personale capolavoro All In A Dream dopo essersi sporcato le mani in una lunga gavetta, cominciata nel 2001 e vissuta in sei (!) dischi che non conosco e che dovrò fare miei quanto prima. Come nelle migliori declinazioni di un genere che fa della cura del proprio aspetto un fondamento d'imprescindibile importanza, All In A Dream è un album cesellato in ogni più remoto andito: dalla voce, in perfetta sintonia con il clima retrò e pacatamente alterato dei brani, ai magistrali arrangiamenti, con cui l'autore amalgama come per magia i mille orpelli che, manco a dirlo, maneggia senza aiuti esterni. Brani come Mirror Mirror e Hole In The Sky tracciano una strada dal cui percorso si evince in modo piuttosto chiaro che Balduin è artista prettamente lirico, intento a fare e a disfare il proprio fagotto mentre va e torna da intensi viaggi onirici. Kite Come Back, una delle tracce preferite da chi scrive, sposta invece il fascio di luce sull'epoca ispiratrice, e l'ascoltatore appassionato non potrà frenare la lacrimuccia ripensando ai fasti di mezzo secolo fa e ai Tomorrow e agli Apple e ai July. Detto della propensione dello svizzero a tener legati i fili del circo con un raffinato sistema di tastiere, urge indirizzare l'attenzione su Father, profonda riflessione lennonista, sulla gitarella acustica con xilofono Glamour Forest, sulla barrettiana Pretty Size e sulla psichedelica ed entusiasmante You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear, dove l'autore dimostra una naturale destrezza nell'uso del fondamentale del sitar. The Music, discretamente evocativa sin dal titolo, ci riporta con il suo harpsichord al mito della Toytown e alle strane fogge dei suoi bizzarri abitanti, fungendo da simbolo assoluto di All In A Dream, senza dubbio il disco psych-pop di questo 2014 in dirittura d'arrivo.
Il logo colorato di psichedelico arancio e l'esclusiva pubblicazione in vinile; le tracce, ben sedici, brevi e brevissime, che sanno di petali di fiori multicolore e di entusiasmo di un'epoca lontana. Di Inghilterra, soprattutto, di profonda Inghilterra. Si ode, lontano, il lieto fracasso del Magical Mystery Tour e si vede, in trasparenza, in fondo al corridoio, la sagoma del cappellaio matto, naturalmente intento a ridere di gusto. Da dove proviene, dunque, uno dei migliori dischi usciti nel 2014? Dalla Svizzera, of course. Da Berna, per la precisione. Balduin è un genietto solo al comando, approdato al personale capolavoro All In A Dream dopo essersi sporcato le mani in una lunga gavetta, cominciata nel 2001 e vissuta in sei (!) dischi che non conosco e che dovrò fare miei quanto prima. Come nelle migliori declinazioni di un genere che fa della cura del proprio aspetto un fondamento d'imprescindibile importanza, All In A Dream è un album cesellato in ogni più remoto andito: dalla voce, in perfetta sintonia con il clima retrò e pacatamente alterato dei brani, ai magistrali arrangiamenti, con cui l'autore amalgama come per magia i mille orpelli che, manco a dirlo, maneggia senza aiuti esterni. Brani come Mirror Mirror e Hole In The Sky tracciano una strada dal cui percorso si evince in modo piuttosto chiaro che Balduin è artista prettamente lirico, intento a fare e a disfare il proprio fagotto mentre va e torna da intensi viaggi onirici. Kite Come Back, una delle tracce preferite da chi scrive, sposta invece il fascio di luce sull'epoca ispiratrice, e l'ascoltatore appassionato non potrà frenare la lacrimuccia ripensando ai fasti di mezzo secolo fa e ai Tomorrow e agli Apple e ai July. Detto della propensione dello svizzero a tener legati i fili del circo con un raffinato sistema di tastiere, urge indirizzare l'attenzione su Father, profonda riflessione lennonista, sulla gitarella acustica con xilofono Glamour Forest, sulla barrettiana Pretty Size e sulla psichedelica ed entusiasmante You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear, dove l'autore dimostra una naturale destrezza nell'uso del fondamentale del sitar. The Music, discretamente evocativa sin dal titolo, ci riporta con il suo harpsichord al mito della Toytown e alle strane fogge dei suoi bizzarri abitanti, fungendo da simbolo assoluto di All In A Dream, senza dubbio il disco psych-pop di questo 2014 in dirittura d'arrivo.
Review by VOIX DE GARAGE GRENOBLE
Exercice de style ? Oui ! Rétro Pop… Pop éternelle… Pop orchestrale… Pop baroque… Pop Psyché… lignée Zombies avec des arrangements tirant vers John Barry (épinette, cordes, chœurs…). Un hommage à l’innocence et à la beauté d’un temps perdu. Façon Alice Au Pays des Merveilles. Revivaliste ? Bien sûr ! 16 merveilleuses Pop songs en 44 mn. Courtes. Jolies. Ultra efficaces. Une réussite impeccable ! Et implacable ! Quel intérêt de faire ce genre de disque en 2014 ? Le même que de déterrer des bandes originales oubliées : donner du plaisir aux fans Et question plaisir Balduin n’est pas un ingrat. « All In A Dream » : oui ! Pas mieux ! Parfois lyrique cette musique nécessite plusieurs écoutes pour s’immerger dedans (ce qui est un PLAISIR vu le bonheur que distille cet album). Des écoutes attentives qui font aussi prendre conscience que les références du bonhomme vont plus loin que les sixties. Avec un côté B.O. de films 70’s + un intéressant (et riche) côté Rock ‘planant’ des années 2000. Bref le genre de disques qu’on aime sans retenu.
Exercice de style ? Oui ! Rétro Pop… Pop éternelle… Pop orchestrale… Pop baroque… Pop Psyché… lignée Zombies avec des arrangements tirant vers John Barry (épinette, cordes, chœurs…). Un hommage à l’innocence et à la beauté d’un temps perdu. Façon Alice Au Pays des Merveilles. Revivaliste ? Bien sûr ! 16 merveilleuses Pop songs en 44 mn. Courtes. Jolies. Ultra efficaces. Une réussite impeccable ! Et implacable ! Quel intérêt de faire ce genre de disque en 2014 ? Le même que de déterrer des bandes originales oubliées : donner du plaisir aux fans Et question plaisir Balduin n’est pas un ingrat. « All In A Dream » : oui ! Pas mieux ! Parfois lyrique cette musique nécessite plusieurs écoutes pour s’immerger dedans (ce qui est un PLAISIR vu le bonheur que distille cet album). Des écoutes attentives qui font aussi prendre conscience que les références du bonhomme vont plus loin que les sixties. Avec un côté B.O. de films 70’s + un intéressant (et riche) côté Rock ‘planant’ des années 2000. Bref le genre de disques qu’on aime sans retenu.
Review by Dr. Schluss' Garage Of Psychedelic Obscurities
Quality: 4 out of 5 Trip-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 A few months ago, we looked at a career-spanning compilation of Balduin. The psychedelic troubadour can knock it off pretty well for a complete album as well. It's totally authentic sounding 1967 vintage psyche pop. One of those albums with a psychedelic cover running away with McCartney's music hall catchiness run through a prism of technicolour sound. It doesn't quite fill the stomach of your mind all the way, but it leaves you with the candy coloured grooves to make your trip worth it. The music is pretty solid all around, but the tracks that lend a trippy gimmick serve the songs and stand out as the highlights for me. "Which Dreamed It" grabs my attention with the sitars, but stays put there because the songwriting is high quality. Even an instrumental like the loping drums of "Prisma Colora" makes for a groovy soundworld, although I can't help but think that the track is just waiting for the layer of prime Brian Wilson-sounding pop symphony vocal which could push it over the top. "Father" goes Lennon on us for a bit, making for a happier vibrations of the influencer's primal screaming "Mother." No need for the screaming with the vocally satisfying Balduin, though. A bit of the twee acid folk creeps through on the later tracks, and they occasionally pour on a bit too much syrup. "Waves, Stars, and Moon" bring on that kind of sound, but in the end it's more like a super happy tune coursing from the Barrett-led Pink Floyd. This is the kind of album that really does wear its influences on its sleeve. Balduin's got enough songwriting and production punch to warp it all into a voice that is distinctive enough to command your attention. It's the aural soma that we all need in our chaotic world. This is one to dig a pony on.
Quality: 4 out of 5 Trip-O-Meter: 4 out of 5 A few months ago, we looked at a career-spanning compilation of Balduin. The psychedelic troubadour can knock it off pretty well for a complete album as well. It's totally authentic sounding 1967 vintage psyche pop. One of those albums with a psychedelic cover running away with McCartney's music hall catchiness run through a prism of technicolour sound. It doesn't quite fill the stomach of your mind all the way, but it leaves you with the candy coloured grooves to make your trip worth it. The music is pretty solid all around, but the tracks that lend a trippy gimmick serve the songs and stand out as the highlights for me. "Which Dreamed It" grabs my attention with the sitars, but stays put there because the songwriting is high quality. Even an instrumental like the loping drums of "Prisma Colora" makes for a groovy soundworld, although I can't help but think that the track is just waiting for the layer of prime Brian Wilson-sounding pop symphony vocal which could push it over the top. "Father" goes Lennon on us for a bit, making for a happier vibrations of the influencer's primal screaming "Mother." No need for the screaming with the vocally satisfying Balduin, though. A bit of the twee acid folk creeps through on the later tracks, and they occasionally pour on a bit too much syrup. "Waves, Stars, and Moon" bring on that kind of sound, but in the end it's more like a super happy tune coursing from the Barrett-led Pink Floyd. This is the kind of album that really does wear its influences on its sleeve. Balduin's got enough songwriting and production punch to warp it all into a voice that is distinctive enough to command your attention. It's the aural soma that we all need in our chaotic world. This is one to dig a pony on.
Review by Gio Ar T on
IS YOUR CLAM IN A JAM?
Balduin, the Swiss Alchemist of Pop behind last year’s excellent The Glamour Forest has finished his new album for Sunstone Records which will be released in October. All In A Dream, his latest effort, is a paisley whirlwind blowing through a baroque-pop forest, picking up popsike flowers on its way and spreading them on a fairy tale landscape to create a magical, oneiric world where curated gentle psychedelia dances and flirts with pop sensibilities. Kite Come Back is like standing an empty field on a late summer afternoon, looking up at the sky where clouds slither the sun and form a hazy aura around it. As you look down you find a piece of string tied to your belt that leads up to a distant figure dancing across the sky. You take the colourful thread in your hand and start to pull it towards you, but as you do, it pulls you back towards it. You start walking in its direction, and for a moment you feel your feet slowly lifting up from the ground and brushing against the tips of the tall grass. You pull the string towards you and when your feet start to touch the ground again you start to remember where the string came from, and how what’s attached to it has drifted too far away from you. You start to reel in the string and as you do the colours around you start to change, the sky slowly turning green and the grass below you starts to turn blue. As you finally see the other extremity of the string you realise that another you is attached to it, and as you pull each other towards the horizon you finally find your feet and become one again.
IS YOUR CLAM IN A JAM?
Balduin, the Swiss Alchemist of Pop behind last year’s excellent The Glamour Forest has finished his new album for Sunstone Records which will be released in October. All In A Dream, his latest effort, is a paisley whirlwind blowing through a baroque-pop forest, picking up popsike flowers on its way and spreading them on a fairy tale landscape to create a magical, oneiric world where curated gentle psychedelia dances and flirts with pop sensibilities. Kite Come Back is like standing an empty field on a late summer afternoon, looking up at the sky where clouds slither the sun and form a hazy aura around it. As you look down you find a piece of string tied to your belt that leads up to a distant figure dancing across the sky. You take the colourful thread in your hand and start to pull it towards you, but as you do, it pulls you back towards it. You start walking in its direction, and for a moment you feel your feet slowly lifting up from the ground and brushing against the tips of the tall grass. You pull the string towards you and when your feet start to touch the ground again you start to remember where the string came from, and how what’s attached to it has drifted too far away from you. You start to reel in the string and as you do the colours around you start to change, the sky slowly turning green and the grass below you starts to turn blue. As you finally see the other extremity of the string you realise that another you is attached to it, and as you pull each other towards the horizon you finally find your feet and become one again.
Review from Heyday Mail Order
The 'Glamour Forest' EP by Balduin (on Sunstone) is one of my favourite singles of this year. The Swiss keyboard wizard now returns with the album 'All In A Dream', also on Sunstone, and pressed on splatter vinyl no less! Usually this kind of keyboard orientated music mines Brian Wilson's 'Good Vibrations' / 'Pet Sounds' era for ideas, but Balduin is more Beatles & Kinks to these ears. I'm particularly reminded of the work by Nicky Hopkins on the latter's 'Face To Face' album when I hear 'All In A Dream'. The Eastern vibes in his work remain too, check out his version of 'Which Dreamed It', the b-side of Boeing Duveen's 'Jabberwock' single. He also recorded the a-side for the EP, so it's full circle! Best song for me so far is the Lennon-esque 'Father'. I don't think this is a reply to Lennon's epic 'Mother' track, certainly it's not as expressive vocally, but there's a lot of feeling from Balduin in the sentiments of the song. Very touching. A beautiful album, please don't don't miss it.
The 'Glamour Forest' EP by Balduin (on Sunstone) is one of my favourite singles of this year. The Swiss keyboard wizard now returns with the album 'All In A Dream', also on Sunstone, and pressed on splatter vinyl no less! Usually this kind of keyboard orientated music mines Brian Wilson's 'Good Vibrations' / 'Pet Sounds' era for ideas, but Balduin is more Beatles & Kinks to these ears. I'm particularly reminded of the work by Nicky Hopkins on the latter's 'Face To Face' album when I hear 'All In A Dream'. The Eastern vibes in his work remain too, check out his version of 'Which Dreamed It', the b-side of Boeing Duveen's 'Jabberwock' single. He also recorded the a-side for the EP, so it's full circle! Best song for me so far is the Lennon-esque 'Father'. I don't think this is a reply to Lennon's epic 'Mother' track, certainly it's not as expressive vocally, but there's a lot of feeling from Balduin in the sentiments of the song. Very touching. A beautiful album, please don't don't miss it.
