RICHARD PINHAS / HELDON / CUNEIFORM RECORDS

Founded in 1984

RICHARD PINHAS / HELDON
Francois Auger • Clement Bailly • Didier Batard • Didier Badez • Alain Bellaiche • Klaus Blasquiz • Gilles Deleuze • Maurice Dantec • Michel Ettori • Patrick Gauthier • Jean-Philippe Goude • Georges Grunblatt • Merzbow • Bernard Paganotti • Richard Pinhas • Gerard Prevost • Philibert Rossi • Coco Roussel • Janick Top
	DESOLATION ROW RUNE 366	"The music is beautiful in its brutality" – Sonic Curiousity "Richard Pinhas' continuing transformation...to touchstone for a next generation of abstract noisemakers continues..." – All Music Guide "...a career spent shattering boundaries..." – Time Out Chicago *Desolation Row* finds things coming full-circle for guitarist/electronics pioneer, Richard Pinhas. In a career spanning more than 40 years, pathfinder Pinhas has remained continually innovative, pioneering groundbreaking developments in electronic rock and industrial music and influencing generations of musicians. In a major recent creative surge, he has released numerous recordings over the past several years in collaboration with noise and experimental musicians, breaking further sonic ground. Desolation Row finds Pinhas collaborating with those he has directly or indirectly inspired and influenced, with the results in a class by themselves. On the album, he is in the company of some of Europe’s cutting-edge performers in the frequently-overlapping spheres of free improvisation, jazz, progressive rock and noise — Oren Ambarchi, Lasse Marhaug, Etienne Jaumet, Noel Akchote, Eric Borelva, and his son, Duncan Nilsson — engaging in a series of six distinct works which stimulate and push all concerned through and beyond their comfort zones. This is a work that stands both with and apart from the respective oeuvres of its principals. The continually evolving Pinhas reaches ever newer artistic vistas – and draws attention to Europe’s sociological, political, and economic turmoil on Desolation Row. Desolation Row contains some of the elements we know and love from Pinhas—dense, subtly shifting banks of sonic bliss; sustained guitar tones, textures alternately dreamlike and nightmarish, and well-nigh elemental, pulsating rhythms. Far from being an "elder statesman," this shows that Richard Pinhas is still in the thick of things, continually reinventing his musical conceptions and recognizing no conventional constraints.	CD - FLAC/AAC/MP3 320
	PARIS 2008 RUNE 329 (vinyl lp with download card)	"...arguably one of the finest works in either artist’s canon; hypnotic like Harmonia and monumental like Mountains. ... 4 stars" – Spencer Grady, Record Collector "Merzbow’s collaboration with French pioneer Richard Pinhas features some of his best music and gleefully amplifies the psychedelic tendencies of both composers." – Luke Schleicher, Laughter "...an album of ambient soundscapes that prove noise can indeed be beautiful, and that it's possible to dispense with conventional constructs of rhythm, melody and harmony yet still create something both musical and profound...it's...quite extraordinary just how appealing it is." – John Kelman, All About Jazz In 2007, guitarist and rock electronics innovator Richard Pinhas performed in Tokyo and then performed a duo concert with notorious 'noise' artist Merzbow. Both men were so excited by the duo concert, they immediately booked studio time to make the recordings that became their first duo release Keio Line. The duo continue to perform together; this concert performance and recording was their first meeting together after Keio Line. It was recorded at Les Instants Chavirés in Paris on November 12, 2008. Even though they had only worked together for a very short time the year before, the duo had already established a recognizable sound with Richard's metronic and spacey guitar figures being worked over by Merzbow's electronic mayhem in a glorious, psychedelic death spiral. Paris 2008 is a vinyl-only release; the first vinyl released by Cuneiform in over 20 years! There are only 500 copies made and there will not be a repress; this lp edition is the only way to buy this in a physical format. The lp comes with a digital download card for the music and if you buy it from us, your copy will be on beautiful blue vinyl.	- FLAC/AAC/MP3 320
