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Originally released on a small French label in 1975, Heldon’s heady second album finally receives its first proper domestic vinyl release.
Allez-Téia sees guitarist/bandleader Richard Pinhas in a more ambient zone than typically characterized by the French spacerock group. While pulsing synthesizers and Pinhas’ signature fuzzy tone persist, they are less prevalent. Rather, acoustic guitar and long droning, atmospheric passages mark the album with the songs subtly expanding as layers appear. “Fluence,” the twelve-minute centerpiece, slowly builds from electronic sound to arpeggiated synth, echoing the more experimental work of Cluster and even Klaus Schulze‘s earlier compositions. Other tracks, like “Aphanisis” and the closing “Michael Ettori” eschew electronics in favor of beautiful acoustic passages, with multi-tracked guitars creating a breathy, organic space. It’s an astounding work of texture, constantly mutating and evolving as the music progresses.
Though less animated than what many consider to be classic Heldon, like 1977’s Interface and 1979’s Standby, Allez-Téia is no less heavy or powerful, just different in its approach. Turn this one up in the dark for some seriously psychedelic mind expansion.