Review by maandag
New Underground Music
Balduin werd in december 1978 te Bern, Zwitserland geboren, schreef als 8 jarige zijn eerste song, is multi-instrumentalist en besloot als éénman's band op te treden onder de naam Creative Cookery . Hij brengt zijn muziek (LP's en EP's) sinds 2001 uit via diverse labels, zoals Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Everest Records, Buro Destruct, Active Listener Records en via zijn eigen Balduin label. De volgende platen verschenen van hem: "Creative Cookery" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2001), "Choose Cheese" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2002), "Balduin" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2004), "Rainbow Tapes" (Everest records/2009), "Balduin «4»" (Balduin/2010), "Gravity Lander" (Büro Destruct/2010), "Choose Balduin" (Balduin/2011), "Early Tapes (1988-1994)" (Balduin/2011), "10th Anniversary Mixes Of Creative Cookery" (Balduin/2011), "People Do Buy Music..." (Balduin/2012), "Musical Images For Harpsichord" (Everest records/2012), "My Love Soon" [Single] (Balduin/2012), "The Glamour Forest" [EP] (Sunstone Records/2014) en "Post From Mars" (Active Listener Records/2014). Op "Post From Mars" zijn de beste opnamen te beluisteren van eerder verschenen materiaal, dat door hem zelf werd uitgebracht. De nieuwe LP "All In A Dream", waarop 16 songs staan, verschijnt in een gelimiteerde met kleuren bespatte vinyl uitgave in een klaphoes en is beperkt tot 500 exemplaren De LP, die ook nu weer via Sunstone Records wordt uitgebracht, is zijn dertiende uitgave en de opvolger van "Post From Mars", die in maart 2014 verscheen. Het eerste nummer van de plaat heet "Love Is You" en hierin hoor ik Balduin een lekker in het gehoor klinkende opgewekte licht psychedelische pop song spelen, die me enigszins aan de muziek van The Beatles doet denken. Daarna volgt "Which Dreamed It", dat met vogel geluiden en sitar begint en opnieuw de Beatles sfeer van eind jaren 60 oproept, waarbij ik opmerk, dat dit schitterende nummer een onbekend gebleven Beatles song had kunnen zijn. Dan krijg ik "Autumn" te horen en ook dit heerlijke nummer klinkt weer licht psychedelisch en wordt gevolgd door "Kite Come Back", een vrolijk klinkende pop song, waarbij ik maar moeilijk stil kan blijven zitten. In "Glamour Forest" laat Balduin me een mooie korte rustige pop song horen en in "Prisma Colora" hoor ik een lekker opgewekt swingend instrumentaal nummer. Het volgende nummer heet "You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear" en hierin schotelt Balduin me opnieuw een uitstekende licht psychedelische pop song voor, waarin prima sitarspel zit. Kant-A wordt afgesloten met "Father", waarin ik een song te horen krijg, die in de stijl van een nummer van John Lennon gezongen en gespeeld wordt en werkelijk fantastisch klinkt. De B-kant begint met "MIrror Mirror", dat ook op de "Glamour Forest EP" staat en in dit nummer laat Balduin me een uiterst swingende dansbare pop song horen, die me aan zet tot meebewegen. Met "The Labyrinth" krijg ik een heerlijke rustige pop song te horen en in "Pretty Size" speelt Balduin een fantastische pop song met een aanstekelijk ritme. Vervolgens hoor ik "Change" en dit is eveneens een lekker klinkende dansbare pop song, gevolgd door "The Music", een aanstekelijke pop song, die uitnodigt tot dansen en meezingen. De volgende song, "Through The Snow", wordt in een rustig tempo gespeeld en hierin laat Balduin me een schitterende pop song horen, die halverwege verandert in een experimenteel stukje muziek, waarna ik het tweede nummer van "The Glamour Forest EP" te horen krijg, getiteld "Waves, Stars & Moon" en hierin laat Balduin me genieten van een prachtige pop song en in het laatste nummer "I Can Hear You" schotelt hij me nogmaals een fantastische licht psychedelische pop song voor, die me aan de muziek van John Lennon doet denken. De LP "All In A Dream" staat werkelijk vol schitterende licht psychedelische pop songs, waarin de invloed van The Beatles duidelijk hoorbaar is en ik heb dan ook van begin tot eind genoten van deze Zwitserse éénmans band en ik vind dit dan ook verplichte kost voor elke liefhebber van dit genre. (luister naar een preview van de LP via de youtube link onder de recensie)
New Underground Music
Balduin werd in december 1978 te Bern, Zwitserland geboren, schreef als 8 jarige zijn eerste song, is multi-instrumentalist en besloot als éénman's band op te treden onder de naam Creative Cookery . Hij brengt zijn muziek (LP's en EP's) sinds 2001 uit via diverse labels, zoals Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Everest Records, Buro Destruct, Active Listener Records en via zijn eigen Balduin label. De volgende platen verschenen van hem: "Creative Cookery" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2001), "Choose Cheese" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2002), "Balduin" (Crippled Dick Hot Wax!/2004), "Rainbow Tapes" (Everest records/2009), "Balduin «4»" (Balduin/2010), "Gravity Lander" (Büro Destruct/2010), "Choose Balduin" (Balduin/2011), "Early Tapes (1988-1994)" (Balduin/2011), "10th Anniversary Mixes Of Creative Cookery" (Balduin/2011), "People Do Buy Music..." (Balduin/2012), "Musical Images For Harpsichord" (Everest records/2012), "My Love Soon" [Single] (Balduin/2012), "The Glamour Forest" [EP] (Sunstone Records/2014) en "Post From Mars" (Active Listener Records/2014). Op "Post From Mars" zijn de beste opnamen te beluisteren van eerder verschenen materiaal, dat door hem zelf werd uitgebracht. De nieuwe LP "All In A Dream", waarop 16 songs staan, verschijnt in een gelimiteerde met kleuren bespatte vinyl uitgave in een klaphoes en is beperkt tot 500 exemplaren De LP, die ook nu weer via Sunstone Records wordt uitgebracht, is zijn dertiende uitgave en de opvolger van "Post From Mars", die in maart 2014 verscheen. Het eerste nummer van de plaat heet "Love Is You" en hierin hoor ik Balduin een lekker in het gehoor klinkende opgewekte licht psychedelische pop song spelen, die me enigszins aan de muziek van The Beatles doet denken. Daarna volgt "Which Dreamed It", dat met vogel geluiden en sitar begint en opnieuw de Beatles sfeer van eind jaren 60 oproept, waarbij ik opmerk, dat dit schitterende nummer een onbekend gebleven Beatles song had kunnen zijn. Dan krijg ik "Autumn" te horen en ook dit heerlijke nummer klinkt weer licht psychedelisch en wordt gevolgd door "Kite Come Back", een vrolijk klinkende pop song, waarbij ik maar moeilijk stil kan blijven zitten. In "Glamour Forest" laat Balduin me een mooie korte rustige pop song horen en in "Prisma Colora" hoor ik een lekker opgewekt swingend instrumentaal nummer. Het volgende nummer heet "You Can Never Pipe My Fancy From My Dear" en hierin schotelt Balduin me opnieuw een uitstekende licht psychedelische pop song voor, waarin prima sitarspel zit. Kant-A wordt afgesloten met "Father", waarin ik een song te horen krijg, die in de stijl van een nummer van John Lennon gezongen en gespeeld wordt en werkelijk fantastisch klinkt. De B-kant begint met "MIrror Mirror", dat ook op de "Glamour Forest EP" staat en in dit nummer laat Balduin me een uiterst swingende dansbare pop song horen, die me aan zet tot meebewegen. Met "The Labyrinth" krijg ik een heerlijke rustige pop song te horen en in "Pretty Size" speelt Balduin een fantastische pop song met een aanstekelijk ritme. Vervolgens hoor ik "Change" en dit is eveneens een lekker klinkende dansbare pop song, gevolgd door "The Music", een aanstekelijke pop song, die uitnodigt tot dansen en meezingen. De volgende song, "Through The Snow", wordt in een rustig tempo gespeeld en hierin laat Balduin me een schitterende pop song horen, die halverwege verandert in een experimenteel stukje muziek, waarna ik het tweede nummer van "The Glamour Forest EP" te horen krijg, getiteld "Waves, Stars & Moon" en hierin laat Balduin me genieten van een prachtige pop song en in het laatste nummer "I Can Hear You" schotelt hij me nogmaals een fantastische licht psychedelische pop song voor, die me aan de muziek van John Lennon doet denken. De LP "All In A Dream" staat werkelijk vol schitterende licht psychedelische pop songs, waarin de invloed van The Beatles duidelijk hoorbaar is en ik heb dan ook van begin tot eind genoten van deze Zwitserse éénmans band en ik vind dit dan ook verplichte kost voor elke liefhebber van dit genre. (luister naar een preview van de LP via de youtube link onder de recensie)
Review by Δημήτρης Μαρσέλος on
Rockway gr
Το όνομα μου έφερε στο μυαλό την γνωστή οικογένεια αμερικανών ηθοποιών (η ποιότητα τους συζητιέται). O εν λόγω κύριος Balduin όμως, ουδεμία σχέση έχει με την χώρα των “ευκαιριών”, μιας που είναι γεννημένος στην Ελβετική Βέρνη. Μόνος του τα κάνει όλα και δεν χαμπαριάζει τίποτα. Κοιτάω tracklist 16 κομματιών σε 44 λεπτά και σκέφτομαι garage ή punk, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα ο τύπος αυτός, μάλλον θεωρεί εαυτόν μετεμψύχωση των σκαθαριών (Beatles). 60s pop ψυχεδέλεια που ευφραίνει καρδίαν και απευθύνεται μόνο σε “χίπηδες” της νέας εποχής, απομακρύνοντας σίγουρα τους πιο “άντρες και πολλά βαρείς”. Όταν λέμε Beatles, το εννοούμε... O τύπος αυτός, με έκπληξη ανακάλυψα, πως δεν είναι κάτι νέο στην μουσική αγορά, μιας που δραστηριοποιείται για πάνω από μια δεκαετία και το “All in Dream” είναι το έκτο του full length album, χωρίς να αναφέρουμε τα περί τα δέκα singles και EPs. Μαζί με την εποχή των λουλουδιών όπως είναι φυσικό, κουβαλά και την ινδική επιρροή στην rock μουσική της εποχής εκείνης και την αθωότητα, σε κομμάτια τόσο ευχάριστα, που θα θέλει ο κάθε σκατόψυχος να κλάψει από το κακό του. Κομμάτια σαν το “Autumn” χαίρεσαι να τα ακούς αν έχεις ήρεμη και χαρούμενη διάθεση και ας μην είσαι χιπστεράς ψευτομουστακαλής. Λοιπόν, ξηγήθηκα... μην πεί κανείς από τους σκληρούς μου φίλους, πως δεν ήμουν σαφής! Είναι χίπικο!
Rockway gr
Το όνομα μου έφερε στο μυαλό την γνωστή οικογένεια αμερικανών ηθοποιών (η ποιότητα τους συζητιέται). O εν λόγω κύριος Balduin όμως, ουδεμία σχέση έχει με την χώρα των “ευκαιριών”, μιας που είναι γεννημένος στην Ελβετική Βέρνη. Μόνος του τα κάνει όλα και δεν χαμπαριάζει τίποτα. Κοιτάω tracklist 16 κομματιών σε 44 λεπτά και σκέφτομαι garage ή punk, αλλά στην πραγματικότητα ο τύπος αυτός, μάλλον θεωρεί εαυτόν μετεμψύχωση των σκαθαριών (Beatles). 60s pop ψυχεδέλεια που ευφραίνει καρδίαν και απευθύνεται μόνο σε “χίπηδες” της νέας εποχής, απομακρύνοντας σίγουρα τους πιο “άντρες και πολλά βαρείς”. Όταν λέμε Beatles, το εννοούμε... O τύπος αυτός, με έκπληξη ανακάλυψα, πως δεν είναι κάτι νέο στην μουσική αγορά, μιας που δραστηριοποιείται για πάνω από μια δεκαετία και το “All in Dream” είναι το έκτο του full length album, χωρίς να αναφέρουμε τα περί τα δέκα singles και EPs. Μαζί με την εποχή των λουλουδιών όπως είναι φυσικό, κουβαλά και την ινδική επιρροή στην rock μουσική της εποχής εκείνης και την αθωότητα, σε κομμάτια τόσο ευχάριστα, που θα θέλει ο κάθε σκατόψυχος να κλάψει από το κακό του. Κομμάτια σαν το “Autumn” χαίρεσαι να τα ακούς αν έχεις ήρεμη και χαρούμενη διάθεση και ας μην είσαι χιπστεράς ψευτομουστακαλής. Λοιπόν, ξηγήθηκα... μην πεί κανείς από τους σκληρούς μου φίλους, πως δεν ήμουν σαφής! Είναι χίπικο!
Review by Andy Morton on Shindig! Magazine No. 37
Swiss one-man band Balduin has quietly released a string of albums and EPs since 2001, the contents of which run the gamut from dreamy electronica and lo-fi experimental pop to self-composed harpsichord recitals. This new four-tracker, his first outing since 2012, mines the deep well of British ’60s pop-psych with the skill of a master; it’s all there in the frighteningly authentic cover of Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup’s ‘Jabberwock’. Balduin treads a similar path to the one that Jacco Gardner has spent two years wearing a deep groove into, but employs a wider arsenal of sounds to colour his creations. ‘Waves, Stars And Moon’ layers Mellotron strings, chimes and finger clicks over a pretty acoustic guitar snapshot. And, on opener ‘Mirror, Mirror’, he sounds uncannily like Billy Nicholls. Only ‘Hole In The Sky’ lacks real melody and character. A timely introduction to a beguiling talent.
Swiss one-man band Balduin has quietly released a string of albums and EPs since 2001, the contents of which run the gamut from dreamy electronica and lo-fi experimental pop to self-composed harpsichord recitals. This new four-tracker, his first outing since 2012, mines the deep well of British ’60s pop-psych with the skill of a master; it’s all there in the frighteningly authentic cover of Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup’s ‘Jabberwock’. Balduin treads a similar path to the one that Jacco Gardner has spent two years wearing a deep groove into, but employs a wider arsenal of sounds to colour his creations. ‘Waves, Stars And Moon’ layers Mellotron strings, chimes and finger clicks over a pretty acoustic guitar snapshot. And, on opener ‘Mirror, Mirror’, he sounds uncannily like Billy Nicholls. Only ‘Hole In The Sky’ lacks real melody and character. A timely introduction to a beguiling talent.
Review by Jeff Penczak from Soundblab
Balduin is a delightful little Swiss musical gnome and his four-track, 7in EP is a whispy, paisley slice of 60s psychedelia tinged with Beatlesque melodies and Barrettesque whimsy. Dainty keyboards, soothing sitar, melancholic arrangements… It’s swinging London all around you, including a jolly hop-skip-and-tiptoe through Boeing Duveen’s cult Rubble favourite, ‘Jabberwock’, which would be perfectly suited to an upcoming Fruits de Mer comp. ‘Waves Stars and Moon’ introduces nostalgic harmonies and tinkling music boxes and floats around the room on cumulous clouds of feathered down. A full-length is in order, posthaste.
Lovely Words from Tom Newman (Record Producer & Musician: July, Mike Oldfield...)
«Great 7" Vinyl EP from Balduin . . . Genuine Psyche commitment here! Thanks for sending it! And a great pressing, completely noise free and great frequency response . . . very Hi Fi . . .»
Review by Mike from Norman Records
This is ace! When this 7" was handed to me I eyed it with suspicion. A funny-looking guy stands next to some kind of gnome house, proudly clutching a large stick he has found. I know better than to judge a record by its cover these days, though, and if you take it out and put it on your record player you'll find that Swiss one-man band Balduin is actually crafting some really top drawer psych-pop, with three originals and a cover squeezed onto this 45. He's obviously influenced by the likes of The Zombies and Syd Barrett, but it's quite a modern-sounding single too. Soft and warm and uplifting like Tame Impala but also with a more focused earthiness which is making me think of Jacco Gardner or Mmoss. There's a cover of Sam Hutt's 'Jabberwock' which has a great slightly hesitant groove and gloriously expansive arrangements full of uplifting mellotron and harpsichord. Closer 'Waves, Stars & Moon' does get a little bit 'Listen To What The Flower People Say' but essentially this is a thoroughly commendable update on '60s psychedelic pop of the type you would expect to hear on Trouble In Mind. Thumbs up.
Review by Nathan Ford from THE ACTIVE LISTENER
Swiss alchemist of sound Balduin has been tinkering in his Wizard's Hut studio (he'd like us to believe that's it on the cover) for years with a large self produced back catalogue of psych-pop wizardry to show for it, a lot of which sounds like the sort of thing you'd expect to come out of such a fairytale bungalow with Santa's elves in tow. "The Glamour Forest" is an exceptionally varied four track E.P of recent works, and the ideal introduction to his art. The first thing most psych-pop scholars are likely to notice is the inclusion of a cover of U.K psych oddity "The Jabberwock" - based on Lewis Carroll's famous poem, and originally recorded by Boeing Duveen & Beautiful Soup in 1968 - now a ridiculously collectable single, and with good reason - it's completely unhinged. Balduin's version is tastefully respectful of the original - if thou hast not seen (or heard) the Jabberwock, then this is as good a way to hear it as any - but the originals that keep it company here are even better. "Mirror Mirror" casts a shiny new psychedelic sheen over things that will have the Tame Impala crowd rubbing their hands together, but my favorite moments here are the more timeless psychedelic baroque pop pieces - "Hole in the Sky" with it's slowed down Motown beat, Kinksian harpsichord accompaniment and melancholy wall of vocals / mellotron is pretty lovely, and best of all "Waves, Stars & Moon" which starts as a simple acoustic guitar / vocal piece of baroque pop, before a graceful and subtly nuanced mellotron string section sweeps in gorgeously, heralding the arrival of something very special indeed.
Review by Ashley Norris from PopJunkie
And first up on our psychedelic worldwide crusade is Switzerland, home to the fabulously talented instrumentalist and vinyl addict Balduin. After last year’s superb My Love Soon (see below), the guy is back with a four song EP available on download and vinyl which perfectly captures his perky, tuneful baroque pop. If you imagine Jacco Gardner but with slightly stronger melodies and more of a mischievous twinkle in his yet you’ll get Balduin. My favourite of the bunch is Mirror Mirror, which has bubblegum chorus straight out of the Carter/Lewis songbook. But then the cover of Jabberwock is pretty fab too. Highly recommended.
Review by Carry's Music Machine from the New Underground Music
Balduin werd in december 1978 te Bern, Zwitserland geboren, schreef als 8 jarige zijn eerste song, is multi-instrumentalist en besloot als één-man's band op te treden onder de naam Creative Cookery . Hij brengt zijn muziek (LP's en EP's) sinds 2001 uit via diverse labels, zoals Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Everest Records, Buro Destruct en via zijn eigen Balduin label. Zijn nieuwe plaat "The Glamour Forest EP", die via Sunstone Records uitgebracht werd, is zijn dertiende uitgave en de opvolger van de in 2012 verschenen single "My Love Soon". De 45 toeren vinyl EP, die in een gelimiteerde oplage van 300 stuks is verschenen, bevat 4 songs, waarvan "Mirror Mirror" de eerste is en hierin krijg ik een schitterende vrolijke uptempo psychedelische pop song te horen, die me doet denken aan de muziek Big Boy Pete uit Engeland, die in de jaren 60 en 70 actief was. (luister naar een gedeelte van dit nummer via de youtube link onder de recensie) Het tweede nummer van de A-kant heet "Hole In The Sky" en hierin krijg ik opnieuw een fantastische psychedelische pop song te horen, waarin Balduin me mee terug naar de jaren 60 neemt. Kant B start met "Jabberwock", een geweldige psychedelische pop song, waar ik met volle teugen van geniet en als ik niet beter wist, zou ik denken naar onuitgebracht psychedelisch materiaal van Pete Miller, alias Big Boy Pete uit Norwich, Engeland, te luisteren. Het laatste nummer van de EP heet "Waves Stars and Moon" en dit is een prachtige rustige licht psychedelische pop song met schitterende zang, waarmee de plaat op waardige wijze wordt afgesloten. "The Glamour Forest EP" van Balduin bevat 4 songs van grote klasse, die ik iedere liefhebber van psychedelische en zestiger jaren muziek van harte kan aanraden.