	RHIZOME RUNE 328 (CD + DVD)	"In 1973, a rock guitarist and an electronic knob-twiddler released a revered and trail-blazing document in contemporary ambient music: Rober Fripp and Brian Eno's No Pussyfooting. Thirty-five years later, guitarist Richard Pinhas and noise artist Masami Akita (aka Merzbow) have formed the 21st century version of the concept." – Brandon Wu/Washington City Paper "A surprising meeting of minds and one of the strongest CDs I've heard in a while." – Musicworks It's interesting that Brandon Wu compares the work of Richard Pinhas and Merzbow to Fripp and Eno. At the time it was recorded, No Pussyfooting was considered to be practically 'noise' (sound familiar?) and Robert Fripp has gone on record about how the record label didn't want to release the album because it would affect the commmercial impact of these artsts. Yet, with time, the work the duo did was absorbed into the greater musical universe - if not into the mainstream - and its influence continues to this day. While it's never safe to predict the future, perhaps the unlikely but also quite logical meeting of Richard's billowing clouds of guitarwork with Masami's well considered sonic assault will also prove to be influencial upon the larger musical universe. In any event, this recording from September, 2010, expands upon their first studio meeting, Keio Line and offers an obvious follow-up, as well as new twists to the sound. The first pressing of Rhizome also includes a number of bonuses not available after the initial pressing and all included at regular single-CD pricing!: a bonus DVD of a generous excerpt of the duo's performance at the 2010 Sonic Circuits festival as well as a download coupon for their performance in Paris, November 12, 2008.	- FLAC/AAC/MP3 320
	METAL/CRYSTAL RUNE 308/309	In *Metal/Crystal*, French experimental guitarist and electronic musician Richard Pinhas summons the assistance of noise artists Merzbow (Masami Akita) from Japan and Wolf Eyes from USA to weave a spellbinding aural web that spans 2 CDs.Over the years, many artists in the 'noise arena' have expressed interest in his pioneering use of synthesizers and electronics in rock and contemporary music. Pinhas has likewise been intrigued by various areas of the ‘noise’ scene and Metal/Crystal, recorded "during these two worst years of my life" reflects these influences strongly. Metal/Crystal also intertwines some of the most radical electro-acoustic sonic innovations to emerge from three different continents: Europe, Asia and North America. Pinhas has been ceaselessly innovative in a career spanning more than 30 years, and recently has been exploring areas of the international ‘noise’ scene. His newest release shows him working with two of that scene’s highest profile artists; Merzbow and Wolf Eyes are considered to be the premier ‘noise artists’ of their respective countries. Metal/Crystal is Pinhas’ second collaboration with Merzbow, the originator of Japanese noise music. It is Pinhas’ first release with Michigan's Wolf Eyes, whom he’s worked with since 2007. In addition to Merzbow and Wolf Eyes, Metal/Crystal features several of Pinhas’ longtime collaborators: Antoine Paganotti (drums), Didier Batard (bass), Patrick Gauthier (mini-Moog) (all ex members of Heldon and/or Magma); Jerome Schmidt (electronics), whom Pinhas has recorded and toured extensively with for 2 decades; and his son Duncan Pinhas (electronics), who also helped mix the album with Laurent Peyron and Francis Gernet. The album’s artwork, by Yann Legendre and Joy Burke, features intricate, back-and-white cartoon-like drawings, with images hidden inside larger forms. The 6 lengthy tracks on Metal/Crystal features some of Pinhas’ most melodic guitar riffs in recent years, as well as his ‘noisiest’ sonic abstractions ever.	- FLAC/AAC/MP3 320
	KEIO LINE RUNE 278/279	"...Richard Pinhas consolidates his position as the reigning master of mesmerizing, trance/ambient guitar...." – All Music Guide "Merzbow is essentially a psychedelic artist, attempting to create shifts in consciousness through extreme sound." – Pitchfork "This is the sound of rebellion, of chaos, and trashed beauty all rolled into one as a new genesis, forming a new aesthetic from the ruins. Keio Line is one of the most engaging electronic records issued in 2008, and one of the most satisfying albums released by either man. One can only hope that Pinhas continues his resurgence to the public scene, and Akita uses collaborations like this...and musical textures and dynamics more in his own music in the future. [4.5 stars out of 5]" – Thom Jurek, All Music Guide Richard and Merzbow are both among the best-known figures in electronic rock music today. Merzbow is probably the single best-known artist in noise music today. While Richard's work wouldn't be considered to be in the 'noise' arena, many of the artists in the field have expressed great interest in his pioneering use of synthesizers and electronics in rock and contemporary music from the 1970s until the present. Despite coming from very different backgrounds, they had long expressed admiration for each others work. Given all of this, it is probably not surprising that the most important electronic musicians of France and Japan should finally collaborate together! During Richard's second tour of Japan in the fall of 2007, he performed with Merzbow in what Richard called, "an incredible concert". A week later, at the end of this tour, they booked two days in the studio to work together again, this time on a recording. All material was recorded completely live by the two musicians, with extensive work done in the mix and re-mix stage. Keio Line (the name refers to the name of the train Richard and Masami would take from downtown Tokyo to the recording studio) is a two CD set, released at a special price, that is violent, soothing, hypnotic, noisy and trance-inducing. All aboard the Keio Line!	- FLAC/AAC/MP3 320
