Thursday, February 21, 2019

BELGIUM: The Wrong Object -Into The Herd (MoonJune Records 2019)


UK magazine Jazzwise has described Belgian sextet The Wrong Object as “adept at mixing Canterbury styled prog rock with Zappa-esque jazz fusion and Frippertronics to produce a beat that has elements of the past and the future thundering through it. [Their music] cleverly fuses all of these various musical elements together, expertly twisting various world music styles into the mix to produce a varied and unpredictable set of original material.”

 With their new release, Into The Herd (Off/MoonJune) , The Wrong Object make a return to center stage, with a studio album of original compositions showcasing a variety of fresh, powerful material. After 15 years of an existence marked by extensive touring, recording and numerous collaborations with international jazz and rock luminaries (Elton Dean, Harry Beckett, Annie Whitehead, Alex Maguire, Stanley Jason Zappa, Ed Mann, Robin Verheyen), The Wrong Object ventures further into hybrid musical territories, pushing the boundaries of progressive jazz, rock and contemporary music. Perhaps the influence of the late Frank Zappa has never been more apparent.

The songs continually weave, duck, dart, and ‘stop on a dime’; while exhibiting the “controlled reckless abandon” and a similar zany, humorous approach to both harmony and melodic/thematic motifs, akin to that which characterized his work. This is a herculean effort; one that goes a long way in filling the very noticeable long-standing void left in the wake of Zappa’s departure.


 credits released February 1, 2019 Michel Delville – guitar/guitar-synth/electronics Marti Melia – bass and tenor saxophones/clarinet François Lourtie – baritone and tenor sax Antoine Guenet – keyboards Damien Campion – bass Laurent Delchambre – drums/electronic pad/samples Recorded by Maxime Wathieu. Mixed by Etienne Plumer. Mastered by Mark Wingfield. Produced by The Wrong Object. Artwork by Marc Atkins. Off Records in association with MoonJune Records.

 Discography: The Wrong Object, Into The Herd, Off Records/MoonJune, January 2019 The Wrong Object, Zappa Jawaka, Off Records, October 2018 The Wrong Object, After the Exhibition, MoonJune, 2014 The Wrong Object, Stories from the Shed, MoonJune, 2008 The Wrong Object feat. Elton Dean, The Unbelievable Truth, MoonJune, 2006