Balduin is a delightful little Swiss musical gnome and his four-track, 7in EP is a whispy, paisley slice of 60s psychedelia tinged with Beatlesque melodies and Barrettesque whimsy. Dainty keyboards, soothing sitar, melancholic arrangements… It’s swinging London all around you, including a jolly hop-skip-and-tiptoe through Boeing Duveen’s cult Rubble favourite, ‘Jabberwock’, which would be perfectly suited to an upcoming Fruits de Mer comp. ‘Waves Stars and Moon’ introduces nostalgic harmonies and tinkling music boxes and floats around the room on cumulous clouds of feathered down. A full-length is in order, posthaste.
Lovely Words from Tom Newman (Record Producer & Musician: July, Mike Oldfield...)
«Great 7" Vinyl EP from Balduin . . . Genuine Psyche commitment here! Thanks for sending it! And a great pressing, completely noise free and great frequency response . . . very Hi Fi . . .»
Review by Mike from Norman Records
This is ace! When this 7" was handed to me I eyed it with suspicion. A funny-looking guy stands next to some kind of gnome house, proudly clutching a large stick he has found. I know better than to judge a record by its cover these days, though, and if you take it out and put it on your record player you'll find that Swiss one-man band Balduin is actually crafting some really top drawer psych-pop, with three originals and a cover squeezed onto this 45. He's obviously influenced by the likes of The Zombies and Syd Barrett, but it's quite a modern-sounding single too. Soft and warm and uplifting like Tame Impala but also with a more focused earthiness which is making me think of Jacco Gardner or Mmoss. There's a cover of Sam Hutt's 'Jabberwock' which has a great slightly hesitant groove and gloriously expansive arrangements full of uplifting mellotron and harpsichord. Closer 'Waves, Stars & Moon' does get a little bit 'Listen To What The Flower People Say' but essentially this is a thoroughly commendable update on '60s psychedelic pop of the type you would expect to hear on Trouble In Mind. Thumbs up.
Review by Nathan Ford from THE ACTIVE LISTENER
Swiss alchemist of sound Balduin has been tinkering in his Wizard's Hut studio (he'd like us to believe that's it on the cover) for years with a large self produced back catalogue of psych-pop wizardry to show for it, a lot of which sounds like the sort of thing you'd expect to come out of such a fairytale bungalow with Santa's elves in tow. "The Glamour Forest" is an exceptionally varied four track E.P of recent works, and the ideal introduction to his art. The first thing most psych-pop scholars are likely to notice is the inclusion of a cover of U.K psych oddity "The Jabberwock" - based on Lewis Carroll's famous poem, and originally recorded by Boeing Duveen & Beautiful Soup in 1968 - now a ridiculously collectable single, and with good reason - it's completely unhinged. Balduin's version is tastefully respectful of the original - if thou hast not seen (or heard) the Jabberwock, then this is as good a way to hear it as any - but the originals that keep it company here are even better. "Mirror Mirror" casts a shiny new psychedelic sheen over things that will have the Tame Impala crowd rubbing their hands together, but my favorite moments here are the more timeless psychedelic baroque pop pieces - "Hole in the Sky" with it's slowed down Motown beat, Kinksian harpsichord accompaniment and melancholy wall of vocals / mellotron is pretty lovely, and best of all "Waves, Stars & Moon" which starts as a simple acoustic guitar / vocal piece of baroque pop, before a graceful and subtly nuanced mellotron string section sweeps in gorgeously, heralding the arrival of something very special indeed.
Review by Ashley Norris from PopJunkie
And first up on our psychedelic worldwide crusade is Switzerland, home to the fabulously talented instrumentalist and vinyl addict Balduin. After last year’s superb My Love Soon (see below), the guy is back with a four song EP available on download and vinyl which perfectly captures his perky, tuneful baroque pop. If you imagine Jacco Gardner but with slightly stronger melodies and more of a mischievous twinkle in his yet you’ll get Balduin. My favourite of the bunch is Mirror Mirror, which has bubblegum chorus straight out of the Carter/Lewis songbook. But then the cover of Jabberwock is pretty fab too. Highly recommended.
Review by Carry's Music Machine from the New Underground Music
Balduin werd in december 1978 te Bern, Zwitserland geboren, schreef als 8 jarige zijn eerste song, is multi-instrumentalist en besloot als één-man's band op te treden onder de naam Creative Cookery . Hij brengt zijn muziek (LP's en EP's) sinds 2001 uit via diverse labels, zoals Crippled Dick Hot Wax, Everest Records, Buro Destruct en via zijn eigen Balduin label. Zijn nieuwe plaat "The Glamour Forest EP", die via Sunstone Records uitgebracht werd, is zijn dertiende uitgave en de opvolger van de in 2012 verschenen single "My Love Soon". De 45 toeren vinyl EP, die in een gelimiteerde oplage van 300 stuks is verschenen, bevat 4 songs, waarvan "Mirror Mirror" de eerste is en hierin krijg ik een schitterende vrolijke uptempo psychedelische pop song te horen, die me doet denken aan de muziek Big Boy Pete uit Engeland, die in de jaren 60 en 70 actief was. (luister naar een gedeelte van dit nummer via de youtube link onder de recensie) Het tweede nummer van de A-kant heet "Hole In The Sky" en hierin krijg ik opnieuw een fantastische psychedelische pop song te horen, waarin Balduin me mee terug naar de jaren 60 neemt. Kant B start met "Jabberwock", een geweldige psychedelische pop song, waar ik met volle teugen van geniet en als ik niet beter wist, zou ik denken naar onuitgebracht psychedelisch materiaal van Pete Miller, alias Big Boy Pete uit Norwich, Engeland, te luisteren. Het laatste nummer van de EP heet "Waves Stars and Moon" en dit is een prachtige rustige licht psychedelische pop song met schitterende zang, waarmee de plaat op waardige wijze wordt afgesloten. "The Glamour Forest EP" van Balduin bevat 4 songs van grote klasse, die ik iedere liefhebber van psychedelische en zestiger jaren muziek van harte kan aanraden.
Review by Jeff Penczak
Terrascope Reviews
To placate the new fans who marvelled at his essential “Glamour Forest” EP earlier this year, Swiss psychedelic wunderkind Balduin has assembled a career-spanning collection of musical goodies from his self-released albums and EPs into this new entry in “The Active Listener Introduces” series. Going right for the jugular straightaway, the sitar-drenched opener ‘Everything’ sets us down in a delicate land of organic, Donovanesque folk with simple melodies trading bonghits with melodic keyboard flourishes on this singalong little ditty that augurs well for good times ahead. There’s a gentle, Nick Drake-style guitar line tripping through ‘Four Elements’ and ‘My Love Soon’ drips with baroque Beatlesque trappings (and another nice sitar flourish) befitting a hidden track on Sgt. Pepper. There’s another gorgeous little baroque keyboard melody weaving throughout the instrumental ‘In A Better Land’, and the floating, groovy ‘Catching The Moon’ certainly feels lifted straight out of a Swingin’ 60’s London-based film soundtrack. I also liked the trippy, wah-wah effects that envelop ‘When People Get Ready’, the simple, psychedelic power pop of the short-and-sweet ‘A Simple Chime’, and the loverly piece of DeWolfe-styled library music that pours out of your speakers under the name ‘Arctic Suite’. Fans of like-minded meanderings from the pens of Octopus Syng, Donovan, Dodson and Fogg, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dungen, and Jacco Gardner will do well to investigate further.
Review by Gio Ar T on
IS YOUR CLAM IN A JAM?
Balduin is a Swiss producer and composer who’s growing on the same baroque psych pop tree that stemmed from the kaleidoscopic seeds of Syd Barrett and The Zombies – a tree where flowers of Jacco Gardner have been blooming in the past year. Balduin‘s fruit is a stranger and more experimental (interesting) one than his Dutch counterpart – harpsichord melodies and sitars often lead the way to subtle electronica producing a retro-futuristic baroque feeling. A Hope For Loving You is like waking up from an afternoon nap in the sun, the warmth of the sumer breeze blowing through your hair and into your ears. As you open your eyes and look around, you notice a familiar figure in the shade blowing smoke into the wind. You get up and walk towards them, grab their hand and journey together inside the giant purple hollow trunk that lies in the middle of the green forest. When you make it to the other side you look out to find a world where the sky is green and the leaves are blue, and that’s more than alright with the both of you. Check out Everything below and go get his latest release – a collection of out-takes and unreleased material – out on Active Listener Records here.
Review by Simon Sweetman from Off The Tracks
You go to the Balduin Bandcamp page – “Swiss Alchemist of Music since 1988” and you are bombarded with albums and EPs, alternate versions of songs and a compilation of “early tapes”. Too much. And so, here the artist has thoughtfully put together this collection for The Active Listener; a best-of if you like, certainly an introduction, and it seems the logical starting point. Twelve songs, 37 minutes, no filler – every song a little swirl of pop-charm and psychedelia, traces of folk and little orchestral flourishes. Four Elements starts with a charming Nick Drake-via-Donovan guitar figure, some Eastern percussion to drive the folk/ish Incredible String Band style but the melody is John Lennon-like, or certainly Elliott Smith. And elsewhere you’ll find many derivations of that Lennon-like charm. From the bands that made their own mini-symphonies in his honour (Olivia Tremor Control) through to recontextualisations for the Lennon voice/voicings of 1967-1973 (A Hope For Loving You). In A Better Land is propelled by a clever brushes-on-snare groove that adds a kink to the tail of this tune, it’s churchy organ sounds disguising the fact that it’s a little odds’n’sods instrumental, a quirky wee piece but made to feel so full. Elsewhere, as on Catching The Moon, the music bursts with refracted colours, a prism of sound bouncing back those psychedelic hues. People Do Buy Music has a Ween-like quality, Arctic Suite is another instrumental ditty, it feels like something Damon Albarn might dream up for an indie flick and though the closing title track feels like a slight misfire, more Scissor Sisters than Ween, more monotony than Metronomy it’s a smart wee collection overall. Lovely little not-quite-pop songs – or pop songs from another place, another time; either way they have the power and charm to momentarily sweep you away.
Review by Dr. Schluss' Garage Of Psychedelic Obscurities
Quality: 4.5 out of 5 Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5 This is a compilation from the fantastic psych warriors over at the Active Listener for the equally groovy Balduin. It seems that this Swiss fellow has been at it since 1988 (at age 10!). We get a lot of meticulously created revival psych in the inbox at the ol' Garage, but this is a rare case where the artist grabs the ineffable vapours of vintage psychedelia and runs away with it in inspired directions. Perhaps due to its nature as a compilation, this music runs all over the map of Tripsville, with straight up harpsichord-laced baroque pop, garage band grinding, folkish dulcimer pounding, and goofy electronica sometimes inhabiting the same song. It all works quite well, though, as Balduin has the innate ability to set his musical thumbprint upon all of the different sounds. Hit any track and you'll likely hear something to catch your attention. But here are the things I dig the most: I'm totally down for the fantasy forest at night vibrations that we get on tracks like the opening duo, as well as the hazy orchestral psychedelia of tunes like "A Hope For Loving You," and "A Simple Chime." Balduin also nicely pulls off some more modern, indie-baiting electronic sounds with "The Shadows of Your Mind" and "Post From Mars." Give "A Post From Mars" a listen - it a very impressive listen informed by both the insular bedroom studio as well as the orchestra capacity 1966 studio. The tunes bear a slew of influences ranging from the Electric Prunes, to Donovan, to the Magnetic Fields, but the sound is not mere re-creations as this artist ultimately defines his own psychedelic visions.
Review by Dan Nemer on ONGAKUBAKA
Super polished psychedelic baroque pop from Switzerland. Balduin is a veteran of the psych scene, with quite a few self-released and small label releases over the last decade+. He even used to drop off his newest singles over at our Facebook page years ago. To be honest, he had completely slipped my mind until I received a press release for this new release on The Active Listener. This entry in "The Active Listener introduces" series compiles some of his best tracks from his self-released EPs and full-lengths. A solid soundtrack for some hot summer whimsy..
Introduction from The Active Listener
The Active Listener is thrilled to announce that we have a new release on our Active Listener Records imprint from the Swiss Alchemist of Music, Balduin. Chances are good that you've heard quite a bit about Balduin as a result of his excellent 7" E.P "The Glamour Forest" which Sunstone Records released earlier on this year (they also have a new full length due from Balduin later on this year too!), but the truth is Balduin has been recording for much longer than this. "Post From Mars" brings together the best material from his pre "Glamour Forest" recordings, including plenty of the U.K psych influenced baroque pop that made "The Glamour Forest" so magical, but with detours into other more proggy, krauty and electronic realms as well. Opener "Everything" is the song that made us fall in love with the Balduin sound in the first place, and the eleven accompanying tracks here are just as strong. Thanks for reading, now get your listening apparatus ready and stream or download right here.
Terrascope Reviews
To placate the new fans who marvelled at his essential “Glamour Forest” EP earlier this year, Swiss psychedelic wunderkind Balduin has assembled a career-spanning collection of musical goodies from his self-released albums and EPs into this new entry in “The Active Listener Introduces” series. Going right for the jugular straightaway, the sitar-drenched opener ‘Everything’ sets us down in a delicate land of organic, Donovanesque folk with simple melodies trading bonghits with melodic keyboard flourishes on this singalong little ditty that augurs well for good times ahead. There’s a gentle, Nick Drake-style guitar line tripping through ‘Four Elements’ and ‘My Love Soon’ drips with baroque Beatlesque trappings (and another nice sitar flourish) befitting a hidden track on Sgt. Pepper. There’s another gorgeous little baroque keyboard melody weaving throughout the instrumental ‘In A Better Land’, and the floating, groovy ‘Catching The Moon’ certainly feels lifted straight out of a Swingin’ 60’s London-based film soundtrack. I also liked the trippy, wah-wah effects that envelop ‘When People Get Ready’, the simple, psychedelic power pop of the short-and-sweet ‘A Simple Chime’, and the loverly piece of DeWolfe-styled library music that pours out of your speakers under the name ‘Arctic Suite’. Fans of like-minded meanderings from the pens of Octopus Syng, Donovan, Dodson and Fogg, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dungen, and Jacco Gardner will do well to investigate further.
Review by Gio Ar T on
IS YOUR CLAM IN A JAM?
Balduin is a Swiss producer and composer who’s growing on the same baroque psych pop tree that stemmed from the kaleidoscopic seeds of Syd Barrett and The Zombies – a tree where flowers of Jacco Gardner have been blooming in the past year. Balduin‘s fruit is a stranger and more experimental (interesting) one than his Dutch counterpart – harpsichord melodies and sitars often lead the way to subtle electronica producing a retro-futuristic baroque feeling. A Hope For Loving You is like waking up from an afternoon nap in the sun, the warmth of the sumer breeze blowing through your hair and into your ears. As you open your eyes and look around, you notice a familiar figure in the shade blowing smoke into the wind. You get up and walk towards them, grab their hand and journey together inside the giant purple hollow trunk that lies in the middle of the green forest. When you make it to the other side you look out to find a world where the sky is green and the leaves are blue, and that’s more than alright with the both of you. Check out Everything below and go get his latest release – a collection of out-takes and unreleased material – out on Active Listener Records here.
Review by Simon Sweetman from Off The Tracks
You go to the Balduin Bandcamp page – “Swiss Alchemist of Music since 1988” and you are bombarded with albums and EPs, alternate versions of songs and a compilation of “early tapes”. Too much. And so, here the artist has thoughtfully put together this collection for The Active Listener; a best-of if you like, certainly an introduction, and it seems the logical starting point. Twelve songs, 37 minutes, no filler – every song a little swirl of pop-charm and psychedelia, traces of folk and little orchestral flourishes. Four Elements starts with a charming Nick Drake-via-Donovan guitar figure, some Eastern percussion to drive the folk/ish Incredible String Band style but the melody is John Lennon-like, or certainly Elliott Smith. And elsewhere you’ll find many derivations of that Lennon-like charm. From the bands that made their own mini-symphonies in his honour (Olivia Tremor Control) through to recontextualisations for the Lennon voice/voicings of 1967-1973 (A Hope For Loving You). In A Better Land is propelled by a clever brushes-on-snare groove that adds a kink to the tail of this tune, it’s churchy organ sounds disguising the fact that it’s a little odds’n’sods instrumental, a quirky wee piece but made to feel so full. Elsewhere, as on Catching The Moon, the music bursts with refracted colours, a prism of sound bouncing back those psychedelic hues. People Do Buy Music has a Ween-like quality, Arctic Suite is another instrumental ditty, it feels like something Damon Albarn might dream up for an indie flick and though the closing title track feels like a slight misfire, more Scissor Sisters than Ween, more monotony than Metronomy it’s a smart wee collection overall. Lovely little not-quite-pop songs – or pop songs from another place, another time; either way they have the power and charm to momentarily sweep you away.
