Well, who the hell is Mr
Averell? One one level that is an easy question to answer; he is René van Commenée
- a Dutch percussionist, composer and artist. Another way of looking at it is
that Mr Averell is a band. The man himself says:
"As a musician I work mainly as a percussionist, electronic music performer and sound
designer. I am a member of the trio The
Art of Doing Nothing with Pipe Organ master Willem Tanke and MIDI-wind-controller/flutist Martijn Alsters. With
Alsters I formed a duo for live-surround
concerts and installations also. Separate from this I create visual sound art installations. I always like to use
my voice though. I was a singer in several Dutch rock bands in the
seventies and eighties, and like to write,
record and perform more song-based music as I call it. But if you do so many diverse things I think you have to make clear to
your audience what it is they can expect
when buying your work or attending your concerts/performances. Therefore I chose to give my song-based projects
a separate name, Mr Averell; a band in
which I am the main writer and performer."
But on the other hand... I have no idea. I have a sneaking
suspicion that Mr Averell is the avatar of an ancient race, living out eternity in a little tea shop somewhere, eating cream buns and living out his musical fantasies through the medium of a bunch of talented musician-types including Mike Garson (David
Bowie), David Jackson, Hugh Banton and Judge Smith (Van der Graaf Generator), John Ellis
(Peter Gabriel, Peter Hammill, The Stranglers), Lene Lovich, along with Stuart Gordon (Peter Hammill, Peter
Gabriel, Massive Attack), Dyane
Donck (Daisy Bell), Martijn Alsters, Willem Tanke, Ninca Leece, Tammo Heikens and Lisa Weiss..
The album - apparently their second - is a masterpiece of
sonic invention. It is one of the best things that I have heard all year. It is also very silly. It ranges from avant-noise to tunes
that sound like they came from the soundtrack of The Magic Roundabout. There are sensitive and chilling ballads and
imposing waves of brassy soundscape. There is a story, but what the hell that
story is I have no idea. The nearest reference point I can give is Tom Wait's
sublime retelling of Alice
in Wonderland, but in point of fact the two records sound nothing like each
other. I merely suspect that they inhabit the same universe. I may be wrong. I
often am.
But I am intrigued. I have booked an interview with him this
weekend, and I am also approaching some of the other folk on the album to try
and find out what on earth this is all about? And I want to find out who the hell is Mr Averell?
CHECK HIM OUT AT GONZO
Gridlock
CD - �9.99
CHECK HIM OUT AT GONZO
GridlockCD - �9.99
