LES
JOYAUX DE LA PRINCESSE
"LES
JOYAUX DE LA PRINCESSE IS A FRENCH BAND WHICH IS ONE OF THE FEW REALLY INTELLIGENT,
CULTURED, EMOTIONAL BANDS ON THE "NEW EUROPEAN SCENE"...
They has released
an old 7" "L'Allemagne Annee Zuro" that is their very first production, really
interesting for the content and the artwork. It was a limited edition 500 copies.
Then, "Aux Petits Enfants de France" (at a first time was a tape, then was printed
as CD, Tesco 012) in a fantastic packing, into a boxset containing one ear of
corn wrapped in a French flag, and other... It is rather noisy and industrial,
based upon heavy loops put togeteher in layers... very good... These are totally
sold out, even if in Europe sometimes it's still possible to find one somewhere,
if one is lucky and stubborn.
Next wonderful
album was behind the "Ostenbraun" project together with Death In June. "Ostenbraun"
had previously been released on tape only with a nice boxset presentation. "Ostenbraun"
with DIJ was in origin a double-tape work (sold-sold-out!), with interview to
Douglas. The reprint by World Serpent (digipack) is a record that 'must' be
present on your shelves.
To end, Les
Joyaux de la Princesse published also another 7", named "Wolf Rune", with Freya
Aswynn (ex Sixth Comm), during '96 (another time, a superb packing) and, recently,
a 10" (picture disc) split with Muslimgauze.
Also they
took part at some interesting compilations. Among the others, "Mysteria Mithrae",
with a beautiful track together with Philippe Laurent. An French artist, close
to Les Joyaux De La Princesse (used to be kind of "official" member"), Philippe
Laurent partially produced "Ostenbraun", and, if you can find his double digipack
album called "Faste Occidental", you should definitely try it...
"Die Weisse
Rose" contains old and new material. It must be said that this CD is a work
by LJDLP together with Regard Extreme, another interesting French band.
LAST
RELEASE: DIE WEISSE ROSE (WSD, 1997)
The catalog says that Die Weisse Rose was a female
Anti-Nazi group of the 30s and 40s. If that's the case, the group "The White
Rose" wasn't an all female group. It was started by Hans Scholl (and some collegues),
whose sister Sophie later joined and played a central role (and was later executed).
Their story is a very interesting and inspiring one, and definitely worth reading
about. If that's what the CD centers around, you may have to snag a copy somewhere....
But the music
is very sad and haunting, quite beautiful. Parts of it sound rather orchestral,
others sound like they're performed on a church pipe organ, and a couple are
just solo piano, sounding like it's being played in a vast empty hall. There's
some German dialog over a couple of the tracks, and others have some eerie,
atmosperic electronic effects added. The whole effect is a feeling of immense
sadness, a look back into a time long past.
There's an
8 page booklet included with the CD, but it's entirely in German, includes some
photos of (I presume) the women of this group. The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath the
Clouds are also credited on the album.
German
lyrics translation (from website called "Beauty for ashes")
Here are the
translation to the liner notes of Die Weisse Rose (LJDLP). These are very beautiful
poems and I took much pleasure in reading and translating them. German at the
bottom (thanks to Don Gunning) I also put them on a web page together with the
german original and a few annotations and biography and a picture of the Scholl
siblings.
http://luna.chem.utoronto.ca/sw/rose.html
(or click
on the 'Organisation:' field)
The White
Rose was recorded in the winter of 1996 with the voice of Alzbeth (TMLHBC) over
music from LJDLP and Regard Extreme. We pray Alzbeth to accept our thanks. Without
her, this project would never have been accomplished. Our thoughts and respect
goto our friends Albin Julius, Douglas P, Franck Armand (The child with the
drum 3), Saphi (the flagbearer), Alan Trench for his illimited patience and
finally Elena P, Euphem R, Friedrich N, Virginie S, Stephanie & Sylvie (Nuit
et Brouillard 4), Eric & Audrey, Stephanie et Paul, the last born. Our comrades
Kameraden Klaus Joachim (Tesco) und Salt.
To the memory
of Sophie S. Holy Love, Holy Life, Holy Void
Tracks
Deep longing
(to new shores) * Nature awoke to the sound of weapons * Now dawn is breaking
* Which irresistably foams downwards * Youth mourns (funeral march) * White
leaves * The last battle of life * The flame released (born) * White rose *
Taking leave * Deep longing * Never say "Adieu"
DIE
WEISSE ROSE:
Come, be our
guest, give us one tenth of what you promised. Under the damned socialdemocrats
we sometimes had a piece of meat but under you there's only herring, herring,
herring...
