CORPSE FLOWER

Description

Jean-Claude and I met while working on a Gainsbourg retrospective in 2011 at the Hollywood Bowl, Mike Patton explains. We immediately hit it off. I saw in him a real attention to detail and boundless devotion. (...) We talked about the idea of working together someday... It took a while, but after a few years I contacted him and we laid the groundwork for our collaboration. "He was able to bring my music to life with his unique vision and interpretations of my songs. He's a formidable singer, with a great sense of humor. Together we created strong, beautiful, and sincere music, reflecting our friendship," says Vannier. Various musicians from Los Angeles and Paris collaborated on the recording of Corpse Flower. Among the L.A. musicians are Smokey Hormel (Beck, Johnny Cash), Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Air, Nine Inch Nails), and James Gadson (Beck, Marvin Gaye). The Parisian team consists of Denys Lable, Bernard Paganotti (Magma), Daniel Ciampolini, Didier Malherbe, Léonard Le Cloarec, and the Bécon Palace String Ensemble. The lyrics for "Ballad C.3.3." come from an Oscar Wilde poem, "The Ballad of Reading Gaol," originally published under the name "C.3.3." The striking album cover is the work of Kenro Izu, a celebrated Japanese photographer.