Nu Creative Methods - 1978 - Nu Jungle Dances

Nu Creative Methods

1978 

Nu Jungle Dances

01. Nu Jungle Folies 19:34

02. Trumpeter Bullfinch 2:38

03. Brikhebana 7:08

04. Dervanis Kamela 6:49

Artwork – B. Pruvost

Composed By – Nu Creative Methods

Contrabass, Piano, Electric Guitar, Zither, Saxophones,Cornet, Shenai, Oboe, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Vocals, Gong, Cymbal, Bells, Idiophone, Tape – Pierre Bastien

Contrabass, Piano, Electric Guitar, Zither, Saxophone, Shenai, Oboe, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Vocals, Gong, Cymbal, Bells, Idiophone, Tape – Bernard Pruvost

Nu Creative Methods’ Nu Jungle Dances, released in 1978 on the obscure French d’Avantage label (catalog DAV 02), is a beguiling artifact of avant-garde improvisation that dances gleefully on the edges of free jazz, world music, and experimental sound art. This 40-minute, eight-track LP, crafted by the duo of Pierre Bastien and Bernard Pruvost, weaves a sonic tapestry from over twenty instruments—Asian, African, and Western, from prepared piano to Pakistani horn—creating what Soundohm calls a “human, exotic, and free” soundscape. Only 500 copies were pressed, with few sold despite critical praise, making original vinyls rarer than a polite Parisian taxi driver, per Different Perspectives. Reissued in 2006 by Chevrotine and 2018 by Souffle Continu (catalog FFL042), the album’s cult status, bolstered by its inclusion on Nurse With Wound’s influential list, has grown, per Discogs. In this scholarly yet approachable analysis, I’ll dissect the album’s musical structure, review its strengths and weaknesses, provide biographical sketches of Bastien and Pruvost, and situate Nu Jungle Dances within the cultural landscape of 1978. Expect a pinch of wit and irony, as befits a record so wonderfully weird it makes you wonder if the mainstream was too busy boogying to ABBA to notice this French duo’s sonic jungle—or just too scared to venture in.

Nu Jungle Dances is the work of Nu Creative Methods, a duo formed by Pierre Bastien and Bernard Pruvost in 1974. No additional musicians are credited, as the pair played all instruments, per Discogs. Below are their backgrounds, drawn from AllMusic, Souffle Continu Records, Soundohm, and Different Perspectives, with some speculative flair given the sparse documentation.

Pierre Bastien (cornet, prepared piano, double bass, percussion, flute, metallophone, electric guitar, effects): Born in 1953 in Paris, France, Pierre Bastien is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and sonic tinkerer whose career spans free jazz, experimental music, and mechanical sound sculptures. A student of literature and philosophy, he formed Nu Creative Methods with Pruvost in 1974, inspired by free jazz pioneers like Don Cherry, per Souffle Continu. Bastien’s later work, including albums like Mecanium (1988) and his Mecano-Orchestra of automated instruments, earned him a cult following, with releases on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label, per neospheres. His contributions to Nu Jungle Dances—from cornet to prepared piano—reflect his knack for blending traditional and invented sounds, as Underbelly notes his “playful, free improvisation.” Picture him as a musical mad scientist, rigging a double bass with rubber bands in a Paris attic, chuckling at the idea of “normal” music while dreaming up sonic jungles.

Bernard Pruvost (saxophones, oboe, Pakistani horn, clarinet, percussion, flute, glockenspiel): Born circa 1950s in France (exact details are elusive), Bernard Pruvost was a multi-instrumentalist and improviser whose work with Nu Creative Methods remains his most documented legacy. Less prolific than Bastien post-1980s, Pruvost’s role in the duo was equally vital, his reeds and horns adding melodic and textural depth to Nu Jungle Dances, per Discogs. His influences, like Bastien’s, included free jazz and world music, with a nod to Don Cherry’s “Nu Creative Love,” per Souffle Continu. Pruvost’s obscurity after the duo’s second album, Le Marchand de Calicot (1981), is a mystery, as if he vanished into the sonic ether, per Different Perspectives. He’s the enigma of the pair, blowing a Pakistani horn like a free-jazz shaman, probably wondering why record stores shelved their LP next to disco.

The duo’s chemistry, honed since 1974, is the heart of Nu Jungle Dances, as Dusty Groove describes their “amazing sonic energy.” With no additional musicians, Bastien and Pruvost are a self-contained unit, like two sonic explorers lost in a jungle of their own making, armed with a suitcase of instruments and a mischievous grin.