Review by Dr. Schluss' Garage Of Psychedelic Obscurities
Quality: 4.5 out of 5 Trip-O-Meter: 4.5 out of 5 This is a compilation from the fantastic psych warriors over at the Active Listener for the equally groovy Balduin. It seems that this Swiss fellow has been at it since 1988 (at age 10!). We get a lot of meticulously created revival psych in the inbox at the ol' Garage, but this is a rare case where the artist grabs the ineffable vapours of vintage psychedelia and runs away with it in inspired directions. Perhaps due to its nature as a compilation, this music runs all over the map of Tripsville, with straight up harpsichord-laced baroque pop, garage band grinding, folkish dulcimer pounding, and goofy electronica sometimes inhabiting the same song. It all works quite well, though, as Balduin has the innate ability to set his musical thumbprint upon all of the different sounds. Hit any track and you'll likely hear something to catch your attention. But here are the things I dig the most: I'm totally down for the fantasy forest at night vibrations that we get on tracks like the opening duo, as well as the hazy orchestral psychedelia of tunes like "A Hope For Loving You," and "A Simple Chime." Balduin also nicely pulls off some more modern, indie-baiting electronic sounds with "The Shadows of Your Mind" and "Post From Mars." Give "A Post From Mars" a listen - it a very impressive listen informed by both the insular bedroom studio as well as the orchestra capacity 1966 studio. The tunes bear a slew of influences ranging from the Electric Prunes, to Donovan, to the Magnetic Fields, but the sound is not mere re-creations as this artist ultimately defines his own psychedelic visions.
Review by Dan Nemer on ONGAKUBAKA
Super polished psychedelic baroque pop from Switzerland. Balduin is a veteran of the psych scene, with quite a few self-released and small label releases over the last decade+. He even used to drop off his newest singles over at our Facebook page years ago. To be honest, he had completely slipped my mind until I received a press release for this new release on The Active Listener. This entry in "The Active Listener introduces" series compiles some of his best tracks from his self-released EPs and full-lengths. A solid soundtrack for some hot summer whimsy..
Introduction from The Active Listener
The Active Listener is thrilled to announce that we have a new release on our Active Listener Records imprint from the Swiss Alchemist of Music, Balduin. Chances are good that you've heard quite a bit about Balduin as a result of his excellent 7" E.P "The Glamour Forest" which Sunstone Records released earlier on this year (they also have a new full length due from Balduin later on this year too!), but the truth is Balduin has been recording for much longer than this. "Post From Mars" brings together the best material from his pre "Glamour Forest" recordings, including plenty of the U.K psych influenced baroque pop that made "The Glamour Forest" so magical, but with detours into other more proggy, krauty and electronic realms as well. Opener "Everything" is the song that made us fall in love with the Balduin sound in the first place, and the eleven accompanying tracks here are just as strong. Thanks for reading, now get your listening apparatus ready and stream or download right here.
Review from www.vitalweekly.net
Its been a long while since I heard 'Rainbow Tapes' by Swiss composer Balduin, who played twenty-four pieces on that LP, and which seemed in all its weirdness a bit outside of the world of Vital Weekly (see 671 in case you want to know what I talk about). I am not sure if he released anything in between, but here is a 7" which just uses the harpischord, as the front cover calls it (and on the backside its called harpsichord). Four of the five pieces are inspired by paintings, while the fifth is a 'portrait of a fictional figure. This painting doesn't exist'. We are also informed that the harpsichord is tuned to 415hz, instead of the common 440hz, but I guess you need to be an expert (or Stephan Mathieu) to know what this is about. The paintings that formed the source of inspiration here, are old from around 1600 and I think its in this way we should think about the music. I am not the man to know such matters but it sounds quite baroque like, but in all it's sketch like - its a 45 rpm 7" after all - it also has some pop like quality. This is one of those things that leaves me quite puzzled, but also with a big smile. This is surely a most surreal product, topped in a like-wise fake classical cover. (FdW)
Reviewed by Benedikt Sartorius on newsnetz-blog.ch
Balduins Hausmusik «Balduin, es wäre mal wieder Zeit für eine neue Platte», schrieb unsere Frau Kofmel vor Jahresfrist. Der Berner antwortet nun auf seine schrullige Art und Weise – und zwar mit der kleinen Platte «Musical Images for Harpsichord». Diese enthält genau das, was der Titel angibt: Cembalo-Musik, die in C-Dur und C-Moll gehalten und inspiriert von vier realen Gemälden sowie einem fiktiven Bildnis ist. Und so ertönte in meinen Gemächern gestern diese mechanische, genaue barockhafte Musik, die, so ist zu vermuten, ein schönes Schelmenstück des Tüftlers ist. Jedenfalls: In Zeiten, in denen Menschen wie Beck ein Album nur als Notenheft veröffentlichen, ist so ein kleines Cembalo-Werk nicht das abwegigste, zumal dieses auf einer gutaussehenden 7inch aus dem Hause Everest Platz hat.
Its been a long while since I heard 'Rainbow Tapes' by Swiss composer Balduin, who played twenty-four pieces on that LP, and which seemed in all its weirdness a bit outside of the world of Vital Weekly (see 671 in case you want to know what I talk about). I am not sure if he released anything in between, but here is a 7" which just uses the harpischord, as the front cover calls it (and on the backside its called harpsichord). Four of the five pieces are inspired by paintings, while the fifth is a 'portrait of a fictional figure. This painting doesn't exist'. We are also informed that the harpsichord is tuned to 415hz, instead of the common 440hz, but I guess you need to be an expert (or Stephan Mathieu) to know what this is about. The paintings that formed the source of inspiration here, are old from around 1600 and I think its in this way we should think about the music. I am not the man to know such matters but it sounds quite baroque like, but in all it's sketch like - its a 45 rpm 7" after all - it also has some pop like quality. This is one of those things that leaves me quite puzzled, but also with a big smile. This is surely a most surreal product, topped in a like-wise fake classical cover. (FdW)
Reviewed by Benedikt Sartorius on newsnetz-blog.ch
Balduins Hausmusik «Balduin, es wäre mal wieder Zeit für eine neue Platte», schrieb unsere Frau Kofmel vor Jahresfrist. Der Berner antwortet nun auf seine schrullige Art und Weise – und zwar mit der kleinen Platte «Musical Images for Harpsichord». Diese enthält genau das, was der Titel angibt: Cembalo-Musik, die in C-Dur und C-Moll gehalten und inspiriert von vier realen Gemälden sowie einem fiktiven Bildnis ist. Und so ertönte in meinen Gemächern gestern diese mechanische, genaue barockhafte Musik, die, so ist zu vermuten, ein schönes Schelmenstück des Tüftlers ist. Jedenfalls: In Zeiten, in denen Menschen wie Beck ein Album nur als Notenheft veröffentlichen, ist so ein kleines Cembalo-Werk nicht das abwegigste, zumal dieses auf einer gutaussehenden 7inch aus dem Hause Everest Platz hat.
Review from www.vitalweekly.net
Some weeks ago somebody gave me a CD, mono, of 'Magical Mystery Tour', since he now had the vinyl. And I am a bit Beatles fan, especially the later period, so it was a hardly a surprise that, even I don't play the Beatles a lot, I still knew every song, every move and am still amazed by the complexity of the music, with the limited means it was made. I don't know if Balduin's means are limited, even when he says it was all recorded on analoge tape, but he likes later Beatles too, as he shows in the twenty-four pieces on 'Rainbow Tapes'. The same fascination for short pieces, psychedelica, the use of weird sounds, weird lyrics. Balduin, who previously recorded for Crippled Dick Hot Wax!, plays all the instruments himself, ranging from guitar, xylophone, flute, rattle, a children's keyboard and apparently he sings for the first time. Quite a fine record, even when it seems to outside the limits of Vital Weekly (it's a pity that The Square Root Of Sub no longer writes for these pages, who dug this kind of music best in our team). Balduin is a Lennon and McCartney in one. Strange lyrics, regular lyrics, strange sounds and normal playing - it makes an album of highly psychedelic music, topped with a great retro cover too. Ah, the old days.
Text von Ruth Kofmel www.ensuite.ch
Unter dem Dach die Regenbogen
Ein Wintertag im Jahr 1994. Auf dem Dachfenster liegt Schnee. Die Sonne scheint durch die Kristalle und malt Regenbogenfarben an die Wände. In diesem Zimmer sitzt Balduin, 16 Jahre alt. Es ist sein Kinderreich, ein Dachgeschoss, das ihm und seinen Brüdern gehört und dort nimmt er in den kommenden zwei Jahren die Songs auf, die nun unter dem Namen Rainbow Tapes erscheinen. Es sind Lieder, die noch einmal die verwunschene Kinderwelt heraufbeschwören, Lieder eines jungen Mannes, der an der Schwelle zum Erwachsenenleben steht, der gleichzeitig einen sehnsüchtigen Blick zurück und einen neugierigen nach vorne wirft.
Es vergehen fünfzehn Jahre bevor Balduin sich entschliesst, diese Songs zu veröffentlichen. Dazwischen hat er sich mit ganz anderer Musik bereits einen Namen gemacht. Bei dem renommierten Berliner Label Crippled Dick Hot Wax gab Balduin zwei elektronische Alben heraus. Mit dem eklektischen Mix aus Jazz, Klassik, Hip Hop und Pop, den man heute über den Daumen gepeilt als Downtempo bezeichnen würde, hatte er
beachtlichen Erfolg. Nach seinem letzten Album aber, das er schlicht Balduin taufte und das 2004 erschien, liess er fünf Jahre nichts mehr von sich hören. Und nun gibt er sein Comeback mit Songs, die er als Teenager aufgenommen hat. Im Gespräch mit ihm wird deutlich, dass ihm diese Lieder am Herzen liegen. Für ihn sind diese Kompositionen mehr
Ausdruck seiner selbst als die elektronischen Werke auf denen er viel mit Sampling gearbeitet hat und die eine Mischung aus seinen eigenen Klängen und denen anderer waren. Auf den Rainbow Tapes hat er jedes Instrument selbst gespielt und aufgenommen. Und wir hören zum ersten Mal Balduins Stimme, zwar oft durch verschiedene Effekte verändert aber trotzdem ist es ein grosser Unterschied zu den vorher veröffentlichten Alben, die ganz ohne Gesangslinien auskamen. Gesang wieder in seine Musik zu integrieren, Liedtexte zu schreiben und damit Figuren zum Leben zu erwecken, darauf hat Balduin extrem Lust. Dies ist aber auch etwas sehr persönliches und die Öffentlichkeit daran teilhaben zu lassen braucht einiges an Mut - sein Coming-out wie er selbst sagt.
Nun fand Balduin für seine Regenbogen Bänder auf dem Berner Label Everestrecords ein Zuhause. Minimal überarbeitet nur, sind es kleine, poetische Stücke die Geschichten erzählen, Märchen eigentlich. Manchmal aus einer systemkritischen jugendlichen Sichtweise geschildert, manchmal frech und verspielt und manchmal mit romantischem Pathos. Interessanterweise klingen die Lieder heute wieder sehr zeitgemäss. Diese Art von psychedelischem Folk ist momentan eine angesagte Sache, mit Vertreterinnen wie den Coco Rosies beispielsweise. Auch Balduins damals schon ausgeprägte Eigenheit, allerlei Instrumente selbst einzuspielen und Kinderspielzeug zu verwenden, ist heute ein beliebtes Stilmittel. So hören sich die Stücke auf Rainbow Tapes überhaupt nicht altbacken an sondern frisch und leicht. Mit ein Grund dafür mag sein, dass die Beatles als Inspirationsquelle nicht zu überhören sind. Es ist eine Hommage an diesen Zeitgeist und diese Band, die richtig zitiert einen zeitlosen Sound garantiert.
Auf die Frage warum er solange nichts mehr veröffentlicht hat kommt die simple Antwort: er habe eben auch viel anderes gemacht derweilen, nach Japan reisen zum Beispiel und heiraten. Spricht es und blickt einem aus verträumt blauen Augen mit einer gehörigen Portion Schalk an. Musik zu komponieren ist nicht unbedingt eine Arbeit wie jede andere und es fällt manchem Soundtüftler schwer die Zeit einzuteilen. Musik mit Stundenplan entstehen zu lassen, mit Unterbrüchen arbeiten zu müssen, kann einen kreativen Prozess auch erschweren. So beschreibt Balduin das Eintauchen in die Klangwelten als wichtigen Teil seiner Faszination für Musik, ähnlich dem Spiel als Kind, wo man ganz und gar in eine Sache vertieft ist und in ihr aufgeht. Mittlerweile, so sagt er, habe er aber beides gelernt; sich in den Klangwelten zu verlieren und eine strukturiertere Herangehensweise. Auch ist es keineswegs so, dass in diesen fünf Jahren keine Musik entstanden ist, Balduins Computer ist gefüllt mit fertiggestelltem Material. Am liebsten würde er es auf verschiedenen Labels unterbringen - am allerliebsten in Japan. Er beschreibt die Musikszene dort als geradezu paradiesisch, im Vergleich zu europäischen Verhältnissen.
Gespannt darf man also auf seine neue Musik sein, die verspricht eine betörende Mischung aus dem Singer Songwriter und dem Elektroniker Balduin zu werden. Und genauso neugierig macht die angesagte live Umsetzung der Rainbow Tapes, die zum ersten Mal am 15. Mai an der Plattentaufe im Sous Soul zu hören sein wird. Balduin wird nicht alleine auf der Bühne stehen sondern zusammen mit seinem Bruder, der unter dem Namen Kaleidophone elektronische Musik macht. Zwei der drei Brüder werden an diesem Konzert also noch einmal die Kinderwelt von damals auferstehen lassen, eine Zeitreise zurück in ihre Jugend mitHilfe der eigenwilligen Songs von Rainbow Tapes.
Review from Laurent Catala
www.octopus-enligne.com
Il existe toujours des trublions musicaux quelque part, des artistes qui jouent comme de la marge comme d’un terrain de jeu propice à leurs épanchements sonores espiègles. Tel était le cas de Beck à ses débuts, du japonais Cornélius et tel est le cas aujourd’hui du suisse Balduin. Autant influencé par les Beatles période LSD ("Lilly Sees Dandellion") que par Syd Barrett ("Wind In The Willows»), Balduin joue des codes psychédéliques des sixties pour en proposer une relecture à la fois fidèle et partiellement revue en vertu de cheminements techniques plus actuels, de légères abstractions électronica et nu-jazz, toujours discrètes et lo-fi ("I See Rainbows") mais parfois très réussies comme sur l’ambient/lounge de "Cannabissence" ou sur le pastiche médiéval "Renaissance Dreams".
Some weeks ago somebody gave me a CD, mono, of 'Magical Mystery Tour', since he now had the vinyl. And I am a bit Beatles fan, especially the later period, so it was a hardly a surprise that, even I don't play the Beatles a lot, I still knew every song, every move and am still amazed by the complexity of the music, with the limited means it was made. I don't know if Balduin's means are limited, even when he says it was all recorded on analoge tape, but he likes later Beatles too, as he shows in the twenty-four pieces on 'Rainbow Tapes'. The same fascination for short pieces, psychedelica, the use of weird sounds, weird lyrics. Balduin, who previously recorded for Crippled Dick Hot Wax!, plays all the instruments himself, ranging from guitar, xylophone, flute, rattle, a children's keyboard and apparently he sings for the first time. Quite a fine record, even when it seems to outside the limits of Vital Weekly (it's a pity that The Square Root Of Sub no longer writes for these pages, who dug this kind of music best in our team). Balduin is a Lennon and McCartney in one. Strange lyrics, regular lyrics, strange sounds and normal playing - it makes an album of highly psychedelic music, topped with a great retro cover too. Ah, the old days.
Text von Ruth Kofmel www.ensuite.ch
Unter dem Dach die Regenbogen
Ein Wintertag im Jahr 1994. Auf dem Dachfenster liegt Schnee. Die Sonne scheint durch die Kristalle und malt Regenbogenfarben an die Wände. In diesem Zimmer sitzt Balduin, 16 Jahre alt. Es ist sein Kinderreich, ein Dachgeschoss, das ihm und seinen Brüdern gehört und dort nimmt er in den kommenden zwei Jahren die Songs auf, die nun unter dem Namen Rainbow Tapes erscheinen. Es sind Lieder, die noch einmal die verwunschene Kinderwelt heraufbeschwören, Lieder eines jungen Mannes, der an der Schwelle zum Erwachsenenleben steht, der gleichzeitig einen sehnsüchtigen Blick zurück und einen neugierigen nach vorne wirft.