We are small,
the power is yours! Yours is also the power and the glory for some time ahead.
Soon we will go into the battle. Be strong and sturdy, my brothers! And may
no one stop half-way again as once.
We thank you
from the bottom of our hearts that our empty bowels fume. Hunger keeps the anger
healthy. It will once crush you and, in the name of humankind, all those who
came with you.
Three stars
did I see shining, three stars were shining light. Alas those stars were not
the stars of home. I saw three roses in glimmering blue air, You roses of home,
it was not your scent, It was not your scent; Three palm trees stand by the
sea, Foreign places are so empty! Three kisses I gave to the wind, It will carry
them over the sea.
There in a
garden stands a green limetree
I kiss its
bark at night in my dream At night in my dream, in a dream!
The info
WSD lists on their page is somewhat inaccurate; the White Rose was originally
a student anti-nazi group started at the
Ludwig-Maximillians-Universitaet Muenchen by a med student, Hans Scholl and
a few friends - Christoph Probst and Willi Graf (Hans, Sofie, and someone else
are depicted on the postcard from the box set) are the only names that immediately
occur to me. Later, his younger sister, Sofie (who is on the cover of
the CD booklet and on the upper left-hand corner of the first page - all the
other pictures of Maedchen are, afaik, pretty random and not really members)
- who studied philosophy and something else at the University later joined,
along with a few other people, including the philosophy professor Kurt Huber.
The group never really made much music - they were too busy printing and distributing
anti-nazi flyers and dodging over-zealous Nazis. Of course, they were
all executed in 1944 for high treason. They're now highly celebrated heros
in Munich, with streets named after them, monuments, etc.
The German
movie, _Die weisse Rose_ is a pretty accurate depiction of the group and its
activities. There's also a few books out on the group; I can't remember
the names of any of them right now, but one of them was written shortly after
the end of the war by one of the younger Scholl siblings (Inge?), who was not
involved with the group, which contains all the "Flugblaetter" (flyers), the
proceedings of their trials, announcements in the newspapers of their executions
(post facto, of course), etc. Very, very interesting and worthwhile read.
...and I just checked some notes I had, and one of the books is called _The
White Rose: A Noble Treason_. Another is _Das Gewissen steht auf_, but
I don't think this latter is available in English...
A comment
about that film: you mentioned how their execution was anti-climatic.
But it fits so entirely well with the film and what it's depicting...it shows
how exactly how the Nazis basically tried to keep all resistence entirely hushed,
in effort to build an image of "solidarity" for National Socialist Germany;
according to their logic, it's better to quietly dispose of the Widerstand (resistence)
and deny it was ever there, than to make a big pomp and circumstance about it,
which would show that there were cracks in the regime...which might help other
people to think to themselves, "well, hey, if other people aren't happy with
Herr Hitler and his merry bunch, then maybe I'm not alone...." Divide
and conquer.
Also,
if you liked that film, I also recommend German movie, _Das schreckliche Maedchen_
(there's a subtitled version available called, _The Nasty Girl_)...it stars
the same actress that played Sofie, and is about how a small town reacts when
someone decides to examine what the currently "upstanding" citizens of the town
were up to during the Third Reich.
So...I
don't know exactly where Les Joyaux... got the music/songs for this release,
and if any of it actually came from stuff the Scholls & Co. played when
they weren't fighting for justice and freedom. But it's still a beautiful
album and truly haunting...especially the piano pieces and the end of track
10, which crescendos up to the thunderous striking of drums and Hitler screaming,
"...nur zu denken an Deutschland!" ("...only to think about Germany!").
Every time I hear that it slaps me in the face.
The song
on the 7" sounds like it probably came from a 78" of the time... a traditional
sort of...well, song. That people listened to and stuff. (Helpful, eh?)
Um...I don't think it was sung by Sofie or anyone else involved with the group
though. The lyrics, btw, are those printed in the booklet under "Heimat"
("Home"), "Drei Sterne sah ich scheinen..." ("I saw three stars shining...")
and don't show any indication of having to do with anti-Nazi protest...unless,
of course, I'm missing some symbolism, which is likely.
[I'm
to 98% certain that this song ("Heimat", on the bonus single that comes with
the 'Die Weisse Rose' box set) is sung by the
Swedish diva Zarah Leander. Although she wasn't really associated with the NSDAP
in any way, she became a huge favourite among the nazi elite and spent considerable
time in Germany and performed a lot there during WW2. If you look closely, she
is even mentioned in the liner notes of the booklet. Hardly likely that Zarah
would have lent her voice to an anti-nazi protest... why bite the hand
that feeds you?]