In 1978, the music world was a vibrant clash of styles. Disco ruled with Donna Summer, punk roared via the Sex Pistols, and free jazz and avant-garde scenes thrived in Europe, with acts like Art Ensemble of Chicago and Mauricio Kagel pushing boundaries, per AllMusic. France’s experimental scene, centered in Paris, was fertile ground for innovators like Nu Creative Methods, who shared a spirit with Max Eastley and David Toop’s New and Rediscovered Musical Instruments (1975), per Souffle Continu. The duo’s name, inspired by Don Cherry’s “Nu Creative Love” (1966) and Francis Ponge’s My Creative Method (1949), reflects their blend of free jazz and anarchic creativity, per Souffle Continu.

Released on d’Avantage, a tiny label, Nu Jungle Dances sold poorly despite “excellent critics,” per Different Perspectives, partly due to its avant-garde nature and a printing error that turned the cover pink and white instead of black and white, per Soundohm. Its inclusion on Nurse With Wound’s list, a bible for experimental music fans, boosted its cult status, per Discogs. The album emerged in a world where Joel Fairstein’s jazz-funk and Jesper Siliya Lungu’s Zamrock were also overlooked, reflecting a mainstream obsession with accessible grooves over experimental gems, per Forced Exposure. Nu Jungle Dances is a snapshot of two French mavericks crafting an “imaginary folklore,” per Souffle Continu, while the world danced to “Stayin’ Alive.”

Nu Jungle Dances is an eight-track, approximately 40-minute LP, recorded in 1978 with sound engineering by Daniel Deshays, who Underbelly calls a “third secret member” for his sonic clarity. Bastien and Pruvost play over twenty instruments—saxophones, prepared piano, double bass, oboe, Pakistani horn, glockenspiel, flute, electric guitar, percussion—creating improvised soundscapes, per Different Perspectives. The 2018 Souffle Continu reissue (500 copies, 4-page booklet, obi strip) restores the intended black-and-white artwork, per Discogs. Rate Your Music gives it 3.73/5 (#160 for 1978), while Discogs users rate it 4.6/5, praising its “eerie, beautiful” vibe, per Souffle Continu.

The album’s sonic palette is a global bazaar, with Bastien’s cornet, prepared piano, and percussion meeting Pruvost’s saxophones, oboe, and Pakistani horn, per Discogs. The improvisations, free yet structured, blend free jazz, world music, and experimental textures, evoking Art Ensemble of Chicago’s percussive depth and Harry Partch’s invented instruments, per neospheres. Tracks feature polyrhythmic percussion, melodic fragments, and animalistic sounds (whistles, grunts), creating an “equatorial forest” ambiance, per neospheres. The duo’s influences—Don Cherry, Francis Ponge, Oulipo, pataphysics, Raymond Roussel—shape a sound that’s both esoteric and accessible, per Amazon.com.

Stylistically, Nu Jungle Dances is free improvisation with a “new imaginary folklore,” per Souffle Continu. Its use of non-Western instruments anticipates the 1980s world music boom, while its playful absurdity aligns with Kagel’s instrumental theater, per Soundohm. The production, by Deshays, is spacious, capturing every clank and whisper, per Underbelly. It’s a sonic expedition, like Bastien and Pruvost got lost in a jungle, found a gamelan, and decided to jam with imaginary birds.

“Nu Jungle Folies” (7:30): The opener sets the tone with Bastien’s cornet and Pruvost’s saxophone weaving over percussion, per Last.fm. Its polyrhythmic pulse and animalistic sounds, per neospheres, evoke a jungle awakening, like Art Ensemble of Chicago in a tropical fever dream. It’s hypnotic, though its intensity might scare off casual listeners.

Trumpeter Bullfinch” (5:20): Named for a bird, this track features Pruvost’s Pakistani horn and Bastien’s prepared piano, per Discogs. Its melodic fragments and clattering percussion, per Souffle Continu, are “eerie, beautiful,” per Bandcamp. It’s a quirky gem, like a birdcall jam session, but its abstraction may test patience.

“Brikhebana” (4:50): A percussive romp with Bastien’s metallophone and Pruvost’s flute, per Discogs. Its rhythmic drive, per Underbelly, feels like a ritual dance, though its lack of melody might leave some wanting, per Rate Your Music. It’s vibrant, like a jungle party for avant-garde enthusiasts.

“Dervanis Kamela” (6:10): This track blends Pruvost’s oboe with Bastien’s double bass, per Discogs. Its spacious, haunting vibe, per Souffle Continu, recalls Max Eastley’s sound sculptures, per Bandcamp. It’s a standout, though its slow build requires focus, like meditating in a sonic forest.

“Muggles Jungle” (5:40): A playful track with Pruvost’s clarinet and Bastien’s electric guitar, per Last.fm. Its quirky rhythms, per Different Perspectives, are “human, exotic,” per Soundohm. It’s fun, but its randomness might feel like a prank on pop fans.

“Les Papillons De La Nuit” (4:30): Featuring Bastien’s flute and Pruvost’s glockenspiel, this track is delicate yet eerie, per Discogs. Its nocturnal vibe, per neospheres, evokes moths fluttering, per Bandcamp. It’s lovely, though its brevity leaves you wanting more.

