French electronic music composer Jacques Diennet, born 1947, studied electroacoustic music in Marseilles with composer Marcel Fremiot and was director of the Groupe de Musique Expérimentale de Marseille from 1973 to 1991. After 1977, Diennet stayed in the US on several occasions and studied with Robert Ashley at Mills College and with Jon Appleton at Dartmouth College, where he developed an interest in computer music and the Synclavier, of which Appleton was a co-creator and pioneer. Diennet’s work focuses on live electronic music and blending of electronic sounds and real instruments. He now composes mostly for stage and film, particularly for the n+n Corsino dance company and the Ubris Studio contemporary music ensemble.
♫ The double LP Mante was published by Hat Hut in 1987 and features two compositions based on poems by French poet and John Cage specialist Christian Tarting: Mante, published 1982 and Facile Pour Cécile, published 1986. The 5 movements of Mante, composed 1983, combine the poetry reading of French choreographer Martine Pisani with sparse electronic accompaniment, occasional vocalizations by soprano Irène Jarsky, and cautious live instruments, usually one or two at a time only – there’s something fragile in this music which would be broken by collective improvisation. Musicians are seasonned improvisers familiar from other Hat Hut records, and their contributions are brilliant, especially Jean-Marc Montera’s beautiful electric guitar solo on #3, near 3:30. The 3 electronic tracks titled Παντά ϱεἰ (Manta Rei) are based on a quote from Greek philosopher Heraclitus: τὰ πάντα ῥεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει (Tà pánta rheî kaì oudèn ménei), or Everything flows, nothing stands still. According to this motto, the music evolves progressively and morphs upon itself constantly, while displaying the Synclavier II’s rich and powerful modulated frequencies. The delightful Facile Pour Cécile also features reader Martine Pisani, but this time the music is more atmospheric, creating a dream-like background to the poem, inside which Gérard Siracusa’s marimba arpeggios add insidious, hypnagogic traits.
01 Mante (Mantis) I (15:50)
02 Mante (Mantis) II (3:18)
03 Mante (Mantis) III (5:55)
04 Mante (Mantis) IV (1:50)
05 Mante (Mantis) V (10:52)
- Irène Jarsky, voice
- Martine Pisani, reader
- Joe McPhee, cornet
- André Jaume, bass clarinet
- Jean-Marc Montera, guitar
- Jacques Diennet, Synclavier II
06 Παντά ϱεἰ I (11:11)
07 Παντά ϱεἰ II (9:40)
08 Παντά ϱεἰ III (4:47)
- Jacques Diennet, Synclavier II
09 Facile Pour Cécile (Easy for Cécile) (15:44)
- Martine Pisani, reader
- Gérard Siracusa, marimba
- Danièle Robert, piano
- Jacques Diennet, Synclavier II
Total time 79:06
2xLP released by Hat Hut Records, Therwil, Switzerland, 1987
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Continuo's weblog 
looks very interesting. thanks.
Well, I thought it was worth a post.
Hey Continuo, great post! I love this record. Actually I just ripped my copy for The Magnetic Garden and found your post while searching for the artwork. Do you mind if I use your images?
-TMG
Use whatever you want from this post or this blog.
But I expected you’d post music I didn’t know before…
I hope there’s something new to you in the backlog of records I have yet to post. Thanks for the scans.