Artist: Kapela La Chateliere
Label: Self-released
Release: 1999
Rating: 4.5/5
Kapela La Chateliere, a superb Slovenian avant-garde jazz rock outfit, first made a name for themselves with the album De Profundis, which was a pure success from an artistic standpoint. It did a bit less well commercially, but I doubt that was ever the point. With this second album, the guys proved they’re no one-hit wonder and that talent practically oozes out of every pore.
First off, it’s worth noting that for this album Kapela La Chateliere gained a new addition in the form of a bass player. Previously, multi-instrumentalist Andrej Žibert handled those duties himself, but now the burden has been taken over by the excellent Matevž Gregorič.
Stylistically, you could say Incognito follows in the footsteps of De Profundis. For the most part, we get great, energetic jazz rock with plenty of avant-garde influences. Then, of course, there are the Balkan elements too, which Čopar’s projects apparently can’t do without. But long may that continue, because his takes on Balkan motifs, turned into jazz rock and avant-garde melodies, always come out sounding great and natural. There are somewhat fewer ambient parts than on the first album, but the guys are that much more focused on music with a ton of positive energy. This music makes your brain simply have to dance, because it’s a fun thing that is still extremely complex and intelligent.
The music is once again played the way you’d expect from a band with musicians like these. Andrej Čopar again proves his unusual talent for great yet complicated melodies, and Andrej Žibert naturally lends a hand there too. The two main players aren’t just convincing as composers, they also prove themselves as outstanding arrangers and performers. Not lagging far behind is the excellent Evgen Malis, who shows once more that in Slovenia the accordion isn’t used exclusively in folk-pop. The new member, Matevž Gregorič, also shows he wasn’t invited into this collective of pure virtuosos for nothing.
The only sad thing about this album is that a few years after it Andrej Čopar left the band, and that the band eventually called it quits altogether. Still, we have these two albums, which more than satisfy my jazz rock and avant-garde hunger.
The second album by Kapela La Chateliere is a real gem too, and I just can’t get enough of it. Genre-wise it may not be as wide-ranging as the debut, but that’s because the release is shorter and they couldn’t cram in everything they might have wanted to. Let me say it again: we’re lucky these albums were made in our country, but sadly they never got the recognition they deserved. I just hope my words spark someone’s interest, and that maybe somebody who knew the band back when they were active will remember their best moments.
Lineup
Andrej Čopar – flute, saxophones, WX7
Evgen Malis – accordion, synthesizer
Andrej Žibert – drums, guitar, guitar synthesizer
Matevž Gregorič – bass guitar
Guests: Marko Kodelja – violin, Andro Čoporović – vocals
Production
Andrej Žibert
Tracklist
1. Teza
2. Spanish Eyes
3. Mr. B.
4. Štirje osamljeni jezdeci
5. Balkan Things N. 4
6. Dual
7. Čopi
8. Bez ‘armonike nema…
9. Menuet za Vinka in Slavka