	METATRON RUNE 228/229	"We take it for granted today, but not too long ago, integrating electronics into a rock setting was something exotic and strange..... Heldon and Richard Pinhas are considered building blocks for whole schools of experimental rock music, and one of the few who rarely fail to deliver on the hype." – Pitchfork Media "Richard Pinhas demonstrates that he is capable of contstructing some of the most formidable but exhilharating sonic edifices ever heard by mortal ears." – Bill Tilland/All Music Guide *Metatron* is over 2 hours of spacey and flowing music that isn't afraid to rock out completely as well, by French electronic rock pioneer Richard Pinhas (on guitar and electronics), with Jerome Schmidt on laptop, drummer Antoine Paganotti (Magma) and ex-Heldon members Didier Batard (bass), Patrick Gauthier (minimoog) and Alain Renaud (guitar), as well as Chuck Oken, Jr. (Djam Karet) on synths and Philipe Simon on violin on one track each. While a lot of this is definitely comparable to Tranzition, his great last album, there really is a lot more rock involved this time around, as there are drums on the great majority of tracks. In addition to all the great music, there is a QuickTime video with footage from Richard and Jerome's 2004 North American tour.
	TRANZITION RUNE 186	"Among collectors of electronic music, some names have become legendary and are present in every search list. These names include Richard Pnhas, the leader of the French cult group Heldon." – Audion Composer, guitarist and electronics innovator Richard Pinhas is recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians. A pivotal figure in the international development of electronic rock music, Pinhas' stature in France is analogous to Tangerine Dream's in Germany: the father figure of an entire musical movement. The pioneering, aggressive music produced by his band Heldon during the 1970s, fusing electronics, guitar and rock, heralded the industrial and techno to come and remains today vital and unsurpassed. On *Tranzition*, Pinhas weaves beautiful, spacey, processed guitar tapestries, with added color from laptop, violin and the drumming of Antoine Paganotti of Magma. The voice of the late author Philip K. Dick can be heard on "Moumoune girl", from a 1977 tape that he gave Pinhas. The BBC described his recent guitar music as "Music that is in flux and stasis at the same time, with an almost sculptural presence, stuffed with overtones and rich textures." Tranzition is a multifaceted and richly jeweled work in which cause and effect, acoustics and electronics, taped sound and live playing change roles and even realities.
	EVENT AND REPETITIONS RUNE 166	"...a sporadic but constant thread in Pinhas’ music has been his experimentation with guitar feedback, loops and effects boxes, even in the early days of Heldon, as he tried to perfect his own version of Frippertronics. Well, it has been a long time coming, but Event and Repetitions may well signal the full realization of Pinhas’ long-time vision. The drifting, hypnotic patterns of the five pieces on this CD? have a shimmering beauty and depth that seems to suggest a destination at the end of a long journey – and perhaps the beginning of a new journey. Although the CD cover proclaims that all tracks were performed live on guitar direct to digital recorder, many of the background drones and even melody lines have such long sustains that they sound as if they are being played on a huge cathedral organ rather than an electric guitar. The mastery of technology here is not only impressive – but also completely organic. Like all art that comes from the deeper parts of the psyche, Event and Repetitions really transcends classification." – Bill Tilland, All Music Guide. *Event and Repetitions*, his first solo album in over 5 years, is over 75' of music performed live in his studio with just guitar and processing systems. The music is rich in depth, detail and texture.




	SCHIZOTROPE: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MARIE ZORN with Maurice Dantec RUNE 131	The Schizotrope project was born out of a desire to honor Richard's friend, the noted philosopher Gilles Deleuze, who died in 1995. In 1998, Pinhas teamed up with French 'cyber-punk' author Dantec and Schizotrope came to North America in March 1999 for a series of shows. This album was compiled from tapes of these shows. Featuring Dantec reading from Deleuze’ works, accompanied by Pinhas playing guitar, with sound electronically modulated in real-time by various processors, this is a musically innovative, emotionally moving, and conceptually rich fusion of those disciplines closest to Pinhas’ heart.
