Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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With the possible exception of Richard Pinhas' Heldon, Gilbert Artman's Lard Free was probably the premier French progressive group of the '70s. The prolific Heldon might win in terms of amount of material, but the three near-perfect albums by Lard Free (despite the truly wretched band name) probably have them beat in terms of overall quality.

Although Artman, a drummer who also dabbles in synthesizers and piano, called Lard Free a group, he was the only constant member; all three albums have different lineups. 1973's Lard Free consists of relatively short pieces with prominent piano and saxophone parts, and as such is the most jazz-oriented of the three. The following year's I'm Around About Midnight consists of three long pieces with much more synthesizer; at times, it sounds almost like early (pre-ambient) Tangerine Dream, or perhaps Clear Light, the French collective Artman and the then-current lineup of Lard Free occasionally worked with around this time. (This version of Lard Free was the backing band on side two of 1974's Clear Light Symphony). 1977's Lard Free III, also known as Spirale Malax, is Artman's best work, a pair of side-long experiments that combine space music, jazz, and King Crimson-style heavy progressive rock better than many groups (including King Crimson) could ever hope to manage. Artman dropped the Lard Free name after that release, but remained a vital presence on the French progressive and Rock in Opposition scenes.

Stewart Mason, Allmusic.com

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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The first album by Gilbert Artman's Lard Free is the band's most conventional record, with six relatively concise songs (more than would appear on the next two albums combined) dominated by Phillippe Bolliet's saxophone and Francois Mativet's Robert Fripp-like guitar work. The tracks, credited to the group as a whole, sound composed, not improvisational, with group interplay taking precedence over showboat soloing. There's an element of free jazz in the way Bolliet's sax regularly flies away from the melody and chord patterns established by Mativet and bassist/synthesizer player Herve Eyhani but, for the most part, this is a fairly restrained album even on the noisiest pieces. The best tracks, in fact, are the last two, "Livarot Respiration" and "Culturez-Vous Vous-Memes," a pair of placid explorations led by Artman's vibes and piano that close the sometimes chaotic album on a tranquil note.

Stewart Mason, Allmusic.com

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Whereas Lard Free's debut skirted with different styles of jazz and progressive rock, I'm Around About Midnight is a much more focused effort. On this record leader Gilbert Artman has gathered a completely different group of people around him, most notably Richard Pinhas from the band Heldon. With Pinhas's influence, Lard Free's music is much more electronic, with long tracks of synth drones, swoops, and textures and trance-like drum rhythms, traveling into the deep space territory of Heldon and other pioneers of electronic rock. Though the CD is split into six tracks, in fact the first three cuts, side one of the original vinyl, flow seamlessly into one another, for one long oozing piece with varied textures. At times, like "Does East Bakestan Belong to Itself," the music takes on a lighter and dreamier mood, as flutes are added to the tingly keyboard sounds. Other pieces like "Tatkooz a Roulette" have the cold Heldon edge as repetitive keyboard tones and clattering rhythms create stark electronic soundscapes. I'm Around About Midnight goes in more places than the Heldon records from that time, and at times it even leaves the keyboards behind, like on the edgy guitar and drum piece "Pale Violence," whereas "Even Silence" ends the record on dreamy piano runs and wind sounds.

Rolf Semprebon, Allmusic.com

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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With yet another cast of characters, Gilbert Artman moves even further into the electronic outer space rock zone of I'm Around About Midnight on this third Lard Free effort. With only two pieces, "Spirale Malax" and the three- or four-part "Synthetic Seasons," III is an even more ambitious effort than the earlier Lard Free releases, and it is also the most fully realized and focused of the albums. The 17-minute "Spirale Malax" is an intense piece with a complex weave of synths, drums, guitars, and clarinet, spiraling outward into noisy cosmic Krautrock territory. The keyboards dominate, as different repeated riffs and patterns slowly emerge and develop and constantly change as new elements are added on top. Before one even realizes it, the drums are clattering in the background as the whole thing continues to develop. Halfway through the drums begin to pound more wildly and a strange guitar solo rips loose from the keyboard squiggles of sound, and the piece continues to transform. "Synthetic Seasons" begins with droning keyboards and slow but thunderous drums, and then each section glides into a different space rock instrumental, with lots of electronics at the fringes to tie them together. "Pt. 1.2" has a lively drum rhythm and droning guitar and keyboard, "Pt. 2" goes into dreamier realms with its tinkling piano notes and clarinet moans, and the more down to earth "Pt. 3" rounds off the album. Incredible stuff throughout, III is Lard Free's masterpiece.

Rolf Semprebon, Allmusic.com

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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Unnamed collects previously unreleased Lard Free tracks recorded a year or two prior to the first album, from 1973, and offers a glimpse of the Gilbert Artman-led experimental group in its infancy. Like the debut, Unnamed blends elements of free jazz, Canterbury, and other progressive rock, and with similar incongruities that fortunately do not detract from the album's charm. If anything, this album is even more improvisational, with looser structures and plenty of instrumental jams. At times it sounds like the psychedelic jamming of Red Noise, another early-'70s French underground rock group, while at other places the group cuts loose into open-ended free form, with fluid drumming, scronky guitar licks, and then other moments will be quiet, with just the sax blowing and some light sound effects or calm pulses of vibes in the backdrop for a couple tranquil minutes before the group begins to pick up steam again. The CD starts off really good and then only gets better as the tracks become more experimental. "Choconailles" in particular offers a variety of moods, from the long sustained organ drone at the beginning to the blasts of guitar chords in the middle followed by a blistering sax and keyboard duel. The electric guitar on "Petit Tripou du Matin" takes in some Eastern tonalities and is then joined by some tribal rhythm poundings and more exotic sax sounds for a fascinating piece of ethno-forgery, while "A Chacun Son Boulez" is a strange free-form drift of tingly vibes, squalls of sax and guitar, and other sounds. Lard Free's trio of '70s LPs are considered classics, and Unnamed certainly lives up to that reputation.

Rolf Semprebon, Allmusic.com

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Lard Free - Gilbert Artman's Lard Free Box Set (Complete Albums 1973-1977) (2008) 4CD Box Set, Japanese Remastered, Mini-LPs

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