Kadouch en Plein Air

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a new clamshell boxed set featuring all four of Curved Air’s classic albums recorded between 1970 and 1973. “The Albums” features newly remastered versions of “Air Conditioning”, “Second Album”, “Phantasmagoria” and “Air Cut”, along with bonus tracks ‘It Happened Today’ (single version), ‘What Happens When You Blow Yourself Up’ and ‘Sarah’s Concern’, all originally issued as singles.
Originally issued on the Warner Bros. label in November 1970, “Air Conditioning” showcased the highly innovative talents of Sonja Kristina (vocals), ex-Royal College of Music student Darryl Way (violin), former Royal Academy of Music student Francis Monkman (electric guitar, piano, mellotron, VCS3 synthesiser), Rob Martin (bass) and Florian Pilkington-Miksa (drums)…

Between René Urtreger and Agnès Desarthe the story is written in several chapters. First, their first meeting followed by regular interviews that allow the writer to collect the confidences of the pianist. From these elements she wrote a superb biography entitled "King René". In the wake of the many meetings that preceded the writing of the book, the pianist discovers the interest of Agnès Desarthe for the music she learned and practiced in her youth. From there the events are linked. During a literary festival (in Nevers) and presentations of the book (in Paris to the Duke of Lombards) the two accomplices have the opportunity to meet in music around piano and microphone.

Fittingly for an album called Mumbo Jumbo, Air Supply do employ some smoke and mirrors on their 2010 album – perhaps more than any of their previous albums, dabbling with a variety of textures and rhythms. Although their touch remains decidedly light, this isn’t merely a collection of romantic ballads: it opens with the spooky prog pomp of “Setting the Seen”; “A Little Bit of Everything” pulsates with the clean sheen of the late ‘80s; they work up a fairly good head of steam on “Me Like You”; they get a little dirty on the slow groove of “Lovesex”; “Until” approaches the baroque; and even on something as soft as “A Little Bit More,” the acoustic guitars are unadorned in a way Air Supply never have tried. While none of the songs approach the skyscraping hooks of their soft rock classics, this isn’t the sound of a band resting on its laurels; if anything, this is one the group’s most adventurous records, which may also be why it’s one of Air Supply's best.