	FOSSIL CULTURE with Peter Frohmader RUNE 123	On Fossil Culture two giants of European electronic music join forces. Richard Pinhas' sustained, instantly recognizable guitarwork & processing blends with Peter's dark synthetic vision to come up with a sound that is recognizably the work of both of these distinctive musicians, yet still has it's own character. Compelling, demented and downright evil, this is probably the closest we will get to hearing Richard doing a new version of the classic Heldon sound, with heavy synthetic rhythms propelling his guitar work forward. "Fans of Kraftwerk and Neu! owe it to themselves to check out this similarly far-sighted stuff...exciting guitar and Moog noodle-o-rama! – C.M.J.
	UN REVE SANS CONSEQUENCE SPECIALE RUNE 65	Composer, guitarist & electronics innovator Richard Pinhas is recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians & is a pivotal figure in the development of electronic rock. This was Heldon's fifth, & many people's favorite, this was called "the apex of the punk-electronic sound - a masterpiece". by Forced Exposure. Includes a guest slot by Magma monster bassist Janick Top and two live bonus tracks! Probably their closest, along with Stand By, to a heavy zeuhl sound with massive electronics added!	BUY THIS TITLE FROM ITUNES
	RHIZOSPHERE / LIVE, PARIS 1982 RUNE 61	"...accessible and musically adventurous. This is Pinhas' first solo album, coupled with 40 minutes of live performance with Heldon regulars. Rhizosphere features Pinhas soloing over shifting electronic-rhythmic foundations. The live set focuses more on his diabolical guitar work." – Progression Rhizosphere, originally released in 1976, was Pinhas' first solo album. It consists of four solo pieces for synthesizer, plus a extended fifth synthesizer piece which is a duet with Heldon drummer Francois Auguer. I have always found it to be a mesmerizing work, on par with its influences of Terry Riley and Philip Glass, but completely different from them due to the usage of only Moog and ARP synthesizers. For this CD release, an additional 38' was added of a previously unheard, professionally recorded 1982 concert by the Richard Pinhas Band, a short-lived ensemble who were Heldon II in all but name and who featured a great cast who had all previously played in Magma: Clement Bailly (drums), Patrick Gauthier (synthesizer), Bernard Paganotti (bass) and Richard on electronics, synthesizers and guitar. Unlike the trance/hypnotic style of Rhizosphere, this is a pretty mighty, ballsy blast of rock + electronics.
	AGNETA NILSSON RUNE 60	"...widely considered to be one of the most experimental of the Heldon catalog, as Pinhas dazzles the ear with monstrous assaults of mellotron, the big Moog, electric guitars and shuddering bass that projects images of a sort of music Stockhausen might have done had he gigged with a rock band...indispensable." – i/e Composer, guitarist & electronics innovator Richard Pinhas is recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians & is a pivotal figure in the development of electronic rock. This was their fourth album and features Patrick Gauthier, Gerard Prevost, Coco Roussel, Michael Ettori and Alain Bellaiche and ranges from slow building mellotron/electronic drones, to brain searing synth/guitar sonic attacks.
	STAND BY RUNE 53	"Heldon's last was album was also their best. Stand By stood on an imaginary crossroad between Robert Fripp, Magma and Tangerine Dream." – Scented Gardens of the Mind. *Stand By* is the seventh and final album by Heldon, the quintessential progressive French electronic rock band. Originally released on Egg in 1979, this features the classic Heldon line-up of Richard Pinhas-guitar and electronics, Patric Gauthier-Moog synthesizer and electronics, Didier Batard-bass, François Auger-drums and guests, including Klaus Blasquiz of Magma! This was one of Heldon's heaviest rock albums.
	ELECTRONIQUE GUERILLA / IT'S ALWAYS ROCK 'N' ROLL RUNE 51/52	"...France's most influencial contemporary musician." – Alternative Press "Searing instrumental space music, bridging electronics & psychedelic guitar excess in unique & legendary fashion...one of the quintessential European progressive groups of the 70's" – Forced Exposure Composer, guitarist & electronics innovator Richard Pinhas is recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians & is a pivotal figure in the development of electronic rock. This combines their 1st & 3rd albums (3 lps) onto 2 CDs. Some of their most primitive, yet compelling work; some of it if by just Richard on early synthesizers and electric guitars with lots of fuzz doing big sonic freakouts, while other tracks add familiar names like George Grunblatt-VCS3 synth, mellotron and guitar, Pattrick Gauthier-VCS3 and ARP synths, Jean-My Truong-drums, Coco Roussel-drums, Gilbert Artman-drums, Ariel Kalma-harmonium and more!
