Maurice Lemaître - "Poémes et Musiques Lettristes et Hyperphonie" Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, 2014 (Alga Marghen)

I first discovered Maurice Lemaître's work in a Paris bookstore; I think somewhere in the Marais district.  It was a booklet that came with a CD of him reciting his 'letterist' poetry.   Once I got home, I was hooked on him and the entire Letterist movement, which was the first step that eventually leads to Situationist International.  Not really speaking a word of French, I was more in tune with Lemaître's voice and pronouncement of the words.  For me, it's music or sound that brings up the era of the Boris Vian's Saint Germain des Prés then anything else.  

Letterism or sometimes spelled out as Lettrism is an off-shoot of DADA, that focused on literature, painting, and films.  Isidore Isou is the most famous member of the group, but Lenaître was very much the public face of Letterism.  He even appeared in an Orson Welles documentary on Paris nightlife.   Still, this vinyl edition of his recitations is a marvel.  One can see traces of hip-hop in "Quatre Lettries Sur Des Thèmes Rock" which is him reciting his poetry over a French rock n' roll record.  Very primitive recording, yet a total delight.  I know very little of his paintings, and these recordings are my main entrance to the world of The Letterists, but still, it's a magnificent and fun approach to a Parisian culture at its height.   I find work produced in the Paris 1950s of great interest. To me, it's the bridge between post-war European years to the Hippie movement.  It's a fascinating journey to go on, and this album is very much a suitable soundtrack for that trip.  

Maurice Lemaitre -Poémes et Musiques Lettristes et Hyperphonie"

Maurice Lemaitre - "Poémes et Musiques Lettristes et Hyperphonie"

This album is a limited edition release, and therefore an important purchase for one who wanders into the world of European Avant-Garde and dwell into it's charm and seduction. Maurice Lemaitre is by all means, a Letterist. Letterism was a movement that started in Paris in 1946 that co-piloted by the great Isidore Isou. Also involved was Gabriel Pomerand, Gil J Wolman, and, of course our artist here, Maurice Lemaitre. With a theory of 'Kladology, ' which is a branch of knowledge that is somewhere between the figurative and the abstract. Letterism is the little brother to DADA. It eventually rolled into the realm of The Situationists, but that's another narrative.

"Poémes et Musiques Lettristes et Hyperhphonie" is a compilation of recordings made by Lemaitre from the 1950s to 1968. Every track is vocal orientated. Yet there are mixtures of sounds. For instance, Lemaitre uses French rock n' roll instrumentals as a background to his vocal gymnastics - and without a doubt, Lemaitre can project his voice across the room. When you look at the Discogs site for this album, it mentions the genre is "Non-Music." I do not share that insight, because these recordings are very musical, but maybe not in the way that one has experienced music.

Most if not all of the pieces here are in French, but some are clearly just sound works. I may be missing out some important aspect of the work not knowing Frnech, but on the other hand, the performances take the listener to a new landscape, and I like the new territory! This is a superb album on so many levels. As a document of Avant-Garde Paris in its early days of post-war, as well as a dynamic listening experience. It's all exceptional. For those who want to focus on the roots of The Situationists (Guy Debord world) and those who want jump into the eros/politics/drunkness of that period in the St Germain des Prés world - this is simply a must to have.