(info
from WSD-list)
INTERVIEW:
from RAVEN'S CHAT (FRANCE)
Here
an interview with Eric Konofal of Les Joayaux de la Princesse I realized few
years ago for my fanzine! Sorry for the awfull translations in english:
*
Can you make a short review of Les Joyaux de ta Princesse, tell me since how
many time this association exists, who compose it, what are its aims and its
means ? Does "Nocturne", the radioprogramme you animated on Radio Beton in Tours
always exist ?
- Les Joyaux
de la Princesse is an association Law 1901 the goal is to "Create, produce and
diffuse difficult new musics". It was born ln 1986. At the beginning, this name
had been given to a radioprogram that I made on a local radio station which
had just started to broadcast, but the real meaning which marked my life appeared
only at the end of 1987 when I met S.B. To avoid any confusion between my personal
work and the one of the radio, the radioprogram became in october "Nocturne".
Since the disparition of S.B., 1I am the sole member and its articutalion.
* Your
production "Aux petits enfants de France" was first released in a limited edition
a 49 copies tapes contained in a box "black coffin" ! It was an enthousicistic
success to be re-issued few time after as a luxuous CD packaging by the german
label Tesco Organisation ! What was the link between Les Joyaux de la Princesse
and this label for this release of this production-often misunderstood-as you
wrote me it in one of your tetter ?
- We have
to believe that this production, in its entire concept, has awared J. Kohl of
Tesco. First, I wasn't disposed to a such re-issue. Weeks after weeks, my scepticism
has gone and when the E.P. "Attemagne Annue Zuro" was released, it has totally
disappeared. I was warned by some friends, but in reatity, today, I think that
we can't be more honest than this person who is comptetely lnvolved in his work.
Prejudices were not founded like there are often !
*
Tell me about this production, about the whys and wherefores, about the symbolism
of the postcard, the document "Le Drapeau" and so on ?
- With this
re-issue on CD, the meaning of the coffin, of the death sentence to the "collaborationists"
and of the number 49 was lost and it is atways bothered me a little bit ! 49
was the number of Individuals went over on the other side of the government
and what it was necessary to shoot to legitime this new temporary government.
49 was also the number of letters contained in the initials of S.B. The whole
above-detailled has only a meaning if you see it as a whote. We can't spoil
this "symbolic" otherwise we will occult all the sense and the interest of this
production ... the ear corn symbolising the work in the fields, the flag, the
hope of the nation reconstituted around its doctrine, the propagande free or
almost servant of all its apostoles, the added postcard is only here to illustrate
the title : "The yound boy". Now, this whole must imperativety be judged at
the past and not at the present time, it's a question of respect and again here
of integrity to respect.
* You
wrote me that this production resutls from a recapitutalion of radioprograms
broadcasted on Radio Beton between 86/88 on the role of the 39/45 french government.
How does the broadcasting of passages extract from documents of the I.N.A. (the
National Institut of Audiovisual) on which we can listen, among other things,
the Marechal Petain, has been perceived by the officiats of the radiostation,
by other animators or eventuatly by your listeners '?
- Concerning
my radioprograms, I would tike ta specify that, at any moment, I didn't want
to inftict a political planning or other. The use of documents relating some
episodes of World War II, as it was done, had for effect and interest the support
of historical themes and historical onty. The musical adding covering the whole
should give and bring back this authentical climax and authentical only.
*
How are your productions perceived by the critics or by a public more informed
?
- My productions
hadn't any criticism that the one I expect.
*
Could you talk me about the concretisation of "Ostenbraun" double tapes also
released as a luxuous boxset with postcard ? How does the collaboration progress
with Douglas Pearce ? Was it difficult to convince him to take part in it ?
- First, it
was onty planned to edit an interview with Douglas Pearce, the text for "Death
In June Collaboration : Carried Away By Despair", used as a womb, is gone after.
Douglas was apparently very enthousiasted by the musics I sent to him. At the
time, he wrote me : "We have a similar path!...". The use I was doing of the
Poly-800 lnspired to him, I think, like a kind of following to "The World Thot
Summer"... This same keyboard was used as a base-line for the retease of the
double album but I learnt this after and in my ingenuouness, maybe, I had completed
something ! During this collaboration, at every musical as wel aesthetic change,
I sent it to Douglas... That took me a lot of time to have his entire approbation
and his benediction when the product was finished.
*
Will this production be also released by Tesco or another label under a CD format
?
