L'Apocalypse des Animaux (album)
Encyclopedia
L'Apocalypse des animaux is a soundtrack
album by Greek composer Vangelis
. The album's music accompanied a documentary series about the animal kingdom directed by Frédéric Rossif
that was first broadcasted on French TV in 1970.
band Aphrodite's Child
. It also marks the first time that he collaborated with French director Frédéric Rossif on soundtracks relating to his TV documentary programmes.
Though the album itself was released in 1973, the music was recorded in 1970. In opposition to the way he later recorded soundtrack music - watching the filmed material, then composing to it - in this instance he simply recorded a suite of generic tunes (based on the wildlife theme of the project, but not having access to it) and left it to the film editors to splice-in whatever they needed.
The documentary contains much more music than is available on the album, a common theme with Vangelis soundtracks.
The music belongs to a period in which Vangelis was very prolific, and willing to experiment with technology and styles. Not only was he still part of a band, and collaborating with a variety of artists, but he had also created a soundtrack to the film Sex Power by Henry Chapier and participated in recording sessions with some of the most talented jazz and rock musicians in London at the time, the results of which were later released as the albums Hypothesis
and The Dragon.
Musically, the album is extremely melodic, with a minimum of rhythm-based compositions. The long, flowing lines of the major pieces are a precursor of ambient
, and feature a style that became known as "cosmic", a variant of drone music
. Most of the Krautrock
artists also dabbled in this musical style
.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
album by Greek composer Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
. The album's music accompanied a documentary series about the animal kingdom directed by Frédéric Rossif
Frédéric Rossif
Frédéric Rossif was a French film and television director who specialized primarily on documentaries, frequently using archive footage. Rossif's common themes included wildlife, 20th century history and contemporary artists...
that was first broadcasted on French TV in 1970.
Track listing
All tracks composed and arranged by Vangelis.- "Apocalypse des animaux – Générique" – 1:26
- "La Petite Fille de la mer" – 5:54
- "Le Singe bleu" – 7:39
- "La Mort du loup" – 3:03
- "L'Ours musicien" – 1:03
- "Création du monde" – 10:03
- "La Mer recommencée" – 5:56
Overview
This album is one of Vangelis' earliest works, recorded whilst still a member of progressive rockProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Aphrodite's Child
Aphrodite's Child
Aphrodite's Child was a Greek progressive rock band formed in 1967, by Vangelis Papathanassiou , Demis Roussos , Loukas Sideras , and Anargyros "Silver" Koulouris . Their band's name was derived from the title of a track from another Mercury act, Dick Campbell, from his Sings Where It's At album...
. It also marks the first time that he collaborated with French director Frédéric Rossif on soundtracks relating to his TV documentary programmes.
Though the album itself was released in 1973, the music was recorded in 1970. In opposition to the way he later recorded soundtrack music - watching the filmed material, then composing to it - in this instance he simply recorded a suite of generic tunes (based on the wildlife theme of the project, but not having access to it) and left it to the film editors to splice-in whatever they needed.
The documentary contains much more music than is available on the album, a common theme with Vangelis soundtracks.
The music belongs to a period in which Vangelis was very prolific, and willing to experiment with technology and styles. Not only was he still part of a band, and collaborating with a variety of artists, but he had also created a soundtrack to the film Sex Power by Henry Chapier and participated in recording sessions with some of the most talented jazz and rock musicians in London at the time, the results of which were later released as the albums Hypothesis
Hypothesis (album)
Hypothesis is a 1978 album by the Greek artist Vangelis. In May 1971 Vangelis had played several sessions in London's Marquee Studios, joined for some of them by violinist Michel Ripoche, bass guitarist Brian Odgers and drummer Tony Oxley, the rhythm section of the famous Extrapolation recording...
and The Dragon.
Musically, the album is extremely melodic, with a minimum of rhythm-based compositions. The long, flowing lines of the major pieces are a precursor of ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, and feature a style that became known as "cosmic", a variant of drone music
Drone music
Drone music is a minimalist musical style that emphasizes the use of sustained or repeated sounds, notes, or tone-clusters – called drones. It is typically characterized by lengthy audio programs with relatively slight harmonic variations throughout each piece compared to other musics...
. Most of the Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
artists also dabbled in this musical style
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
.
The TV Documentary
The series consisted of six episodes, each lasting 50 minutes:- De l'abeille au gorille (From Bee to Gorilla)
- Les Animaux et les hommes (Animals and Humans)
- Une Mémoire d'élephant (Elephant's Memory)
- Traquer le chasseur (Chasing the Hunter)
- La Peur du loup (Fear of the Wolf)
- L'Enfant et la mer (The Child and the Sea)
Album Versions
Polydor, LP, 2393-058External links
- 'Vangelis Movements' album entry
- 'Vangelis Movements' documentary entry
- 'Vangelis Collector' album entry
- 'Vangelis Collector' documentary entry
- 'Elsewhere' entry
- 'ProgArchives' review - There are no review at ProgArchives (as usual). ProgArchives is not professional and authentic web page.