Es vergehen fünfzehn Jahre bevor Balduin sich entschliesst, diese Songs zu veröffentlichen. Dazwischen hat er sich mit ganz anderer Musik bereits einen Namen gemacht. Bei dem renommierten Berliner Label Crippled Dick Hot Wax gab Balduin zwei elektronische Alben heraus. Mit dem eklektischen Mix aus Jazz, Klassik, Hip Hop und Pop, den man heute über den Daumen gepeilt als Downtempo bezeichnen würde, hatte er
beachtlichen Erfolg. Nach seinem letzten Album aber, das er schlicht Balduin taufte und das 2004 erschien, liess er fünf Jahre nichts mehr von sich hören. Und nun gibt er sein Comeback mit Songs, die er als Teenager aufgenommen hat. Im Gespräch mit ihm wird deutlich, dass ihm diese Lieder am Herzen liegen. Für ihn sind diese Kompositionen mehr
Ausdruck seiner selbst als die elektronischen Werke auf denen er viel mit Sampling gearbeitet hat und die eine Mischung aus seinen eigenen Klängen und denen anderer waren. Auf den Rainbow Tapes hat er jedes Instrument selbst gespielt und aufgenommen. Und wir hören zum ersten Mal Balduins Stimme, zwar oft durch verschiedene Effekte verändert aber trotzdem ist es ein grosser Unterschied zu den vorher veröffentlichten Alben, die ganz ohne Gesangslinien auskamen. Gesang wieder in seine Musik zu integrieren, Liedtexte zu schreiben und damit Figuren zum Leben zu erwecken, darauf hat Balduin extrem Lust. Dies ist aber auch etwas sehr persönliches und die Öffentlichkeit daran teilhaben zu lassen braucht einiges an Mut - sein Coming-out wie er selbst sagt.
Nun fand Balduin für seine Regenbogen Bänder auf dem Berner Label Everestrecords ein Zuhause. Minimal überarbeitet nur, sind es kleine, poetische Stücke die Geschichten erzählen, Märchen eigentlich. Manchmal aus einer systemkritischen jugendlichen Sichtweise geschildert, manchmal frech und verspielt und manchmal mit romantischem Pathos. Interessanterweise klingen die Lieder heute wieder sehr zeitgemäss. Diese Art von psychedelischem Folk ist momentan eine angesagte Sache, mit Vertreterinnen wie den Coco Rosies beispielsweise. Auch Balduins damals schon ausgeprägte Eigenheit, allerlei Instrumente selbst einzuspielen und Kinderspielzeug zu verwenden, ist heute ein beliebtes Stilmittel. So hören sich die Stücke auf Rainbow Tapes überhaupt nicht altbacken an sondern frisch und leicht. Mit ein Grund dafür mag sein, dass die Beatles als Inspirationsquelle nicht zu überhören sind. Es ist eine Hommage an diesen Zeitgeist und diese Band, die richtig zitiert einen zeitlosen Sound garantiert.
Auf die Frage warum er solange nichts mehr veröffentlicht hat kommt die simple Antwort: er habe eben auch viel anderes gemacht derweilen, nach Japan reisen zum Beispiel und heiraten. Spricht es und blickt einem aus verträumt blauen Augen mit einer gehörigen Portion Schalk an. Musik zu komponieren ist nicht unbedingt eine Arbeit wie jede andere und es fällt manchem Soundtüftler schwer die Zeit einzuteilen. Musik mit Stundenplan entstehen zu lassen, mit Unterbrüchen arbeiten zu müssen, kann einen kreativen Prozess auch erschweren. So beschreibt Balduin das Eintauchen in die Klangwelten als wichtigen Teil seiner Faszination für Musik, ähnlich dem Spiel als Kind, wo man ganz und gar in eine Sache vertieft ist und in ihr aufgeht. Mittlerweile, so sagt er, habe er aber beides gelernt; sich in den Klangwelten zu verlieren und eine strukturiertere Herangehensweise. Auch ist es keineswegs so, dass in diesen fünf Jahren keine Musik entstanden ist, Balduins Computer ist gefüllt mit fertiggestelltem Material. Am liebsten würde er es auf verschiedenen Labels unterbringen - am allerliebsten in Japan. Er beschreibt die Musikszene dort als geradezu paradiesisch, im Vergleich zu europäischen Verhältnissen.
Gespannt darf man also auf seine neue Musik sein, die verspricht eine betörende Mischung aus dem Singer Songwriter und dem Elektroniker Balduin zu werden. Und genauso neugierig macht die angesagte live Umsetzung der Rainbow Tapes, die zum ersten Mal am 15. Mai an der Plattentaufe im Sous Soul zu hören sein wird. Balduin wird nicht alleine auf der Bühne stehen sondern zusammen mit seinem Bruder, der unter dem Namen Kaleidophone elektronische Musik macht. Zwei der drei Brüder werden an diesem Konzert also noch einmal die Kinderwelt von damals auferstehen lassen, eine Zeitreise zurück in ihre Jugend mitHilfe der eigenwilligen Songs von Rainbow Tapes.
Review from Laurent Catala
www.octopus-enligne.com
Il existe toujours des trublions musicaux quelque part, des artistes qui jouent comme de la marge comme d’un terrain de jeu propice à leurs épanchements sonores espiègles. Tel était le cas de Beck à ses débuts, du japonais Cornélius et tel est le cas aujourd’hui du suisse Balduin. Autant influencé par les Beatles période LSD ("Lilly Sees Dandellion") que par Syd Barrett ("Wind In The Willows»), Balduin joue des codes psychédéliques des sixties pour en proposer une relecture à la fois fidèle et partiellement revue en vertu de cheminements techniques plus actuels, de légères abstractions électronica et nu-jazz, toujours discrètes et lo-fi ("I See Rainbows") mais parfois très réussies comme sur l’ambient/lounge de "Cannabissence" ou sur le pastiche médiéval "Renaissance Dreams".
Review from www.bentcrayon.com
Balduin's clearly audible passions for French film-music, the '60s, electronics, Alp horns and jazz blend with one another to form a smooth and creamy confection -- with the charm of his unconventional and tender compositions. This multi-instrumentalist conjures up tonal images of the widest possible variety: frail, sentimental stories go hand-in-hand with airy beats summoning springtime, abstract fusion alternates with four-square Swiss precision electronics. Not everyone is a one-man orchestra like Balduin: he is master of the instruments and deploys them in all their diversity, with an unerring feeling for groove.
Review from de-bug.de (cj)
Hat ein wenig gedauert bei Herrn Balduin. 2001 gab’s seinen Erstling. Drei Jahre später hören wir wieder von dem Schweizer. Alphorn, Japan, Jazz, Filmmusik, Sixties und Niedlichkeit verpackt Balduin wesentlich schöner als auf seinem Debüt. Die neuen Tracks (man höre etwa das wunderbar entspannte small-big-beatige “Slip Slap”) wirken souveräner, vielseitiger und pointierter. Wer einen unaufrdinglichen Electronica-Kiosk sucht, sollte bei Herrn Balduin einkaufen gehen. Und wo wir schon beim Marketing sind: Zu guter Letzt sei noch die hübsche Gestaltung des ganzen Pakets durch das Büro Destruct erwähnt.
Review from www.trespass.ch | text: Ko:L
Balduin ist ein Vollblut-Elektroniker - ohne Angst vor Experimenten ohne Respekt vor Tabus, dafür aber mit sehr viel Gefühl für feine Stimmungen und stimmige Arrangements. Alphorne treffen auf klinisch reine elektronische Beats, Jazz meets Programmings und irgendwo hupt eine Hupe durch den Song, wie wir sie von den englischen Funpunkern Toy Dollz aus den frühen Achtzigern kennen. Balduin ist spartenübergreifend. Balduin ist Kraftwerk. Balduin ist Massive Attack, Balduin ist Beatles. Und Balduin ist vor allem Berner! Es macht Freude, solche Eigenständigkeit aus heimischen Landen zu hören. Bloss schade, dass er den Weg über ein deutsches Label gehen musste, weil sein Talent in der Schweiz bisher offenbar verborgen blieb.
Review from www.dustygroove.com
The second album from Balduin -- and much nicer than the first! The work's the brainchild of C Gianfreda -- and features an assortment of light little tunes that have a tippling sound that's somewhere left of the sound of Young Marble Giants, with some occasional soulful touches that slide into the mix. Most tracks are instrumentals, with great use a range of key instruments that vary from track to track -- and which include vibes, Fender Rhodes, and cello. Titles include "Blue Snow", "Slip Slap", "Choos Cheese", "Rainy Day In March", "Melted Rainbows", and "Solarium".
Review from www.amazon.de
Balduin. 2. Kapitel, diesesmal ohne Kochen aber immer noch mit Kreativität und Charme eines Schweizer Taschenmessers. Die Rückkehr des Wizard of Suiss hat lange gedauert und steckt die Erwartungen an die wichtigste aller Veröffentlichungen, wie so immer, immens hoch, was den Mann aus dem Land des löchrigen Käses wohl kaum gestört hat und stören wird. Ganz in den Farben seiner Heimat gekleidet kommt das neue Werk, besiegelt in der üblichen Berliner Crippled Dick Hot Wax Schmankerlschmiede, zu uns nach Hause und verbreitet mit dem Track "Made Inch" (Made in Suiss) schon mal Bergwanderambitionen und weckt Alphorngelüste. Doch abgesehen davon, bietet der Nachfolger von "Creative Cookery" so einige Spezialitäten, die erst vorsichtig, dann mit vollem Genuss verzehrt werden dürfen. Über das melancholische und bezaubernde Intro bis hin zu Klängen, die tatsächlich einen Funés Klassiker hätten untermalen können, blubbert die Orgel, berauschen Rhodes und Cello und allerlei anderes, was der Schweizer Komponist in seine üppigen Ouvertüren gesteckt hat, ohne dabei aber überladen zu klingen. Alles ist da, wo man es erwartet und wo es letztendlich auch sein soll. Mit im Rucksack, die schon zuvor auf einer Crippled 7" veröffentlichten Tracks "Choose Chese" und das deliziöse "Croque Monsieur". Da steigt die Wanderlaune und mit weiteren adäquaten Präsenten zeigt sich wieder einmal, wo Innovation, Kreativität und Intellekt zu Hause ist. Wurde das erste Album noch dilletantisch mit Kaugummikauen verglichen, sollte zuletzt dieses kleine Meisterwerk ein differenziertes Bild von Balduin geben, denn er hat nicht wie andere versucht seinen Erstling zu kopieren, sondern klettert forsch auf andere Hügel. Und da es in der Schweiz ja Berge ohne Ende gibt, darf man hoffentlich auf mehr hoffen. Einziges Manko ist meiner Ansicht nach das beinahe-Ausbleiben der etwas mehr jazzigeren Tracks, die auf diesem Album zu kurz kommen. Macht nix. Progressivität zeigt er trotzdem. Wer Balduin und die Schweiz mag, darf zugreifen, wer Crippled Dick Hot Wax kennt, weiß ohnehin, das hier mal wieder Qualität am Werk ist.
Review from Matthias | www.music-scan.com
Elektronische Musik muss sich ja oft vorwerfen lassen, etwas eindimensional und schmalspurig zu sein. Diese Vorwürfe kann Balduin auf seinem neuen Album mit Leichtigkeit entkräften, denn hier fliessen die verschiedensten Elemente in seinen Sound ein. Die meisten Tracks sind mit einem locker dahinrollenden Beat versehen, der sich ganz unaufdringlich im Hintergrund hält und den sehr subtilen Melodien den Vorrange lässt. Da kann es schon mal passieren, das doch sehr jazzig anmutenden Passagen auf klassische Popelemente treffen, nur um kurz darauf wieder von flächigen und überaus cineastischen Klängen abgelöst zu werden. Vor allem diese ruhigeren Momente bestechen durch ihre sentimentale Schönheit und ihrer scheinbaren Fragilität. Doch leider kommen diese Momente eher selten zum Zug, wenn man das Album in seiner Gesamtheit betrachtet und muss stattdessen vermehrt mit etwas lapidar erscheinenden Beats vorliebnehmen. Sicherlich wird er damit den ein oder anderen Houseaffinen Menschen erreichen können, doch eine stärkere Fokussierung auf Atmosphäre und Stimmung hätte der Platte schon gut getan. Nichtsdestotrotz ein interessantes und über weite Strecken lohnenswertes Elektronikalbum von einem beeindruckenden Schweizer Multiinstrumentalisten.
Balduin's clearly audible passions for French film-music, the '60s, electronics, Alp horns and jazz blend with one another to form a smooth and creamy confection -- with the charm of his unconventional and tender compositions. This multi-instrumentalist conjures up tonal images of the widest possible variety: frail, sentimental stories go hand-in-hand with airy beats summoning springtime, abstract fusion alternates with four-square Swiss precision electronics. Not everyone is a one-man orchestra like Balduin: he is master of the instruments and deploys them in all their diversity, with an unerring feeling for groove.
Review from de-bug.de (cj)
Hat ein wenig gedauert bei Herrn Balduin. 2001 gab’s seinen Erstling. Drei Jahre später hören wir wieder von dem Schweizer. Alphorn, Japan, Jazz, Filmmusik, Sixties und Niedlichkeit verpackt Balduin wesentlich schöner als auf seinem Debüt. Die neuen Tracks (man höre etwa das wunderbar entspannte small-big-beatige “Slip Slap”) wirken souveräner, vielseitiger und pointierter. Wer einen unaufrdinglichen Electronica-Kiosk sucht, sollte bei Herrn Balduin einkaufen gehen. Und wo wir schon beim Marketing sind: Zu guter Letzt sei noch die hübsche Gestaltung des ganzen Pakets durch das Büro Destruct erwähnt.
Review from www.trespass.ch | text: Ko:L
Balduin ist ein Vollblut-Elektroniker - ohne Angst vor Experimenten ohne Respekt vor Tabus, dafür aber mit sehr viel Gefühl für feine Stimmungen und stimmige Arrangements. Alphorne treffen auf klinisch reine elektronische Beats, Jazz meets Programmings und irgendwo hupt eine Hupe durch den Song, wie wir sie von den englischen Funpunkern Toy Dollz aus den frühen Achtzigern kennen. Balduin ist spartenübergreifend. Balduin ist Kraftwerk. Balduin ist Massive Attack, Balduin ist Beatles. Und Balduin ist vor allem Berner! Es macht Freude, solche Eigenständigkeit aus heimischen Landen zu hören. Bloss schade, dass er den Weg über ein deutsches Label gehen musste, weil sein Talent in der Schweiz bisher offenbar verborgen blieb.
Review from www.dustygroove.com
The second album from Balduin -- and much nicer than the first! The work's the brainchild of C Gianfreda -- and features an assortment of light little tunes that have a tippling sound that's somewhere left of the sound of Young Marble Giants, with some occasional soulful touches that slide into the mix. Most tracks are instrumentals, with great use a range of key instruments that vary from track to track -- and which include vibes, Fender Rhodes, and cello. Titles include "Blue Snow", "Slip Slap", "Choos Cheese", "Rainy Day In March", "Melted Rainbows", and "Solarium".
Review from www.amazon.de
Balduin. 2. Kapitel, diesesmal ohne Kochen aber immer noch mit Kreativität und Charme eines Schweizer Taschenmessers. Die Rückkehr des Wizard of Suiss hat lange gedauert und steckt die Erwartungen an die wichtigste aller Veröffentlichungen, wie so immer, immens hoch, was den Mann aus dem Land des löchrigen Käses wohl kaum gestört hat und stören wird. Ganz in den Farben seiner Heimat gekleidet kommt das neue Werk, besiegelt in der üblichen Berliner Crippled Dick Hot Wax Schmankerlschmiede, zu uns nach Hause und verbreitet mit dem Track "Made Inch" (Made in Suiss) schon mal Bergwanderambitionen und weckt Alphorngelüste. Doch abgesehen davon, bietet der Nachfolger von "Creative Cookery" so einige Spezialitäten, die erst vorsichtig, dann mit vollem Genuss verzehrt werden dürfen. Über das melancholische und bezaubernde Intro bis hin zu Klängen, die tatsächlich einen Funés Klassiker hätten untermalen können, blubbert die Orgel, berauschen Rhodes und Cello und allerlei anderes, was der Schweizer Komponist in seine üppigen Ouvertüren gesteckt hat, ohne dabei aber überladen zu klingen. Alles ist da, wo man es erwartet und wo es letztendlich auch sein soll. Mit im Rucksack, die schon zuvor auf einer Crippled 7" veröffentlichten Tracks "Choose Chese" und das deliziöse "Croque Monsieur". Da steigt die Wanderlaune und mit weiteren adäquaten Präsenten zeigt sich wieder einmal, wo Innovation, Kreativität und Intellekt zu Hause ist. Wurde das erste Album noch dilletantisch mit Kaugummikauen verglichen, sollte zuletzt dieses kleine Meisterwerk ein differenziertes Bild von Balduin geben, denn er hat nicht wie andere versucht seinen Erstling zu kopieren, sondern klettert forsch auf andere Hügel. Und da es in der Schweiz ja Berge ohne Ende gibt, darf man hoffentlich auf mehr hoffen. Einziges Manko ist meiner Ansicht nach das beinahe-Ausbleiben der etwas mehr jazzigeren Tracks, die auf diesem Album zu kurz kommen. Macht nix. Progressivität zeigt er trotzdem. Wer Balduin und die Schweiz mag, darf zugreifen, wer Crippled Dick Hot Wax kennt, weiß ohnehin, das hier mal wieder Qualität am Werk ist.