- I think
that the reeditlion on CD will be done. It's just a question of time. This one
will be certainty different and will not contain, of course, the Interview !
There is no interest to edit such a thing ! So, I don't see another label than
N.E.R. or Les Joyaux de La Princesse to satisfy to this new edition... Douglas
adds "Ostenbraun" in the official discography of Death In June.
* "Die Kapitulation
- L'Allemagne Annee Zero" is your third production! What is this beautiful anthem
we can listen on the second track of your 7"? What can you tell me about this
single ?
- I regret
that you didn't know it !... This lovely tune was the sovietic anthem and this
version, the one which was formerly broadcasted through speakers of tanks tolling
on the ruins of Germany. The vision of F.Rosselini's movie "Allemagne Annue
Zuro" seems to be essential to understand the interest to retease this record.
All the Inspiration that I had comes from this cinematographic work. There ls
no possible ambiguity : "A ta lueur tremblante de cette bougie symbolique, ce
julleucht dont ta flamme symbolise la Victoire de la Lumiere sur les tunebres
et de l'espoir sur la mort...".
* When we
Listen to your different productions, it seems that you are very concerned by
World War Il events ! Where does this interest come from ? Is it a morbid attraction
for this period, an attempt ta rehabilate a misunderstood politic, a testimony
as a witness of the contemrorary history or an other thing ?
- Things must
be ctear ! There is no possible rehabilitation of the past after all this blood
flooded from everywhere. Now, I think that there is still a certain fear of
tackling such topics. It's easier to use common terms, but we can't see their
impact and their meaning. We must present the whote thing even it was blunt
without prejudice neither nostalgie interests! On the other hand, I don't see
how we can be still satisfied of these ideas so perfectly pre-established today
! The "collaboration" only had for the pinnacle of stupidity almost often irresponsible
from these people encouraged ta cowardness... because abandonned to itsetf.
But are we so different... and for how many money and days will we be so brave...
ln fear, anguish and silence ! It's a question of moral and physical integrity...
"Douce France" shoutd be the title if I hadn't privileged the ingenuouness of
"Children" before the cowardness of these people so "resistant" (at the tast
hour!). Here again, only a few people understand this, too hurried they are
to satisfy their hate with complete impunity. If it has any rehabititation,
it was the one, of the poor consciences done after the war, by these Individuats
too coward to commit exactions without being forgotten.
* What does this sentence Inspire to
you : "the examination of the contemporary history of World War II must obligatory
lead to the conclusion of the Nurenberg court" ?...
- I don't
know exactly the conclusion of the Nuremberg court, so, I can't make mysetf
the apostole of historians. I think that heads needed to be cutted or rather
to hang and turn quickty the page to not be disturbed in our sleep. But I'm
not satlsfied by this point of view and I think that the responsabltities must
be shouldered by more than a few men and by more than one nation... even if
it is so for away from Europe !
*
Do you share some common feelings, musical as well ideological level with Genocide
Organ or Tesco ?
- I admire
Tesco work with no restricion because it forms a whole which hides no hypocrisy.
A result of excellent musical as well as artistical quatity. This label has
always known how to keep the same baseline and here is my convergence with this
concept, other things don't bother me...
*
How can uou define your music, the musical atmospheres you create? Among the
productions or bands, recent or not, what do you like to listen to ?
- I cannot
describe the atmospheres I create. For me, everythyng comes from emotion in
its emotionnal quatity with all the evocative side. I think, on the other hand,
that if we want to reach something or someone, we must to want it and to want
it, we must release it from ourselves. This is why I admire the emotions of
Gustay Malher's symphonies.... a pressure sometimes unbearabte in the "Adagio"
and speciaty the sadly superb long slow movement of the third symphony. This
zvocation is a real "topy" with its precise discrimination and perfectly measured.
All is created on this basis, reflection of perceived images, its integration
and in vain, its transmission... leaving a very strong stamp. This can seem
disproportionate but I feet the same thing listening to extreme music, where
begins work of reflection and interpretation beyond discordance. The music I
tisten to is the same that the one I distribute. I like Cold Meat lndustry,
World Serpent, Discordia... there is no use to mention Tesco now!
*
Have you already play live ?
- I shall
always remember the Death In June's concert In Amiens where, at the end, we
could listen "Ostenbraun" for the first time. Otherwise. I've never played on
a stage.
*
In one of your Previous letter, you wrote me about some of your projects : '...
a compitation Zyklon B, a work about Tibet andin collaboration with David Tibet,
a booklet "Les Joyaux de ta Princesse"... may be another thing with Douglas
Pearce". When this compitation with the friends of Tesco and of the Karmanik
familly from Cold Meat Industry will be availabte ? What will be its format
and its specificity ?