	ICELAND RUNE 44	"Iceland, from 1979, was Pinhas's third solo release (and considered by many to be his best). It was a slower, more classical recording, with a capacity of hypnotize the listener without their knowledge." – Alternative Press "Pinhas' song and CD titles, and even cover art, both as a solo artist and with Heldon indicate the strong influence of science fiction authors and titles. Pinhas has a strongly visual and literary imagination and while this recording is not exactly thematic, and not exactly science fiction either, it is inspired by a vision of ancient Northern kingdoms and rulers, with song titles such as "Iceland," "The Last Kings of Thule" and "Greenland." At its best, Iceland does in fact convey an icy desolate beauty with the three-part title piece perhaps most evocative. Here, Pinhas uses long, moody synthesizer lines in a manner that would be adopted and extended by ambient synthesizer artists such as Steve Roach four or five years later..." – Bill Tilland/All Music Guide Iceland was Richard's first album after the dissolution of Heldon and it's an mostly solo work (Francois Auger (drums) and Jean-Philippe Goude (mini-moog) join him on one track) that conjures up impressions of icy, pristine landscapes. Includes a previously unreleased 25' track.
	INTERFACE RUNE 43	"If there was ever a band that epitomized perhaps the ultimate union of guitars with electronics, Heldon's holy blaze burns the brightest." – i/e *Interface* is the sixth album by Heldon, the quintessential progressive French electronic rock band. Originally released on Cobra in 1977, this features the classic Heldon line-up of Richard Pinhas-guitar and electronics, Patric Gauthier-Moog synthesizer and electronics and François Auger-drums and electronics. This was one of Heldon's heaviest albums, featuring their most intense and relentless electronic fusillades. This includes two bonus live tracks. This is probably my personal favorite of all their albums and a great place to start.
	DWW RUNE 40	*DWW* was his final album from his initial period of work in the 70's/80's, but which was unreleased until the early 1990's.	THIS TITLE IS OUT OF PRINT
	ALLEZ TEIA RUNE 37	*Allez Teia*, originally released in 1975, was Heldon's second album. It is rightly considered an early, trance-inducing, electronic masterpiece. It is the only album in the Heldon cannon to feature acoustic guitar. Overall, I'd say that this is the most trippy and spacey Heldon material, it basically begs for you to break out the bong! It features the trademark 70s Heldon/Pinhas instrumental sound: waves of fuzz-tone, post Frippian guitars, ARP and VCS3 synthesizers, tape loops and mellotron, all building towards a monstrously delirious denouement. A absolutely stone(d) classic of the progressive rock scene of the 70s – searing, instrumental spacemusic, bridging electronics and psychedelic guitar in a legendary fashion. Originally first reissued (by us) on CD in 1992 and out of print for several years, this is reissued here in newly upgraded packaging that closely approximates the original, collectable album release.
	L'ETHIQUE RUNE 36	During a fairly incredible 7 year run that began in the mid 1970s, Richard Pinhas released a large string of influencial albums; 7 by Heldon and 5 under his own name, all of which attempted in one way or another to meld (avant-garde) rock music with electronics. L'Ethique was his final release of that 12, recorded in 1981 and originally released in 1982. It was his final solo album before his musical retirement throughout the 1980s and it's one of his great 'classic period' works. It also features the only studio recordings by the short-lived Richard Pinhas Band. This group featured a great cast of musicians who had all previously played in Magma: Clement Bailly (drums), Patrick Gauthier (synthesizer) (also of Heldon and Weidorje), Bernard Paganotti (bass) (also of Weidorje) and Richard on electronics, synthesizers and guitar. L'Ethique has been unavailable on CD for several years and with the huge interest in analog electronics and the early days of synthesis, Richard's career in general and the music of Magma, it was definitely time to make this available again.
	EAST WEST RUNE 31	Out of print for the last 5 years, *East/West* was Richard’s s fourth solo album, which was originally released in 1980. This album has Richard embracing the new, computer-driven electronic technology, while still using some of his old gear and is one of Richard's personal favorites of his 70's and 80's work. This reprinting of East/West includes two songs that were not on the original CD issue and are never-before released!
	CHRONOLYSE RUNE 30	Composer, guitarist & electronics innovator Richard Pinhas is recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians & is a pivotal figure in the development of electronic rock. This was his 2nd solo and is absolutely one of his very finest works: half live Moog electronics that make fantastic use of stereo imaging and mix agression with the repetiveness of Phillip Glass or Terry Riley, & half with Heldon in a 30' King Crimson-ish stormy drone-epic of mellotrons, electronics, guitar, bass, & drums. One of my very favorite albums of all time!