Review from Matthias | www.music-scan.com
Elektronische Musik muss sich ja oft vorwerfen lassen, etwas eindimensional und schmalspurig zu sein. Diese Vorwürfe kann Balduin auf seinem neuen Album mit Leichtigkeit entkräften, denn hier fliessen die verschiedensten Elemente in seinen Sound ein. Die meisten Tracks sind mit einem locker dahinrollenden Beat versehen, der sich ganz unaufdringlich im Hintergrund hält und den sehr subtilen Melodien den Vorrange lässt. Da kann es schon mal passieren, das doch sehr jazzig anmutenden Passagen auf klassische Popelemente treffen, nur um kurz darauf wieder von flächigen und überaus cineastischen Klängen abgelöst zu werden. Vor allem diese ruhigeren Momente bestechen durch ihre sentimentale Schönheit und ihrer scheinbaren Fragilität. Doch leider kommen diese Momente eher selten zum Zug, wenn man das Album in seiner Gesamtheit betrachtet und muss stattdessen vermehrt mit etwas lapidar erscheinenden Beats vorliebnehmen. Sicherlich wird er damit den ein oder anderen Houseaffinen Menschen erreichen können, doch eine stärkere Fokussierung auf Atmosphäre und Stimmung hätte der Platte schon gut getan. Nichtsdestotrotz ein interessantes und über weite Strecken lohnenswertes Elektronikalbum von einem beeindruckenden Schweizer Multiinstrumentalisten.
Review from de-bug.de (m.path.iq)
Nach seinem "Creative Cookery" ergeht sich Balduin mit "Choose Cheese" mal wieder in kulinarischen Genüssen. Man sollte schließlich gut gegessen haben, wenn man sich zu dem auf Housetempo rockenden ElektroFunk inklusive Vibraphon bewegen will. Diese Freude am Produzieren diverser Styles, die zunächst ein Augenzwinkern und vielleicht erst beim zweiten Hinhören einen Zusammenhang ergeben, sind seit dem Album berüchtigt. Mit Dublex Inc. von der Stuttgarter Pulver-Crew hat er sich dann auch die optimalen Remixer besorgt, die dem Ganzen noch eine Prise "Kick Ass" unterrühren. Zusammen mit Volker Meitz (Sonarkollektiv) und Matthias Dressler (Berlin Symphony Orchestra) entstand mit "Croque Monsieur" eine weitere eigenständige Kreation. Diesmal eher für Rhodes- und Vibraphongourmets, die jazzige Spielfreude bevorzugen. Der hierzu gehörige "Broken Folk Mix" von Phat Fred und Raabenstein setzt dagegen auf Guitarlicks und gebrochene Housebeats. Weird.
Nach seinem "Creative Cookery" ergeht sich Balduin mit "Choose Cheese" mal wieder in kulinarischen Genüssen. Man sollte schließlich gut gegessen haben, wenn man sich zu dem auf Housetempo rockenden ElektroFunk inklusive Vibraphon bewegen will. Diese Freude am Produzieren diverser Styles, die zunächst ein Augenzwinkern und vielleicht erst beim zweiten Hinhören einen Zusammenhang ergeben, sind seit dem Album berüchtigt. Mit Dublex Inc. von der Stuttgarter Pulver-Crew hat er sich dann auch die optimalen Remixer besorgt, die dem Ganzen noch eine Prise "Kick Ass" unterrühren. Zusammen mit Volker Meitz (Sonarkollektiv) und Matthias Dressler (Berlin Symphony Orchestra) entstand mit "Croque Monsieur" eine weitere eigenständige Kreation. Diesmal eher für Rhodes- und Vibraphongourmets, die jazzige Spielfreude bevorzugen. Der hierzu gehörige "Broken Folk Mix" von Phat Fred und Raabenstein setzt dagegen auf Guitarlicks und gebrochene Housebeats. Weird.
Review from Paul Donnelly | www.freq.org.uk
Balduin is someone who cites a range of influences from Sibelius, through Pink Floyd and on to Fila Brazilia. The title suggests you can expect a range of flavours. Something for every taste and palate, perhaps? Though not a TV series and accompanying book. Whatever, I think there are even more influences at work here. "Silent Steps", for me, has Zappa's "Jazz From Hell" meeting National Health and being mixed somewhere in the late Nineties. Clipped keyboards are cut by sharp percussion or lithe bass. Something composed for Synclavier but less abrupt or cerebral. "Solo Be Good" has a riff lifted from some Jazz classic, I'll bet, but I can't spot it. It's fruity and swings over and under the beats, while "Champagne" finds James Bond at Club Tropicana; music and martinis mixed in one cool, effervescent brew. "Weirdo" has a killer bass line, supple and driven under percussion and the trumpet's intermittent Funk. But on the other hand, if you like Classic FM, I'd recommend "Sugar Fairy" with its glockenspiels and other interesting orchestrations. Sweet and lovely. "Lemon Curry" could have been promising but it wasn't, leaving no taste at all behind. Still, enough of the cookery. This is a very listenable concoction of styles, samples and beats that has enough diversity in the mix for those with a love of Jazz and Funk amongst other things. It's artfully sampled, shredded and reconstructed. You might even catch the mercurial Lester Young leaping briefly into and out of "Minestrone". But it doesn't matter if you don't. Tasty music for leaping or sitting down to.
Review from de-bug.de (chilla)
Inspiriert von Herbolzheimer und Morricone fließen diese Einflüsse in das jüngste Werk des Schweizer Musikers mit ein. Mit seiner Band spielt er sich durch einen ganzen imaginären Gemüsegarten und kreiert mit viel funklastiger Gitarre und allerlei verspielten Effekten eine Mischung aus Easy Listening und Big Beat.
Review from Kingsley Marshall | www.allmusic.com
The Crippled Dick long-player debut for Swiss beat biter Balduin sees percussive vegetables chopped and diced before familiar loungecore ingredients find themselves fed through the sound mincer. Unlike Ninja Tune contemporaries the Herbaliser or Irma's Easy Access Orchestra, Balduin relies on samples as opposed to live instrumentation -- describing his sound as "mellonotronix hard disk pop" -- and is subsequently able to perform dexterous flips and twists within the rhythm section, underpinning these gymnastics with an easier to grasp barrage of horns, strings, and atmospherics. Though this premise wears a little thin by the close of the 18 tracks on offer, in the main these plentiful flavors work well, the opening "A Flavored Bouquet" setting a sonic agenda that soars far beyond the sum of its constituent parts.
Review from Øyvind Elbert (Bergen Norway) | www.amazon.com
High quality laid back Electronica with nice jazz flavours.
If you like Røyksopp zero7 air, etc. you will like this. A lot. I've listened to this record loads, either when working or just relaxing. Well mixed and high technical quality combined with some talented and tastefull artistry provides for a refreshing and comfortable listening experience. I will buy the next album.
Review from Uhhhh... "...hhhhU" (Everywhere, USA) | www.amazon.com
This album, if I were to place it, would fall in the downtempo category, although it has elements of many different genres, ranging from jazz to drum'n'bass to electro to downtempo. I really like this album, it's one of my favorites, I think most specifically because of the song "Sugar Fairy," which is a remix of The Nutcracker's "Sugar Plum Fairy" song, which it sounds very similar to, except that it's been boosted with a pounding bass line, a beat, a guitar, and it's looped. This album isn't one continuous mix of tracks, each track is different from the previous. Some might call it quite strange actually, sort of I guess in the way of Luke Vibert (it's hard to say!). However I would not compare this album to Zero 7 or Air.. it is completely different from their sound. Balduin creates very precise, well-produced, crisp sounds and samples in this album and it definitely is very unique in that most of his sounds are not generic-sounding. The beats are much more intricate than your typical downtempo beats, but not glitchy.. to me there seems to be a lot going on, constantly, and that is one thing that really tickles my senses. I really can't compare this album to any other I've heard, except to something like what Luke Vibert might produce, although it's... downtempo, jazzy, more "put-together" (as in less IDM/experimental-sounding). To conclude let me just say that I love drum and bass, I love breakbeats, I love downtempo and have tons of records of all of those, and this one album by Balduin is most definitely one of my favorites. Check it out. "Creative Cookery Set" is a perfect name for this CD.
Review from Toruwatanabe | www.amazon.de
Kreatives Kochen mit Nußknackercharme, 26. Januar 2003
Rezensentin/Rezensent: toruwatanabe (Mehr über mich) aus Wasserburg, Bayern Germany
Balduin? Klingt so, als ob sich irgend jemand die Mühe gemacht hätte, einen Soundtrack für die legendären de Funès Filme zusammenzustückeln. Doch weit gefehlt. Mit Balduin's "Creative Cookery" liegt ein weiteres Opus des vom kommerziellen Strang abweichenden Berliner Crippled Dick Hot Wax Labels vor, welches schon mit der Veröffentlichung von furiosen Sountracks wie der "Beat at Cinecitta" Reihe seinen Namen gemacht hat.
Mit dem schweizer Import Balduin legen sie einen weiteren Meilenstein in Sachen NuJazz/Lounge oder, wie der Alpenmeister seine Musik selber charakterisiert, Mellotronic Harddisco Pop.
Und damit schafft der Mann aus dem Land des löchrigen Käse einen Weg, welchen zuvor niemand betreten hat, und dessen unwegsamen Pfad er selber gewählt hat. Die Musik von Balduin hat zwar nichts mit Gedichten von Robert Frost gemeinsam, klingt aber wie eines. Und das ist wohl der Punkt, an welchem sich die Kritiker uneinig sind und sich die Frage stellen: warum schon wieder ein neues NuJazz-Album, dass wahrscheinlich genauso klingt wie das letzte, welches ein zweiter Aufguß des vorigen war? Balduin vorzuwerfen, weniger Kaugummi zu kauen und mehr Bananen zu essen, klingt einfach nur lächerlich und ist ein mißglückter Versuch einer angestrebten kreativen Kritik. Die wahre Kreativität jedoch legt der Wizard of Suiss selber vor und bereitet ein hübsches Kochstündchen vor, dass dem Geschmack eines Boucus sehr nahe kommt. Feine Zutaten werden hier beigegeben und führen vom Knallen und Sprudeln der Champagnerflaschen bis zum klassischen Nußknackersample, ohne dabei, wie ihm vorgeworfen wird, monoton oder langweilig zu werden. Das die Klänge gewöhnungsbedürftig sind, ist verständlich. Doch ist es nicht an der Zeit zu verstehen, dass gerade die Musik, welche anfangs einen bitteren Geschmack bereitet, seinen wahren Genuß erst bei mehrmaligem Zugreifen entfaltet? Die Antwort kann man nur geben, indem man selber gekostet hat. Aus meiner Sicht liegt hier ein wundervolles, fulminantes und innovatives Album vor, dass in dessen Genre einen festen Platz hat. Tracks wie "England is alright", "Lychee" oder das groovige "Minestrone" sind nur Indikatoren, die anzeigen, dass Balduins Meisterwerk nicht sauer, sondern unglaublich schmackhaft ist. Wer es dennoch als neutral sieht, hat entweder verpasst, den Sprung von gewöhnlicher zu individueller Musik zu machen und schippert daher bequem auf der Schiene des Kommerz weiter, oder ißt meines Erachtens zu viele Bananen, da diese bekanntlichen ja auf den Magen schlagen. Wer den wahren Geschmack erkannt hat, kann anfangen Balduin zu genießen und sich als Connaisseur der neuen Schule fühlen, eingereiht zwischen exzentrischen Windmühlensamples, klassischem Charme, 100% Groove und einem Gefühl, auf den Flügeln einer "Sugar Fairy" zu sitzen und geduldigt auf den nächsten Track zu warten.Wer dann noch nicht genug hat, kann auch getrost auf Balduins Neuling "Choose Cheese/Croque Monsieur" zurückgreifen, denn was schmeckt, kann einem nicht den Magen verderben.
Review from Karl Koch | www.ultimo.devcon.net
Balduin - Creative Cookery... und seine außerirdischen Kohlköpfe? Falscher Film, falscher Name [Mark]. Aus der Schweiz schwebt diese sommerleichte Musik herein, gewebt aus leichten Jazzsamples und netten Sounds von der Sommerwiese deiner Wahl, da wo die Pilze sprießen. Ja, natürlich ist es eigentlich der ewiggleiche Retro-Geschmäckler-Easy-Listening-Zug nach Irgendwo-Irgendwie, aber, räusper, aber, von dem Zeug gibt's auch gutes. Auch in diesem angegammelten Segment gibt es Kenner und Könner, und Balduin gehört dazu. Gut tut der Hang zu Krautrock, psychedelischer Langpuste und anmodernisierten Beats. Noch was vergessen? Nö, aus dieser Platte läßt sich kein Diskurs schrauben, wem's gefällt, merkt's hier sehr schnell.
Review from Diana Ward | www.girlplusboy.com
Sample-filled soundscapes dominate Baldiun's first international release. This boy from the Swiss Alps had trouble getting noticed at home, but his loops and beats quickly grabbed the interest of Berlin's Crippled Dick Hot Wax! Who decided to get some of this boy's tracks down on plastic. What we get is 18 tasty tracks of jazz lounge tossed in with appetising morsels of samples adding groove, including classics like Grieg's "Peer Gynt" on "Sugar Fairy."
The album is called Creative Cookery by Baldiun to reflect his idea that as his music is a collection of tasty ingredients gathered together to make a delicious meal. There is also another side to the name. Funky hairdressers, bars and restaurants will no doubt lap up his relaxing beats for background mood music. In fact this album could work very well as a film soundtrack, much in the same vein as Air's Virgin Suicides or Saint Etienne's The Misadventures of Margaret.
Low key and unobtrusive, Creative Cookery seems to have cottoned on to music trends of late. The likes of St Germain have brought jazz electronica back into vogue and the cool set are searching for beats other than the eighties disco backlash that are once again groove anthems. There's some sexy trombones on "Silent Steps," classic rhythms on "Solo Be Good" and smooth piano on "Get On (With It)," but perhaps the most memorable is the Kraftwork-inspired "100% Gr%ve," or the jazz cool "Minestrone." You'll also find drinking and dining noises, the odd conversation and good company. But what this album really misses is funk, even if bass is prevalent on the Blaxploitation soundtrack-esque "Lear Jet." In today's samples, loops and beat arena, The Avalanches came out and rocked the house, however, like Mowax's Sukia, Balduin only manages a jive. Lacking a real pizzazz, Creative Cookery is nice but normal. Very normal.
Balduin is someone who cites a range of influences from Sibelius, through Pink Floyd and on to Fila Brazilia. The title suggests you can expect a range of flavours. Something for every taste and palate, perhaps ? Though not a TV series and accompanying book. Whatever, I think there are even more influences at work here.
Review from Kingsley Marshall | All Music Guide entertainment.msn.com
The Crippled Dick long-player debut for Swiss beat biter Balduin sees percussive vegetables chopped and diced before familiar loungecore ingredients find themselves fed through the sound mincer. Unlike Ninja Tune contemporaries the Herbaliser or Irma's Easy Access Orchestra, Balduin relies on samples as opposed to live instrumentation -- describing his sound as "mellonotronix hard disk pop" -- and ... Read MoreThe Crippled Dick long-player debut for Swiss beat biter Balduin sees percussive vegetables chopped and diced before familiar loungecore ingredients find themselves fed through the sound mincer. Unlike Ninja Tune contemporaries the Herbaliser or Irma's Easy Access Orchestra, Balduin relies on samples as opposed to live instrumentation -- describing his sound as "mellonotronix hard disk pop" -- and is subsequently able to perform dexterous flips and twists within the rhythm section, underpinning these gymnastics with an easier to grasp barrage of horns, strings, and atmospherics. Though this premise wears a little thin by the close of the 18 tracks on offer, in the main these plentiful flavors work well, the opening "A Flavored Bouquet" setting a sonic agenda that soars far beyond the sum of its constituent parts.
Review from Paul Donnelly | www.freq.freeserve.co.uk
"Silent Steps", for me, has Zappa's "Jazz From Hell" meeting National Health and being mixed somewhere in the late Nineties. Clipped keyboards are cut by sharp percussion or lithe bass. Something composed for Synclavier but less abrupt or cerebral. "Solo Be Good" has a riff lifted from some Jazz classic, I'll bet, but I can't spot it. It's fruity and swings over and under the beats, while "Champagne" finds James Bond at Club Tropicana; music and martinis mixed in one cool, effervescent brew. "Weirdo" has a killer bass line, supple and driven under percussion and the trumpet's intermittent Funk. But on the other hand, if you like Classic FM, I'd recommend "Sugar Fairy" with its glockenspiels and other interesting orchestrations. Sweet and lovely. "Lemon Curry" could have been promising but it wasn't, leaving no taste at all behind. Still, enough of the cookery.
This is a very listenable concoction of styles, samples and beats that has enough diversity in the mix for those with a love of Jazz and Funk amongst other things. It's artfully sampled, shredded and reconstructed. You might even catch the mercurial Lester Young leaping briefly into and out of "Minestrone". But it doesn't matter if you don't. Tasty music for leaping or sitting down to.
