Album review : RICHARD PINHAS / HELDON – Le Plan and Winter Music

Other Side Music [Release date 02.08.24]

It somehow seems right that “avant garde” is a French language term for something that is aesthetically innovative, especially a “work of art”, which these pieces of music from French musician, Richard Pinhas surely are.

Pinhas’s band, Heldon , known for its Progressive Electronic Rock, dates back to the 70s. A huge gap then to the year 2000, and the release of new album material, Only Chaos Is Real. Another jump cut to now, and the remixed (by Pinhas) 4 track abbreviation, called Le Plan, taken from Only Chaos…. Now released on the US based, Other Side label, along with the 22 minute Winter Music.

This industrial strength, 21st century material is darker than the stuff from the 70s. No surprise there. Times change. Not often for the better.

Musique Concrete, Progressive Electronica, call it what you will, has been the foundation stone of Pinhas’s music since his days studying postmodern philosophy.

His discovery of Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk during that time feeds into all of these 4 tracks.

‘Le Plan’, the instrumental title track has the kind of lo-fi, tuneful abandon that we remember from Syd Barret’s solo material. There’s a kinetic energy to the piece’s expansive range of sci-fi sounds.

The shouty urgency of ‘Next Level’ has a lot in common with Thrash surprisingly, a promise of something far more daring than we get.

Pinhas, no doubt nudged by the label, proves he can write accessible, vaguely commercial material with the propulsive third track, ‘Ubik’.

In parallel, Other Side has released Pinhas’s two part ‘Winter Music’, a stripped down, minimalist slice of electronica, exploring the use of repetion, an unused 22 minute offcut from his 1979 album, Iceland. Think “Blade Runner” and Vangelis’s timeless, often bleak score. Doesn’t hit you in the face, but wow, how it gets under your skin.

Pinhas’s aim, no doubt. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 26 May

Next session: Sunday 29 September

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 25 August 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 27 August 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 2 September 2024

ONE LAST DAY No Chemical Reimagined (indie)
RED SKY JULY Misty Morning (Shadowbirds)
BLACK LAKES Dark Glass (indie)
THE NEW ROSES Attracted To Danger (Napalm Records)
BEARDFISH In The Autumn (Inside Out)
ROBERT JON & THE WRECK Rager (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 2 September 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)