2004

2 Univers – Jeszcze Raz, Paul Kunigis
⇒ Maison de disque
⇒ Sur ITunes

Ralph Boncy – 27 mai 2004

La cinéaste québécoise Stella Goulet a fait un beau cadeau à Paul Kunigis, ce Polonais errant, en lui offrant d’écrire la trame sonore de son film La pension des étranges. Mais l’homme qui porte le chapeau s’en donne à cœur joie et offre en retour une musique qui mériterait volontiers des images de Kusturica ou de Fellini. C’est simple, si le projet Jeszcze Raz n’existait pas, il faudrait l’inventer. Pour le cœur qu’il y met, pour la part de rêve, pour son âme tzigane et pour sa vérité. Les quatorze titres instrumentaux pour lesquels le citoyen Yves Desrosiers reprend du service à la guitare électrique alternent avec six chansons crève-cœur issues du premier album indépendant de cette formation baroque, indisponible sur le marché depuis un sacré bout de temps. Une bonne affaire, quoi. Malgré une pochette carrément laide…

Disc Review by Dean Cottrill – June 10, 2004

The universes of the title refer to a fusion of two Paul Kunigis projects: his first album, Pamietam (1996), and the music he created with bassist/co-producer Tommy Babin for Stella Goulet’s new film La Pension des étranges. It’s a seamless fit despite the eight-year gap. Kunigis has been reinventing klezmer-oriented gypsy in his own image ever since, attracting the likes of Babin, violinist Marie-Soleil Belanger and the ubiquitous Yves Desrosiers. Of the 20 tracks here, six come from the earlier album and Kunigis is one of the few who would know. When’s the last time you’ve heard a screaming electric guitar in the same song as accordion and hammer and anvil? Or how about the unlikely jazzy sound of a trombone against a klezmeresque banjo and clarinet sonority? It works only because Kunigis dared make it so.

Reviews by Paula E. Kirman – June 7, 2004

2 Univers (French for « 2 Universes ») is an appropriate title for a band that walks between musical languages and cultures. The Montreal-based Jeszcze Raz was the winner of a 2003 Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year for their previous release Balagane. 2 Univers is a look at both the past and present. It features 20 songs, several of which are the best recordings off the band’s debut album Pamietam, while the rest are songs composed for the Quebec film La pension des étranges. Containing a mix of songs in Polish and French, as well as several instrumentals, the sound is classic Jescze Raz: upbeat, energetic, with a Klezmer flair. Charismatic front-man Paul Kunigis delivers a warm vocal quality and excellent piano work. Afficianados of klezmer will also appreciate the clarinet work on 2 Univers. Something old, something new, and something for everybody.

Nathalie Bourget
Rubis Varia
Tél. : + 1 514 932-8342 poste 229

Critiques

06 avril 2021
UniqueFM
26 mars 2021
LeDevoir.com
15 mars 2021
LaPresse.ca
11 mars 2021
KinocultureMontreal.com

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