CD | Soundtracks for JFO - Paradise Now (Fr/Be) | Transonic Label (Be)
On the occasion of the contemporary art and heritage biennial ARTour (Centre Region – Belgium), visual artist Jean-François Octave (BE) invited Philippe Franck aka Paradise Now (BE/FR) to compose 2 original sound environments, one for the JHS / Tabula exhibition at the Collegiate Church of Soignies (during summer of 2022 – curator: Jean-Pierre Denefve) and the other for the S + S + S exhibition at the Victor Jara cultural space (which followed in autumn 22 – curator: Eric Claus).
These itinerant and immersive sonic creations (including for the limited edition of this CD split album, an original 24 page booklet conceived by JF Octave) dialogue for the first exhibition with non-religious spirituality confronting here with a libertarian pop vision and for the second one, with fragments of newspapers written and illustrated by JF Octave, also retracing, between Brussels and New York, a form of life itinerary nourished by artistic, friendly and loving encounters.
Paradise Now
Intermedia producer and creator based in Belgium, Philippe Franck has developed since the 90s the Paradise Now project which favors an actively transversal and collaborative approach. He favors a sensitive and cinematic approach that embraces different influences and fields (electronics, sound art, post-rock, post-pop, improvised music …).
He has worked closely with various videographers (Régis Cotentin, Hanzel & Gretzel), poets (Ira Cohen, Gerard Malanga, Catrine Godin, Biba Sheikh, Werner Moron in Les ours bipolaires, Eric Therer for the project & Stuff), choreographers (Nadine Ganase , Manon Oligny, Karine Ledoyen), digital artists (Philippe Boisnard, Franck Soudan, Jacques Urbanska, Thomas Israël) and other adventurous audio creators (recently Christophe Bailleau within the duo Pastoral, Gauthier Keyaerts in Supernova, Stephan Dunkelman, Maurice Charles JJ, A Limb).
Since 2005, he has also collaborated with holistic performer / masseuse Isa Belle for a series of installations and “sound” performances shown in numerous festivals, cultural centers and international events. He has also produced and participated in several records on various independent labels (Sub Rosa, Optical Sound, Transonic…).
Jean-François Octave
Jean-François Octave, born in Arlon in 1955, is a Belgian designer, painter and architect claiming to be both Pop Art and Conceptual Art.
After studying architecture at the Institut Saint-Luc and then at La Cambre (Brussels), he began working for the magazine Soldes – End of series, before making covers for Les Disques du Crouscule / Factory Benelux1 and posters for the concerts of Young Marble Giants, A Certain Ratio or Tuxedomoon at Plan K.
In 1986, he represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale. He has since exhibited in Brussels, New York, Copenhagen, Caen, Paris …
Until 2021, he directed the class “Image Dans le Milieu” at the Field of Plastic and Visual Arts (Arts au Carré) in Mons2.
Credits
- Composed and mixed by Paradise Now at the Transonic Lab
- Electronics, guitar, bass, piano, sampling, vocals, singing bowls,… by Paradise Now
- except Benoît Pioulard for the wave treated on Tabula #1, choir of unknown Finnish women on Tabula #2, unknown Indian tambura and tabla players for Bombay Market, Didier Nietzsche voice treatments on Ne rien espérer, ne rien attendre and iPad wave on Tabula #1, unknown Brooklyn saxophonist for NYC Train,
- Didier Nietzsche voice treatments on Ne rien espérer, ne rien attendre and , Franco Migliacci & Domenico Modugno for some lyrics fragments taken from Volare on Volare/Cantare (ancora).
- Fragments of the JF Octave diaries read by Jean-François Octave and Jeanine Dath
- Mastering > Marc Doutrepont
- Original design, booklet > JF Octave
- Additional design > JB Libert
- Project coordination > Philippe Franck
- Production > Transcultures, Galerie Koma
- Special thanks to Jean-Pierre Denefve, Eric Claus, Jeannine Dath, Helga Dejaegher, Isa*Belle, Didier Nietszche, Jacques Urbanska
Informations
- 04.2022
- Listen/Buy on Bandcamp
- transonic.be
Production
- Transcultures, Transonic Label