Review from ? | www.scorebaby.com
Swiss trip hop artist Balduin makes his Crippled Dick debut with the wryly titled Creative Cookery.
Balduin cooks up a comfortable blend of downtempo electro-lounge with turntablist abstractions on the side. He's got an eclectic sense of style, but he never tries to do too much -- preferring to build a groove instead of showboating as a scratch artist. In fact, when I first listened to Creative Cookery, I wasn't impressed by it in the least. Only after several listens, did the subtle shifts in mood and texture strike me as worthy of repeated listening.
Fans of another German label, Compost, will enjoy Balduin, more so than fans of CripDick's sleazy listening (Schoolgirl Report, Beat at Cinecitta, etc.) It's got that upbeat downtempo vibe going for it. Perfect for chilling out after hours.
Review from ? | www.dustygroove.com
This guy's pretty darn great! Balduin combines older jazzy samples and bits of electronica -- into tracks that retain all the warmth and soul of classic jazz, but which infuses it with all of the fresh electric energy of work on labels like Compost or some of the groovier French imprints of the past few years. Titles include "Silent Steps", "Solo Be Good", "Lemon Curry", "Lear Jet", "Fantasy", "Black Mill", "Zoom", "England Is Alright", "Sugar Fairy", and "Champagne".
Review from Ane Hebeisen | www.ebund.ch
Easy-Jazz (10.1.2002)
«Ich bin ein Musik-Gourmetkoch»
Aufgewachsen ist er in Münchenbuchsee zwischen Beatles, Filzstiften und Computerspielen. Heute veröffentlicht Balduin seine Platten in Deutschland und verzückt die Welt mit seinem psychedelisch-knuddeligen Mix aus Elektro, Easy-Listening und Jazz.
Manchmal muss man sich fast ein bisschen Sorgen machen um die neuzeitliche Tanzmusik-Kultur. Die Helden der Szene sind die braun gebrannten Plattenleger, die mit lockeren Hüften und konzentrierten Mienen gleichzeitig die Tanzböden beschallen, das andere Geschlecht bezirzen und die grossen Honorare einstreichen. Das DJ-Sein hat sich kurvenlos an die Spitze der Schickheits-Hitparade katapultiert und dort die Surflehrer und die Barkeeper von den Spitzenpositionen verdrängt. Bei diesen Aussichten erstaunt es nicht, dass es heute scharenweise DJs gibt. Jene allerdings, welche die DJs mit dem Rohstoff Musik versorgen sollen, jene, die im Schatten des Scheinwerferlichts Tanzbarkeit produzieren, sich dafür die Nächte in schlecht belüfteten Computerräumen um die Ohren schlagen und zu bleichen Sonderlingen verkommen, sind heute ähnlich rar wie Schweizer Star-Schanzenspringer. Feelings, die niemand hören will Einer dieser produktiven Sonderlinge heisst Balduin, stammt aus der Nachbarschaft Stephan Eichers, aus Münchenbuchsee, und hat unlängst mit seiner Debut-CD «Creative Cookery» die Liebhaber schicker Elektro-Unterhaltungs-Jazzmusik zu verzücken vermocht. Und Balduin wollte nicht DJ werden: «Ich hatte nie Anschluss an diese Szene, ich arbeite lieber für mich allein», sagt der kleine Mann mit den grossen blauen Augen: «Und wenn ich DJ wäre, würde ich derart absonderliche, alte Sachen spielen wollen, dass mir die Leute davonlaufen würden – Musik mit Feelings, die heute in einer Disco niemand mehr hören will.» Beatles und Computerspiele Vielleicht wäre aus Balduin ein Schlagzeuger geworden, ein Popsänger oder ein Gitarrist, jedenfalls «drümmelte» Klein-Balduin mit Filzstiften auf Mamas Kissen, hörte Beatles, rief eine Band ins Leben, spielte Gitarre und Hackbrett, sang in Autos und Badewannen – und dazu hörte er die neusten Sounds der Computerspiele seiner beiden grossen Brüder. Einer davon, Lopetz, gründete später den Berner Grafiker-Prachtbetrieb Büro Destruct; der zweite nennt sich Kaleidophone, verdingt sich als Programmierer und Musiker, und beide haben sie Balduin den Werdegang eines konventionellen Musikanten verwehrt. «Meine Brüder haben mich mit ihrem Computerfetischismus sicher beeinflusst», ist Balduin überzeugt, «so finden sich heute in meiner Musik sowohl elektronische wie auch organische Komponenten, eine Collage aus verschiedensten Quellen, aus ,Drümmelis‘, die ich zuhause herumstehen habe, aus Samples und aus Beiträgen musikalischer Freunde.» Sohn eines Gourmetkochs Der Titel seines ersten Albums – «Creative Cookery» – ist für Balduin Programm: «Mein Vater ist Gourmetkoch, ich verstehe mich als Musik-Gourmetkoch, einer, der immer neue Rezepte ausheckt.» Das Ergebnis oszilliert irgendwo zwischen Jazz, Easy-Listening, Trip-Hop und Psychedelik. «Aber eigentlich ist es Pop», wirft Balduin jählings ein, «oder Monitor-Band-Sound, Musik, zu der man sich hübsche kleine Filmsequenzen vorstellen kann!» Zurzeit ist Balduin dabei, in Berlin ein neues Album einzuspielen, welches im Frühling wiederum auf dem aparten deutschen Label Crippled Dick Hot Wax erscheinen soll. Als Gäste dabei sind der Vibrafon-Meister Matthias Dressler, Musiker vom Berliner Sinfonieorchester, eine Sängerin namens Noelle und der Pianist Volker Meitz. «Alles Leute, die viel begabter sind als ich», meint Balduin, «ich bin gespannt, was sie zu meinen Tracks beisteuern werden.» Balduin, Computer und Instrument Eines haben bleiche Produzenten allerdings mit den erwähnten braun gebrannten Plattenlegern gemein: Selten sind sie heissspornige Entertainer und Stimmungskanonen. So auch unser Balduin. Immerhin: «Ich werde bei der Live-Umsetzung meiner Tracks neben einem Laptop auch irgendein Instrument mit auf der Bühne haben. Ich weiss nur noch nicht genau welches.»
Review from Eva Wittwer | www.20min.ch in September 13th 2002
Bastelstunde mit Balduin
Der Berner Balduin verwebt Jazz-Elektronika, Tschaikowsky und Breakbeats zu sphärischen Soundbildern. Das begann schon in seinem Kinderzimmer.
Balduin, ein kreativer Musik-Tüftler, dessen Erstling «Creative Cookery» begeistert.
Spielzeug-Instrumente, ein Kassettenrecorder, ein Commodore Amiga, und mittendrin wirbelt ein Lockenschopf herum, klopft mit Filzstiften auf Bilderbücher, bearbeitet Kissen mit seinen Fäusten, fummelt am Computer herum, bläst zwischendurch in eine Plastiktrompete und nimmt das Ganze auf Kassette auf: eine Art Lo-Fi-Techno. Es sind die Achtziger, der Lockenschopf ist Balduin, und aus den Zimmern seiner beiden älteren Brüder, die Computer und elektronische Musik lieben, tönt Depeche Mode und Kraftwerk. Die Eltern hören Tschaikowsky und ermuntern die Kinder, ihre Spielsachen selber zu basteln. Insgesamt ein ziemlich kreatives Umfeld, um aufzuwachsen. «Stimmt», sagt Balduin (23), «ich bin in diese Bastler-Kultur reingewachsen. Und es hat mich immer interessiert, mit vielen Instrumenten etwas Neues zu machen.»
Spätestens seit er als Teen die Beatles und ihr «Yellow Submarine» entdeckte, sind zum PC als Instrument auch Gitarre und E-Bass hinzugekommen: «Es muss einfach alles drin haben, damit es mir entspricht. Ich bin schlecht im Weglassen.» Egal, das Resultat begeistert: Gibt man in der Suchmaschine die Begriffe «Balduin» und «Creative Cookery» ein, türmt sich eine Liste von Hinweisen auf Balduin und sein erstes Album auf, dass einem davon fast schwindlig wird. «Creative Cookery» ist im Frühling dieses Jahres erschienen. Doch, die CD habe sich ganz ordentlich verkauft, meint Balduin: «Für einen Erstling.» Die genauen Zahlen weiss er grad nicht auswendig: «Ist ja auch nicht so wichtig.»
Review from a Blogger | kondziu-saqwer.blogspot.com in November 7th 2009
Ten młody szwajcar od samego swojego początku żył muzyką. Na początku były to ‘zabawkowe’ instrumenty i prymitywny komputer. Teraz Balduin tworzy trip-hop/jazz najwyższej próby. Szkoda tylko że tak mało znany to artysta w naszym kraju. Uważam, że Ci, którzy lubią spokojną a zarazem bardzo twórczą muzykę powinni bliżej zapoznać się z jego twórczością.
"Creative Cookery" , czyli w wolnym tłumaczeniu: Kreatywne gotowanie. Tytuł płyty świetnie oddaje to, co dzieje się na niej dzieje. Nie jest to po prostu muzyka. To prawdziwa sztuka kulinarna. W kuchni, w której półproduktami są sample i wszelkie instrumenty. Niespełna 31-latek tworzy muzykę, która jest świeżym oddechem dla ludzi znudzonych. Muzykę, w której jest radość i swoboda. I choć, to jeden człowiek, potrafi stworzyć prawdziwie bigbandowe brzmienie. Trudno jest go zamknąć w ramy, zaszufladkować. Nazwę to trip-hop/jazz/funk/easy listening, ale tak naprawdę, jest to kawał świetnie skrojonego materiału muzycznego, odpowiedniego na długi zimowy wieczór, jak i na letni wyjazd. Balduin świetnie wyczuwa klimat, a płyty komponuje z odpowiednim wyważeniem. Głównie, to spokojna muzyka z niezliczoną ilością smaczków, lecz znajdziemy tu szybsze momenty.
Polecam każdemu, komu twórczość chociażby DJ Cam'a nie jest obojętna.
Okładka przedstawia młodziutkiego DJ, co jest nie do końca przeze mnie pochwalane. Uważam, że płyty jak i ogólnie muzyka powinna bronić się sama, a dawanie na okładkę własnych zdjęć jest objawem próżności. Ten błąd jednak zostaje poprawiony na kolejnych krążkach. W środku poligrafia widzimy całą „kuchnie”, której muzyk użył do ugotowania tej przesmacznej duchowej strawy. Prawdę mówiąc, aż nie chce się wierzyć, że tak dobra muzyka powstaje w takim małym i niepozornym pokoiku.
Balduin is someone who cites a range of influences from Sibelius, through Pink Floyd and on to Fila Brazilia. The title suggests you can expect a range of flavours. Something for every taste and palate, perhaps? Though not a TV series and accompanying book. Whatever, I think there are even more influences at work here. "Silent Steps", for me, has Zappa's "Jazz From Hell" meeting National Health and being mixed somewhere in the late Nineties. Clipped keyboards are cut by sharp percussion or lithe bass. Something composed for Synclavier but less abrupt or cerebral. "Solo Be Good" has a riff lifted from some Jazz classic, I'll bet, but I can't spot it. It's fruity and swings over and under the beats, while "Champagne" finds James Bond at Club Tropicana; music and martinis mixed in one cool, effervescent brew. "Weirdo" has a killer bass line, supple and driven under percussion and the trumpet's intermittent Funk. But on the other hand, if you like Classic FM, I'd recommend "Sugar Fairy" with its glockenspiels and other interesting orchestrations. Sweet and lovely. "Lemon Curry" could have been promising but it wasn't, leaving no taste at all behind. Still, enough of the cookery. This is a very listenable concoction of styles, samples and beats that has enough diversity in the mix for those with a love of Jazz and Funk amongst other things. It's artfully sampled, shredded and reconstructed. You might even catch the mercurial Lester Young leaping briefly into and out of "Minestrone". But it doesn't matter if you don't. Tasty music for leaping or sitting down to.
Review from de-bug.de (chilla)
Inspiriert von Herbolzheimer und Morricone fließen diese Einflüsse in das jüngste Werk des Schweizer Musikers mit ein. Mit seiner Band spielt er sich durch einen ganzen imaginären Gemüsegarten und kreiert mit viel funklastiger Gitarre und allerlei verspielten Effekten eine Mischung aus Easy Listening und Big Beat.
Review from Kingsley Marshall | www.allmusic.com
The Crippled Dick long-player debut for Swiss beat biter Balduin sees percussive vegetables chopped and diced before familiar loungecore ingredients find themselves fed through the sound mincer. Unlike Ninja Tune contemporaries the Herbaliser or Irma's Easy Access Orchestra, Balduin relies on samples as opposed to live instrumentation -- describing his sound as "mellonotronix hard disk pop" -- and is subsequently able to perform dexterous flips and twists within the rhythm section, underpinning these gymnastics with an easier to grasp barrage of horns, strings, and atmospherics. Though this premise wears a little thin by the close of the 18 tracks on offer, in the main these plentiful flavors work well, the opening "A Flavored Bouquet" setting a sonic agenda that soars far beyond the sum of its constituent parts.
Review from Øyvind Elbert (Bergen Norway) | www.amazon.com
High quality laid back Electronica with nice jazz flavours.
If you like Røyksopp zero7 air, etc. you will like this. A lot. I've listened to this record loads, either when working or just relaxing. Well mixed and high technical quality combined with some talented and tastefull artistry provides for a refreshing and comfortable listening experience. I will buy the next album.
Review from Uhhhh... "...hhhhU" (Everywhere, USA) | www.amazon.com
This album, if I were to place it, would fall in the downtempo category, although it has elements of many different genres, ranging from jazz to drum'n'bass to electro to downtempo. I really like this album, it's one of my favorites, I think most specifically because of the song "Sugar Fairy," which is a remix of The Nutcracker's "Sugar Plum Fairy" song, which it sounds very similar to, except that it's been boosted with a pounding bass line, a beat, a guitar, and it's looped. This album isn't one continuous mix of tracks, each track is different from the previous. Some might call it quite strange actually, sort of I guess in the way of Luke Vibert (it's hard to say!). However I would not compare this album to Zero 7 or Air.. it is completely different from their sound. Balduin creates very precise, well-produced, crisp sounds and samples in this album and it definitely is very unique in that most of his sounds are not generic-sounding. The beats are much more intricate than your typical downtempo beats, but not glitchy.. to me there seems to be a lot going on, constantly, and that is one thing that really tickles my senses. I really can't compare this album to any other I've heard, except to something like what Luke Vibert might produce, although it's... downtempo, jazzy, more "put-together" (as in less IDM/experimental-sounding). To conclude let me just say that I love drum and bass, I love breakbeats, I love downtempo and have tons of records of all of those, and this one album by Balduin is most definitely one of my favorites. Check it out. "Creative Cookery Set" is a perfect name for this CD.
Review from Toruwatanabe | www.amazon.de
Kreatives Kochen mit Nußknackercharme, 26. Januar 2003
Rezensentin/Rezensent: toruwatanabe (Mehr über mich) aus Wasserburg, Bayern Germany
Balduin? Klingt so, als ob sich irgend jemand die Mühe gemacht hätte, einen Soundtrack für die legendären de Funès Filme zusammenzustückeln. Doch weit gefehlt. Mit Balduin's "Creative Cookery" liegt ein weiteres Opus des vom kommerziellen Strang abweichenden Berliner Crippled Dick Hot Wax Labels vor, welches schon mit der Veröffentlichung von furiosen Sountracks wie der "Beat at Cinecitta" Reihe seinen Namen gemacht hat.
Mit dem schweizer Import Balduin legen sie einen weiteren Meilenstein in Sachen NuJazz/Lounge oder, wie der Alpenmeister seine Musik selber charakterisiert, Mellotronic Harddisco Pop.
Und damit schafft der Mann aus dem Land des löchrigen Käse einen Weg, welchen zuvor niemand betreten hat, und dessen unwegsamen Pfad er selber gewählt hat. Die Musik von Balduin hat zwar nichts mit Gedichten von Robert Frost gemeinsam, klingt aber wie eines. Und das ist wohl der Punkt, an welchem sich die Kritiker uneinig sind und sich die Frage stellen: warum schon wieder ein neues NuJazz-Album, dass wahrscheinlich genauso klingt wie das letzte, welches ein zweiter Aufguß des vorigen war? Balduin vorzuwerfen, weniger Kaugummi zu kauen und mehr Bananen zu essen, klingt einfach nur lächerlich und ist ein mißglückter Versuch einer angestrebten kreativen Kritik. Die wahre Kreativität jedoch legt der Wizard of Suiss selber vor und bereitet ein hübsches Kochstündchen vor, dass dem Geschmack eines Boucus sehr nahe kommt. Feine Zutaten werden hier beigegeben und führen vom Knallen und Sprudeln der Champagnerflaschen bis zum klassischen Nußknackersample, ohne dabei, wie ihm vorgeworfen wird, monoton oder langweilig zu werden. Das die Klänge gewöhnungsbedürftig sind, ist verständlich. Doch ist es nicht an der Zeit zu verstehen, dass gerade die Musik, welche anfangs einen bitteren Geschmack bereitet, seinen wahren Genuß erst bei mehrmaligem Zugreifen entfaltet? Die Antwort kann man nur geben, indem man selber gekostet hat. Aus meiner Sicht liegt hier ein wundervolles, fulminantes und innovatives Album vor, dass in dessen Genre einen festen Platz hat. Tracks wie "England is alright", "Lychee" oder das groovige "Minestrone" sind nur Indikatoren, die anzeigen, dass Balduins Meisterwerk nicht sauer, sondern unglaublich schmackhaft ist. Wer es dennoch als neutral sieht, hat entweder verpasst, den Sprung von gewöhnlicher zu individueller Musik zu machen und schippert daher bequem auf der Schiene des Kommerz weiter, oder ißt meines Erachtens zu viele Bananen, da diese bekanntlichen ja auf den Magen schlagen. Wer den wahren Geschmack erkannt hat, kann anfangen Balduin zu genießen und sich als Connaisseur der neuen Schule fühlen, eingereiht zwischen exzentrischen Windmühlensamples, klassischem Charme, 100% Groove und einem Gefühl, auf den Flügeln einer "Sugar Fairy" zu sitzen und geduldigt auf den nächsten Track zu warten.Wer dann noch nicht genug hat, kann auch getrost auf Balduins Neuling "Choose Cheese/Croque Monsieur" zurückgreifen, denn was schmeckt, kann einem nicht den Magen verderben.