- The last
work is "Zyklon B", a compilation with people close to labels like Cold Meat
Industry or Tesco. Here again, the product leaves a strong impression. The label
was designed with genuine documents difficult to obtain ! The resutt must be
judged like a whole and without neglected nothing even the responsability of
some people who talk on it ! This must be done "for all to know and tonever
forget !". The work about Tibet will never be published. It should consist in
a musical soundtrack played during a festival and an exhibition about Tibet
in february 1991 ln Orleans. This music had been strongly lnspired by Current
93 "Live at bar Matdoror". I had at the time, David Tibet's authorization for
this work and I also should edit this production in collaboration with the association
France-Tibet... But they never replied to me ! Then "Live at bar Maldoror" was
reteased on CD ! I don't see today on what concept I could base my work to edit
it ! Now, I shall make the booklet and, however, It will be published !
*
What do you want ta say for conclusion ?
- "Sophie
Scholl, -student in biology and in philosophy in Munich University, member of
the White Rose movement was arrested and executed with five other students ln
February 1943. She was 22 years old".
Raven's
Chat
c/o Tabone J.P.,
B.P. 236 - 31004,
TISE CEDEX
France
DISCOGRAPHY:
SELECTED WORKS OF LES JOYAUX DE LA PRINCESSE
"L'Allemagne
Annee Zuro" (7", TESCO ORGANIZATION, lmtd to 300, 1994)
"Aux Petits Enfants de France" (tape, reissued on CD within a boxset limited
to 1000 numbered copies with a postcard and different beautiful inserts, Tesco
012, 1992)
"Ostenbraun" (dbl.tape, with Death In June, reissued on CD first in digipak
then in boxset limited to 300 copies with three postcards - two of DIJ, one
- LJDLP, WSD, 1995)
"Die Weisse Rose" (SD 04; CD, with Regard Extreme, WSD, 1997; digipack limited
edition boxset with two postcards and a 7" picture disc, limited to 600 copies)
"Wolf Rune" (7", with Freya Aswynn, ex-Sixth Comm, 1996)
<no title> (10" picture disc, Athanor ATNR 002; with Muslimgauze; unofficial
track title - "Terrorisme Islamique")
v/a: "Mysteria Mithrae" (with Philippe Laurent, track "Lumiure Bleue", Athanor,
1996)
v/a: "G.A.S.K.R.I.E.G." (tape, Power and Steel, 1995)
v/a: "Autoplasie II" (tape, Nuit et Brouillard, two tracks, one of them featured
on the first 7")
v/a: "L'Ordre et le Chaos" (CD, Actus Dei)
"Douce France" (TESCO 031/SD 02; 10" in gatefold cover, with insert and eight
postcards, limited to 555 numbered copies)
"Exposition Internationale Paris 1937" (limited to 60 copies boxset, dedicated
to the International Expo of Arts and Techniques. Large white boxset (approx.
like an A3) containing: a b/w booklet about the Expo, an A4 photo of Trocadero
(part.), a couple of postcards of the Expo, an Album Officiel (with 33 coloured
pictures), a double CD of LJDLP unreleased tracks; 1998)
Live
appearances:
deadly
actions 3 festival along with con-dom/the grey wolves, la nomenklatur
and dagda mor, october 1996
wolfsmond festival along with the moon lay hidden beneath a
cloud, yasnaia, the grey wolves and telepherique, august 1997
democrazy, gent, belgium along with allerseelen, december 1997
CONTACT:
LES
JOYAUX DE LA PRINCESSE, 10 RUE ESTIENNE D'ORVES, 37700 ST.PIERRE DES COPRS,
FRANCE
Tesco-Organisation,
c/o J. Kohl, Holbeinstr. 8, 69469 Sulzbach, Germany
Tel +49 6201 477175 Fax +49 6201 477098
Tesco-Organisation@t-online.de
or
Tesco-Organisation,
Gralsstr. 8, 68199 Mannheim, Germany
Tel +49 621 828-0742 Fax +49 621 828-0732
Tesco-Org.-Ma@t-online.de
ATHANOR,
BP294, 86007 POITIERS Cedex, France
Ursprache@wanadoo.fr
CREDITS:
Maldoror , Warrior , Don Gunning , Brett Smith , Olivier Lebeau , Sebastian Weissenberger
, Raven's Chat , Wietse Marievoet
, Marten Sahlen , Max
Ribaric (scans), Valdrian J.H. Lai , Numa
, Stephane , Dulcis Chim?ra