Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

ADN Ckrystall - Jazz Mad [Other Voices - 2015]

Jazz' Mad is a decidedly quirky & sometimes outsider tinged synth album from the early 1980’s- it blends together elements off-kilter synth pop, epic & at times spacey synth-scaping, and more unhinged/indulgent moments.  Behind the ADN Ckrystall project was Érick Moncollin, who was somewhat of a self-funded synth geek who decided to create his own distinctive blend of synth-focused music- which at times brings to mind the work of more recent synth outsiders like John Manus & Ariel Pink.

Here we have a 2015 CD reissue of the album- offering up six rare & unreleased track, boosting the reissue track listing from six to twelve tracks, and a running time of seventy-four minutes.  The release comes in a four-panel digipak- featuring rather messy, haphazard, and puzzling artwork- that takes in a line drawn cover of a man( I presume it's Moncollin) sat next to a topless big-haired women. Random texts, scribbles, monochrome pictures of Moncollin performing live and tiny cartoon drawings- all rather fitting for the sonic oddities within. This reissue had a fairly small pressing of 200 copies, but according to the website of the label, they still have copies left, and there's also a cassette version too.

Jazz’ Mad appeared originally in 1982, as a vinyl-only pressing on AND, which I’m guessing is Moncollin only label, as it’s only other release was ADN Ckrystall  compilation album from 2005.

The album opens with “Cocina Vitamia”- this seven-minute track moves between an off-angled & marching main synth line, sudden & occasional more harmonic & bright note lines, and some nice spacey-to-higher solo lines- and from time-to-time, we get quite stern & slightly warbling French male vocals. 

Next up we have the nearing ten minutes of “Pour Lamoure D’un Gygine”- which opens with swirling sea & bird sounds, pretty soon a regal & lush blend of bright ‘n’ swirling synth notation comes into play, this is joined by a cute & reduced-down tapping rhythmic drum pattern. As the track progresses we get elector harpsichord ornate-ness.  At the fourth minute we kick into a tight marching beat & synth line- this is topped with more pronounced replaying of the original melody lines, and the whole things has a nice blend of cheeky groove & lush twinkling melody.  As we move along we get some more jamming and at times awkward moments appearing- where Moncollin wonderings off point at a bit, which I found quite appealing in a quirk manner.

“HaschischT’es Pas Cap” is a wonderful wonky & lopsided blend of tight elector beats, deeper & rapidly darting lines, wondering eastern sounding top layer of synths, all manner of swirling effects, and deep & awkwardly wavering vocals from Moncollin in English.

With "Tam Tam Samba"- we get a  dramatic & spoken word intro, before moving into bright & wondering blend of darting bright lines, pinging toms, and quirky lead line jamming. All in it sounds like the soundtrack for some 1980's scoped Sci-fi film, with day-glo backgrounds & hovering tin-foil spacecrafts.

The wonderful titled “Deutsch Napalm” moves between stern & almost Germanic like industrial like marching & vocals, bright almost yodeling vocals, and sudden quirky & space effect swirls & whooshes.

All in all Jazz' Mad is a satisfyingly varied & at times quirkily surprising synth-based album. I’d say you’ll have to lean towards liking the more outsiders & distinct side of the 1980’s synth-scaping/ electronica to get the most out of this. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and still find quirks & kinks in the album, even after having it for a few months now.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

ADN Ckrystall - Jazz Mad
Jazz' Mad is a decidedly quirky & sometimes outsider tinged synth album from the early 1980’s- it blends together elements off-kilter synth pop, epic &...
010725   Atomic Rooster - Atomic Roos...
010725   Con Funk Shun - Organized
010725   Various Artists - Heatwave- T...
010725   The Good, The Bad, The Weird ...
270625   Murder Rock - Murder Rock( Bl...
270625   The Black Torment - The Blac...
250625   Girls Without Shame - Girls W...
250625   Xiphos - The Age Of Alexander
250625   Timothy Fairless - Keep Tal...
240625   CORR//PT│0N_UN1T - S7ATU5_...
Latest Articles

Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sharp t...
It’s fair to say the Sharksploitation genre is often tried, tested, and to be honest, tired. Fear Below is a 2025 Australian film that tries to do some...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
040225   Alien Sex Fiend - Possessed B...
231224   Best Of 2024 - Music, Sound &...
191224   Splintered - Somewhere Betwee...
031224   Shane Ryan-Reid - Coerced and...
221024   Whore’s Breath - life’s h...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom