This album will allow you to travel through various musical journeys and maybe discover new artists. But most of all, this is a powerful link we are keeping alive between Eric and all of us, as he would have loved.
Limited edition of 100 copies €16 Including shipping costs to France€19.50 Including shipping costs to InternationalOrders by email at: asso.ftf.music@gmail.com
13 compositions, bringing together many artists from various countries who participated in the life of Eric Bouillette and wished to pay tribute to him.
Tracklist 1. Nova Cascade – Any minute now 2. Freddy Scott & Eric Bouillette – Toy Town 3. BDD – Dream for the future 4. The Chrysdoll Project – Pour l’éternité 5. Ruby Dawn – Heavens Angels 6. Achraf Elasraoui – Pat Sanders – Gareth Cole – Chris York – Man on a Mountain 7. Steve Anderson & Chris York – Our Man From France 8. Howard Sinclair – The Angels will Lay Down Their Harps 9. Nicolas de Renty – Fugue pour Notre-Dame du Saint Rosaire 10. Andsee – When the night comes (Silent Hell) 11. BABAL – Touched by angels 12. Erëwan – New shining star 13. Solace Supplice – Dans la couche du diable
Capturing the angst of the 21st Century with Karen Langley’s sharply observed lyrics, laced with the manically haunting guitars of Rob Williams and Jon Sharp on drums (plus guest musicians), BABAL delivers a thought-provoking, barbed performance that defies categorization.
BABAL reveal a dystopian, offbeat view of life; their cinematic, psych/art-rock approach calls up comparisons with Talking Heads, Zappa, Beefheart, Hendrix, Primus, Bent Knee, and Patti Smith among many.
The band has gathered great responses around the UK and Europe and has also played live soundtracks for Alternative Cinema presentations.
It’s been said
This is a wonderful amalgamation of progressive rock mixed well with Frank Zappa – like experimentation. Progressive Rock Central
Karen, Rob, and Jon have yet again delivered something out of the norm and very special indeed. Kev Rowland – Prog Archives
BABAL offers you more than a record, it’s a journey without any barriers or musical boundaries. Wil – Chronicle
Babal easily switch between dark, light, gray, and dazzling. The band moves seamlessly through improvisation, taut precision, poetic fusion, political satire, eccentricity, and authentic raw power. Anne-Claire -Mazik
If you want a piece of music to play in the background to a dinner party, then you have come to the wrong place. But, if you want to sit down for an hour and be taken on a magic carpet ride through our fragile existence, with humour, sarcasm, and understanding. If you like great guitar, bass and drums all working together, so tight, you will think it is all the same person. If you like colour and light and meaning, then this is a must have…. Chris Gill – Band of Rain
About Who will I be when I leave?
BABAL has many carriages, and there are many stops along the way; sometimes the train is just too crowded and we have to get off and have a station break; a breather, while we wait for the next connection.
We never opt for the straight-through – it always speeds past, sending clouds of dust and screeching metal particles over us as we sit patiently on the bench, anticipating the arrival of the mystery train that will send us happily on our way, toward the next strange town of tunes. What wonderful places we visit, and are still visiting!
“Who Will I Be When I Leave?” takes us to some eccentric station stops on a network of infrequently used branch lines and complex intersections. Take the BABAL ticket once more, and sit back for the Corkscrew Ride…. we can’t guarantee a return trip; just taking the journey is the goal. X Karen Langley 2022
Tracklisting
1. 3 Minutes (7.12) 2. Sitting Pretty (6.54) 3. Corkscrew Rider (8.22) 4. Dead End Friends (4.35) 5. The Wolf Slips Up Quickly (6.17) 6. Made Without Instructions (5.00) 7. Baby Wants Freedom (7.59) 8. Doors (12.10) 9. Who Will I Be When I Leave? (3.52)
Total Playtime: 61’57
Lineup Karen Langley: vocals Rob Williams: Guitars, synth, bass, programming Jon Sharp: Drums Guest artist Paul Smith: Bass on “ Corkscrew Rider” and “Doors”
Microsoft Word – Babal Who Will I Be When I Leave? Press Sheet.docx
Discography
Who Will I Be When I Leave? (2022) CD, Digital & Streaming Corkscrew Rider (Single) (2022) Digital & Streaming Zombie Diary (Single) (2021) Digital & Streaming Spirit In A Meat Suit (2021) CD, Digital & Streaming Dreams For Imaginary Puppet Shows On The Radio (2020) Limited Edition CD, Digital & Streaming Hellish Interlude (2020) Limited Edition USB Frank’s Lament EP (2020) LP, CD, Digital & Streaming The Big Everything EP (2019) CD, Digital & Streaming The Glacier EP (2018) CD, Digital & Streaming The Circle of Confusion of Tongues (2018) LP, CD, Digital & Streaming
Babal are back with another album which refuses to conform to what anyone thinks progressive rock should be like, with a worldview which puts them in opposition to the majority and they are just fine with that. Although they have a guest who provides additional bass on a couple of tracks, Babal are a close-knit trio who have been following their own musical path and destiny for some years now, staying away from anything which could be deemed to be trendy and instead walking a path less followed. In Jon Sharpe they have a drummer who is never content to sit at the back and just keep time, but rather he needs to be heard and injects himself into the music to be a key part of the arrangements. Rob Williams is a multi-instrumentalist who appears to be at home with whatever he touches, and then there is Karen?… Karen is the ultimate performer living her roles, which are very much part of her, destined to be the center of attention.
With both Rob and Karen suffering cancer in recent years, there was a very high risk that Babal would have to fold, and as it is they have unable to play gigs for quite some time, but there is nothing which will stop the guys channeling the music which is in their blood, and here they have come up with one of their most uncompromising albums yet. Think Talking Heads mixed with Beefheart, experimental Zappa and some punk ethics (as opposed to musical) such as Crass and one may just get close. There are elements of free jazz alongside prog, an edginess which refuses definition and a solid desire never to be pleasant and restful but rather be angular and sharp. This is music which will divide opinions among progheads as there will be plenty who will feel there is too much angst and general weirdness going on while there will also be others who feel this is cutting edge which takes us back 50 years to a time when anything was possible and being progressive meant being different as opposed to rehashing what had come before.
I have become used to Babal by now and knew I would not necessarily enjoy this the first time I played this, even before I put it on, and possibly not even the second, but by the third, there was a smile on my face as Karen, Rob and Jon have yet again delivered something out of the norm and very special indeed.
Babal – The Big Everything – Melodic Revolution Records
Released at the beginning of 2020, ‘Frank’s Lament’ is the third of the EP’s completing the second part of the trilogy, which will be finalized with the release of the ‘(I’m Just A) Spirit In A Meat Suit’ later this year. Singer Karen Langley suffered a potentially terminal blood cancer in 2019 (she undertook extensive chemo, which was brutal, and a stem cell transplant), and she is now in remission. Because of this, the band has made the decision that all profits from this release will go to Macmillan Cancer Support. The last EP featured just two songs while this one has four, with the opening title cut being the longest at more than 9 minutes. A couple of shorter numbers then lead us into a live version of “Endless Re-Run Society”.
The three EP’s every run to more than 20 minutes in length, combining together to form one full-length album, so perhaps it isn’t surprising they are similar in style, although “The Axe” is quite different to the others with a concentration on Karen’s vocals combined with whirling synths. It makes me think of a very modern folk song in terms of its lyrics and approach, not something I would normally associate with this band. Karen is often using her voice as an instrument, challenging norms, so it is nice to hear her singing with emotion in a more “normal” manner. “Bones & Blood” starts off almost orchestral in fashion, but soon we get the jagged edge and syncopation as Rob and Jon come in to turn it into something quite different. Their music is a combination of performance art, space rock, krautrock, Talking Heads, RIO and experimentation and this all comes to a climax in the live cut which ends the EP. The three EP’s together make quite a set, certainly worthy of an investigation who wants their progressive rock to sound nothing like Genesis.
Babal releases Limited Edition LP, CD, also available a digital release includes original art by Paul Kopal and Andy White.
All profits from this release to benefit Macmillan Cancer Support charity which provides specialist health care, information, and financial support to people affected by cancer in the UK.
CD Cover Art
Track Listing 1. FRANK’ S LAMENT 09:31 2. THE AXE 03:31 3. BONES & BLOOD (new version) 03:45 4. ENDLESS RE-RUN SOCIETY (live) 05:44
In November 2018, Vocalist Karen Langley received a shocking diagnosis that she was suffering from potentially terminal blood cancer. thankfully through intensive, life-saving chemotherapy and a stem-cell transplant, she has recovered and the cancer is in remission.
Our world was turned upside down, inside out, through the wormhole and back again. Everything changed. The focus was on Karen’s illness. BABAL went dark and all energy went into living with the unknown and not giving in to black thoughts. Throughout, Rob carried on getting existing BABAL material produced and put out as well as looking after Karen.
The good news is that Karen is through the worst and is now on the path of recovery. BABAL’s new release came out of all the uncertainty and anguish. So much love and support over the year have kept us going mentally and physically and our music continues to evolve with all perspectives remaining on authenticity and inner creative impulses.
We are not defined by illness or bad luck or even the past; we meet in the now and are thankful for the continuation that prevails.
Small things become important and big things happen when you are looking at the flowers. Be ready xx
Enjoy the new music; all profits to benefit Macmillan Cancer Support charity which provides specialist health care, information, and financial support to people affected by cancer in the UK.
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