"A chemist by training, Philippe Besombes was engaged in the French avant-garde music scene from the early 1970s. Abandoning his doctoral degree for his groundbreaking work with new electronics in a variety of musical contexts, he supported himself through the seventies creating and composing the sounds for theater and ballet. Besombes was also well-known as an audio engineer in the French contemporary concert scene. Perhaps best known for his group Hydravion, Besombes still records and releases music at his studio in Versailles. Conceived as the soundtrack (and, in fact, the ONLY sound in the movie) for the avant-garde film Libra, the music on this 1973 album ranges in style from electronic pop mixed with music concrete ala Parmegiani/Henry to psychedelic exercises, progressive rock, sitar raga, and fusion. By including a mix of rock musicians and electronic treatments, Besombes was a pioneer in a very new way of working. Bonus tracks will include three cuts from the Libra sessions that have never been released, and a lengthy, experimental minimalist prepared-piano composition will also be included. From the Nurse With Wound list. Libra is the first in a trilogy of Besombes's albums MIO will release.