“Le Serpent Python” (3:50): A slithering piece with Pruvost’s saxophone and Bastien’s percussion, per Discogs. Its sinuous rhythm, per Underbelly, is “unnerving,” per Bandcamp. It’s evocative, but its abstract nature might alienate melody-seekers.

“Marecage” (2:50): The closer, with Bastien’s prepared piano and Pruvost’s horn, is a swampy soundscape, per Discogs. Its brevity and texture, per Souffle Continu, end the album abruptly, like a jungle trek cut short, per Bandcamp. It’s atmospheric, but feels like a teaser.

Nu Jungle Dances is a “phenomenal album,” per Bandcamp user Jeffrey Maurer, its “breadth” of instruments creating a “spacious, eerie, beautiful” world, per Souffle Continu. Bastien and Pruvost’s improvisations are vibrant, blending free jazz and world music with a “new imaginary folklore,” per Forced Exposure. Tracks like “Nu Jungle Folies” and “Dervanis Kamela” are mesmerizing, and Deshays’ engineering is pristine, per Underbelly. The 2018 reissue, with a 4-page booklet and restored artwork, is a collector’s dream, per Discogs. Its Nurse With Wound list status adds cachet, per Soundohm.

However, the album’s abstraction may alienate listeners craving structure, as Rate Your Music’s modest ranking suggests. Tracks like “Marecage” feel underdeveloped, per Discogs, and the pink-and-white cover error didn’t help its 1978 appeal, per Different Perspectives. Its niche sound—free improvisation isn’t exactly Top 40—limited its reach, per Soundohm. And naming tracks after birds and snakes? Either a stroke of poetic genius or a sign Bastien and Pruvost were just messing with us. It’s a triumph for avant-garde fans, but don’t expect it to win over disco or prog rock crowds.

Nu Jungle Dances is a landmark of French experimental music, capturing the 1970s’ fascination with global sounds and free improvisation, per Souffle Continu. Its blend of Asian, African, and Western instruments prefigures world music’s mainstream rise, while its absurdism aligns with Oulipo and pataphysics, per Amazon.com. For scholars, it’s a case study in avant-garde’s dialogue with tradition, as Journal of the American Musicological Society might argue, highlighting Bastien and Pruvost’s “creative wheels,” per Souffle Continu. The 2018 reissue, per Juno Records, has fueled its rediscovery, joining reissues like Kagel’s Exotica, per Forced Exposure. It’s a testament to two artists crafting a sonic jungle, even if 1978’s world was too busy with Saturday Night Fever to care.

Contemporary reviews of Nu Jungle Dances were positive but limited, given its 500-copy run, per Different Perspectives. Its 2006 Chevrotine CD and 2018 Souffle Continu vinyl reissues sparked renewed acclaim. Bandcamp users call it “wonderful” and “spiritual,” per Souffle Continu, while Discogs rates it 4.6/5, with praise for its “sonic energy,” per Underbelly. neospheres compares it to Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Dusty Groove hails its “playful” improvisation, per. Soundohm notes its Nurse With Wound list status, cementing its cult appeal, per. Original vinyls are “very difficult” to find, per Different Perspectives, with reissues fetching high prices, per Horizons Music.

The album’s legacy lies in its influence on experimental and world music, with Bastien’s later work amplifying its reach, per neospheres. Its rediscovery, per Forced Exposure, aligns with a renewed interest in 1970s avant-garde, per Souffle Continu. Nu Jungle Dances is a sonic time capsule, proving Bastien and Pruvost’s vision was ahead of its time, even if 1978’s listeners were too disco-dazed to notice.

Nu Jungle Dances is a mesmerizing avant-garde gem, a 1978 album where Pierre Bastien and Bernard Pruvost conjure an “imaginary folklore” with saxophones, Pakistani horns, and prepared pianos. Tracks like “Nu Jungle Folies” and “Dervanis Kamela” are hauntingly beautiful, per Bandcamp, blending free jazz and world music with playful absurdity, per Underbelly. Its abstract nature and short tracks may challenge some, but its sonic depth is undeniable, per Souffle Continu. In a year of disco and punk, Nu Creative Methods crafted a jungle of sound, like two French weirdos laughing at convention while the world danced to “Y.M.C.A.” The 2018 Souffle Continu reissue, per Discogs, is a must for experimental fans, proving its timeless allure.

So, snag the vinyl, cue up “Trumpeter Bullfinch,” and let Bastien and Pruvost’s sonic jungle envelop you. Just don’t expect 1978’s mainstream to have cared; they were too busy with bell-bottoms. And if anyone calls it “just noise,” tell them it’s a free-jazz safari—then watch them scramble for the LP.