Review from Karl Koch | www.ultimo.devcon.net
Balduin - Creative Cookery... und seine außerirdischen Kohlköpfe? Falscher Film, falscher Name [Mark]. Aus der Schweiz schwebt diese sommerleichte Musik herein, gewebt aus leichten Jazzsamples und netten Sounds von der Sommerwiese deiner Wahl, da wo die Pilze sprießen. Ja, natürlich ist es eigentlich der ewiggleiche Retro-Geschmäckler-Easy-Listening-Zug nach Irgendwo-Irgendwie, aber, räusper, aber, von dem Zeug gibt's auch gutes. Auch in diesem angegammelten Segment gibt es Kenner und Könner, und Balduin gehört dazu. Gut tut der Hang zu Krautrock, psychedelischer Langpuste und anmodernisierten Beats. Noch was vergessen? Nö, aus dieser Platte läßt sich kein Diskurs schrauben, wem's gefällt, merkt's hier sehr schnell.
Review from Diana Ward | www.girlplusboy.com
Sample-filled soundscapes dominate Baldiun's first international release. This boy from the Swiss Alps had trouble getting noticed at home, but his loops and beats quickly grabbed the interest of Berlin's Crippled Dick Hot Wax! Who decided to get some of this boy's tracks down on plastic. What we get is 18 tasty tracks of jazz lounge tossed in with appetising morsels of samples adding groove, including classics like Grieg's "Peer Gynt" on "Sugar Fairy."
The album is called Creative Cookery by Baldiun to reflect his idea that as his music is a collection of tasty ingredients gathered together to make a delicious meal. There is also another side to the name. Funky hairdressers, bars and restaurants will no doubt lap up his relaxing beats for background mood music. In fact this album could work very well as a film soundtrack, much in the same vein as Air's Virgin Suicides or Saint Etienne's The Misadventures of Margaret.
Low key and unobtrusive, Creative Cookery seems to have cottoned on to music trends of late. The likes of St Germain have brought jazz electronica back into vogue and the cool set are searching for beats other than the eighties disco backlash that are once again groove anthems. There's some sexy trombones on "Silent Steps," classic rhythms on "Solo Be Good" and smooth piano on "Get On (With It)," but perhaps the most memorable is the Kraftwork-inspired "100% Gr%ve," or the jazz cool "Minestrone." You'll also find drinking and dining noises, the odd conversation and good company. But what this album really misses is funk, even if bass is prevalent on the Blaxploitation soundtrack-esque "Lear Jet." In today's samples, loops and beat arena, The Avalanches came out and rocked the house, however, like Mowax's Sukia, Balduin only manages a jive. Lacking a real pizzazz, Creative Cookery is nice but normal. Very normal.
Balduin is someone who cites a range of influences from Sibelius, through Pink Floyd and on to Fila Brazilia. The title suggests you can expect a range of flavours. Something for every taste and palate, perhaps ? Though not a TV series and accompanying book. Whatever, I think there are even more influences at work here.
Review from Kingsley Marshall | All Music Guide entertainment.msn.com
The Crippled Dick long-player debut for Swiss beat biter Balduin sees percussive vegetables chopped and diced before familiar loungecore ingredients find themselves fed through the sound mincer. Unlike Ninja Tune contemporaries the Herbaliser or Irma's Easy Access Orchestra, Balduin relies on samples as opposed to live instrumentation -- describing his sound as "mellonotronix hard disk pop" -- and ... Read MoreThe Crippled Dick long-player debut for Swiss beat biter Balduin sees percussive vegetables chopped and diced before familiar loungecore ingredients find themselves fed through the sound mincer. Unlike Ninja Tune contemporaries the Herbaliser or Irma's Easy Access Orchestra, Balduin relies on samples as opposed to live instrumentation -- describing his sound as "mellonotronix hard disk pop" -- and is subsequently able to perform dexterous flips and twists within the rhythm section, underpinning these gymnastics with an easier to grasp barrage of horns, strings, and atmospherics. Though this premise wears a little thin by the close of the 18 tracks on offer, in the main these plentiful flavors work well, the opening "A Flavored Bouquet" setting a sonic agenda that soars far beyond the sum of its constituent parts.
Review from Paul Donnelly | www.freq.freeserve.co.uk
"Silent Steps", for me, has Zappa's "Jazz From Hell" meeting National Health and being mixed somewhere in the late Nineties. Clipped keyboards are cut by sharp percussion or lithe bass. Something composed for Synclavier but less abrupt or cerebral. "Solo Be Good" has a riff lifted from some Jazz classic, I'll bet, but I can't spot it. It's fruity and swings over and under the beats, while "Champagne" finds James Bond at Club Tropicana; music and martinis mixed in one cool, effervescent brew. "Weirdo" has a killer bass line, supple and driven under percussion and the trumpet's intermittent Funk. But on the other hand, if you like Classic FM, I'd recommend "Sugar Fairy" with its glockenspiels and other interesting orchestrations. Sweet and lovely. "Lemon Curry" could have been promising but it wasn't, leaving no taste at all behind. Still, enough of the cookery.
This is a very listenable concoction of styles, samples and beats that has enough diversity in the mix for those with a love of Jazz and Funk amongst other things. It's artfully sampled, shredded and reconstructed. You might even catch the mercurial Lester Young leaping briefly into and out of "Minestrone". But it doesn't matter if you don't. Tasty music for leaping or sitting down to.
Review from ? | www.scorebaby.com
Swiss trip hop artist Balduin makes his Crippled Dick debut with the wryly titled Creative Cookery.
Balduin cooks up a comfortable blend of downtempo electro-lounge with turntablist abstractions on the side. He's got an eclectic sense of style, but he never tries to do too much -- preferring to build a groove instead of showboating as a scratch artist. In fact, when I first listened to Creative Cookery, I wasn't impressed by it in the least. Only after several listens, did the subtle shifts in mood and texture strike me as worthy of repeated listening.
Fans of another German label, Compost, will enjoy Balduin, more so than fans of CripDick's sleazy listening (Schoolgirl Report, Beat at Cinecitta, etc.) It's got that upbeat downtempo vibe going for it. Perfect for chilling out after hours.
Review from ? | www.dustygroove.com
This guy's pretty darn great! Balduin combines older jazzy samples and bits of electronica -- into tracks that retain all the warmth and soul of classic jazz, but which infuses it with all of the fresh electric energy of work on labels like Compost or some of the groovier French imprints of the past few years. Titles include "Silent Steps", "Solo Be Good", "Lemon Curry", "Lear Jet", "Fantasy", "Black Mill", "Zoom", "England Is Alright", "Sugar Fairy", and "Champagne".
Review from Ane Hebeisen | www.ebund.ch
Easy-Jazz (10.1.2002)
«Ich bin ein Musik-Gourmetkoch»
Aufgewachsen ist er in Münchenbuchsee zwischen Beatles, Filzstiften und Computerspielen. Heute veröffentlicht Balduin seine Platten in Deutschland und verzückt die Welt mit seinem psychedelisch-knuddeligen Mix aus Elektro, Easy-Listening und Jazz.
Manchmal muss man sich fast ein bisschen Sorgen machen um die neuzeitliche Tanzmusik-Kultur. Die Helden der Szene sind die braun gebrannten Plattenleger, die mit lockeren Hüften und konzentrierten Mienen gleichzeitig die Tanzböden beschallen, das andere Geschlecht bezirzen und die grossen Honorare einstreichen. Das DJ-Sein hat sich kurvenlos an die Spitze der Schickheits-Hitparade katapultiert und dort die Surflehrer und die Barkeeper von den Spitzenpositionen verdrängt. Bei diesen Aussichten erstaunt es nicht, dass es heute scharenweise DJs gibt. Jene allerdings, welche die DJs mit dem Rohstoff Musik versorgen sollen, jene, die im Schatten des Scheinwerferlichts Tanzbarkeit produzieren, sich dafür die Nächte in schlecht belüfteten Computerräumen um die Ohren schlagen und zu bleichen Sonderlingen verkommen, sind heute ähnlich rar wie Schweizer Star-Schanzenspringer. Feelings, die niemand hören will Einer dieser produktiven Sonderlinge heisst Balduin, stammt aus der Nachbarschaft Stephan Eichers, aus Münchenbuchsee, und hat unlängst mit seiner Debut-CD «Creative Cookery» die Liebhaber schicker Elektro-Unterhaltungs-Jazzmusik zu verzücken vermocht. Und Balduin wollte nicht DJ werden: «Ich hatte nie Anschluss an diese Szene, ich arbeite lieber für mich allein», sagt der kleine Mann mit den grossen blauen Augen: «Und wenn ich DJ wäre, würde ich derart absonderliche, alte Sachen spielen wollen, dass mir die Leute davonlaufen würden – Musik mit Feelings, die heute in einer Disco niemand mehr hören will.» Beatles und Computerspiele Vielleicht wäre aus Balduin ein Schlagzeuger geworden, ein Popsänger oder ein Gitarrist, jedenfalls «drümmelte» Klein-Balduin mit Filzstiften auf Mamas Kissen, hörte Beatles, rief eine Band ins Leben, spielte Gitarre und Hackbrett, sang in Autos und Badewannen – und dazu hörte er die neusten Sounds der Computerspiele seiner beiden grossen Brüder. Einer davon, Lopetz, gründete später den Berner Grafiker-Prachtbetrieb Büro Destruct; der zweite nennt sich Kaleidophone, verdingt sich als Programmierer und Musiker, und beide haben sie Balduin den Werdegang eines konventionellen Musikanten verwehrt. «Meine Brüder haben mich mit ihrem Computerfetischismus sicher beeinflusst», ist Balduin überzeugt, «so finden sich heute in meiner Musik sowohl elektronische wie auch organische Komponenten, eine Collage aus verschiedensten Quellen, aus ,Drümmelis‘, die ich zuhause herumstehen habe, aus Samples und aus Beiträgen musikalischer Freunde.» Sohn eines Gourmetkochs Der Titel seines ersten Albums – «Creative Cookery» – ist für Balduin Programm: «Mein Vater ist Gourmetkoch, ich verstehe mich als Musik-Gourmetkoch, einer, der immer neue Rezepte ausheckt.» Das Ergebnis oszilliert irgendwo zwischen Jazz, Easy-Listening, Trip-Hop und Psychedelik. «Aber eigentlich ist es Pop», wirft Balduin jählings ein, «oder Monitor-Band-Sound, Musik, zu der man sich hübsche kleine Filmsequenzen vorstellen kann!» Zurzeit ist Balduin dabei, in Berlin ein neues Album einzuspielen, welches im Frühling wiederum auf dem aparten deutschen Label Crippled Dick Hot Wax erscheinen soll. Als Gäste dabei sind der Vibrafon-Meister Matthias Dressler, Musiker vom Berliner Sinfonieorchester, eine Sängerin namens Noelle und der Pianist Volker Meitz. «Alles Leute, die viel begabter sind als ich», meint Balduin, «ich bin gespannt, was sie zu meinen Tracks beisteuern werden.» Balduin, Computer und Instrument Eines haben bleiche Produzenten allerdings mit den erwähnten braun gebrannten Plattenlegern gemein: Selten sind sie heissspornige Entertainer und Stimmungskanonen. So auch unser Balduin. Immerhin: «Ich werde bei der Live-Umsetzung meiner Tracks neben einem Laptop auch irgendein Instrument mit auf der Bühne haben. Ich weiss nur noch nicht genau welches.»
Review from Eva Wittwer | www.20min.ch in September 13th 2002
Bastelstunde mit Balduin
Der Berner Balduin verwebt Jazz-Elektronika, Tschaikowsky und Breakbeats zu sphärischen Soundbildern. Das begann schon in seinem Kinderzimmer.
Balduin, ein kreativer Musik-Tüftler, dessen Erstling «Creative Cookery» begeistert.
Spielzeug-Instrumente, ein Kassettenrecorder, ein Commodore Amiga, und mittendrin wirbelt ein Lockenschopf herum, klopft mit Filzstiften auf Bilderbücher, bearbeitet Kissen mit seinen Fäusten, fummelt am Computer herum, bläst zwischendurch in eine Plastiktrompete und nimmt das Ganze auf Kassette auf: eine Art Lo-Fi-Techno. Es sind die Achtziger, der Lockenschopf ist Balduin, und aus den Zimmern seiner beiden älteren Brüder, die Computer und elektronische Musik lieben, tönt Depeche Mode und Kraftwerk. Die Eltern hören Tschaikowsky und ermuntern die Kinder, ihre Spielsachen selber zu basteln. Insgesamt ein ziemlich kreatives Umfeld, um aufzuwachsen. «Stimmt», sagt Balduin (23), «ich bin in diese Bastler-Kultur reingewachsen. Und es hat mich immer interessiert, mit vielen Instrumenten etwas Neues zu machen.»
Spätestens seit er als Teen die Beatles und ihr «Yellow Submarine» entdeckte, sind zum PC als Instrument auch Gitarre und E-Bass hinzugekommen: «Es muss einfach alles drin haben, damit es mir entspricht. Ich bin schlecht im Weglassen.» Egal, das Resultat begeistert: Gibt man in der Suchmaschine die Begriffe «Balduin» und «Creative Cookery» ein, türmt sich eine Liste von Hinweisen auf Balduin und sein erstes Album auf, dass einem davon fast schwindlig wird. «Creative Cookery» ist im Frühling dieses Jahres erschienen. Doch, die CD habe sich ganz ordentlich verkauft, meint Balduin: «Für einen Erstling.» Die genauen Zahlen weiss er grad nicht auswendig: «Ist ja auch nicht so wichtig.»
Review from a Blogger | kondziu-saqwer.blogspot.com in November 7th 2009
Ten młody szwajcar od samego swojego początku żył muzyką. Na początku były to ‘zabawkowe’ instrumenty i prymitywny komputer. Teraz Balduin tworzy trip-hop/jazz najwyższej próby. Szkoda tylko że tak mało znany to artysta w naszym kraju. Uważam, że Ci, którzy lubią spokojną a zarazem bardzo twórczą muzykę powinni bliżej zapoznać się z jego twórczością.
"Creative Cookery" , czyli w wolnym tłumaczeniu: Kreatywne gotowanie. Tytuł płyty świetnie oddaje to, co dzieje się na niej dzieje. Nie jest to po prostu muzyka. To prawdziwa sztuka kulinarna. W kuchni, w której półproduktami są sample i wszelkie instrumenty. Niespełna 31-latek tworzy muzykę, która jest świeżym oddechem dla ludzi znudzonych. Muzykę, w której jest radość i swoboda. I choć, to jeden człowiek, potrafi stworzyć prawdziwie bigbandowe brzmienie. Trudno jest go zamknąć w ramy, zaszufladkować. Nazwę to trip-hop/jazz/funk/easy listening, ale tak naprawdę, jest to kawał świetnie skrojonego materiału muzycznego, odpowiedniego na długi zimowy wieczór, jak i na letni wyjazd. Balduin świetnie wyczuwa klimat, a płyty komponuje z odpowiednim wyważeniem. Głównie, to spokojna muzyka z niezliczoną ilością smaczków, lecz znajdziemy tu szybsze momenty.
Polecam każdemu, komu twórczość chociażby DJ Cam'a nie jest obojętna.
Okładka przedstawia młodziutkiego DJ, co jest nie do końca przeze mnie pochwalane. Uważam, że płyty jak i ogólnie muzyka powinna bronić się sama, a dawanie na okładkę własnych zdjęć jest objawem próżności. Ten błąd jednak zostaje poprawiony na kolejnych krążkach. W środku poligrafia widzimy całą „kuchnie”, której muzyk użył do ugotowania tej przesmacznej duchowej strawy. Prawdę mówiąc, aż nie chce się wierzyć, że tak dobra muzyka powstaje w takim małym i niepozornym pokoiku.
