What Kloot Per W is doing these days...
Actually, Polyphonic Size has never been a real band, but Roger-Marc Vande Voorde's project. Born in Charleroi (Belgium) in 1959, the young teenager Roger-Marc spent some time in Germany, near Cologne. Being a true Rolling Stones fan, he started to learn guitar and began to play in small local bands : Berk, Reynolds, Magnetix and mostly Melody. Some live tapes still exist, recorded late 76, early 77, with an overexcited Roger-Marc singing 1960's/70's classics : Get Back, Jumping Jack Flash, Walk On the Wild Side, Gloria...In 1978, back to his home land, RM starts some psychology studies and forms a new band, the Cookies, with Johan Van Mullen on bass and Michel Verbeek on drums. No more 60's cover songs this time, the Cookies only play their own stuff. A strong punk/new wave rock, not far from the Modern Lovers, or Police in their early days. Roger-Marc becomes a member of the B Clique, Brussels punk scene.Meanwhile, RM creates the Oblik Mouvement, centred on electronic music, with Kraftwerk and Devo influences. Other people involved in Oblik : Jerry WX (lately in X Pulsion and Revenge), Daniel B (Prothese, then Front 242) and Michel Lambot, who's running a record shop, Casablanca Moon (years later, Michel will manage Play It Again Sam records). Alain Neffe's band, Pseudocode, is also around. At this point, Oblik is just a concept, but Roger-Marc writes down some ideas in little notebooks, filled with collages and drawings.Daniel B is working in a Bruxelles music shop, Hill's Music. Together with Roger-Marc, they discover the very first "cheap" Korg synthesizers. RM buys some stuff and soon changes his room into a kind of home-studio. The result will be Algorythmic EP, the very first Polyphonic Size EP, released in december 1979 on Sandwich Records, a small underground label, founded by Michel Lambot.Four songs on this record : Saison, Space Rejection, Mode and Plage Privée. Small extraordinaire electronic pieces, with spoken french or english lyrics. RM plays all the instruments, sings, produces and even designs the sleeve artwork.Dominique Buxin wrote the lyrics. RM met him in Germany in the Melody days, when Dominique was more or less singing in another band called Kolossal. Although he will never appear on stage, Dominique will always be a main part of Polyphonic Size, writing brilliant lyrics, not far from Serge Gainsbourg or Jacques Lanzmann (Jacques Dutronc's 1960's author).A second 7" EP quickly follows : Pragmatic Songs. This time, Roger-Marc is not alone in the studio : Régine K sings Ommatidia (with her own lyrics). She's a very strange girl, fond of S & M, and breeding snakes in her flat... The 3 other tracks are Logique Polygonale (then changed into Rendez-Vous on the first LP), Party and Travelling Things, a fantastic collage of tapes, sirens, dialogues and electronics.Roger-Marc is also running a belgian Stranglers fanzine : Strangled. He first met Jean-Jacques Burnel in Cologne in 1978, then sent him the 2 Polyphonic Size EP. JJ has just released Euroman Cometh, his solo European / electronic, rhythm boxes / english and french LP. He listens to the singles and offers to produce the next one right away. This third single, Nagasaki Mon Amour/Hiroshima 1945 is recorded in England, in April 1980. RM will publish the story of this fascinating session in Strangled .. 5, under the title of "Chronologie d'une production". Japan, electronic, Europe... JJ and RM share many passions. It was the beginning of a 10 years collaboration.Roger-Marc goes to Japan for summer and meets (among others) YMO and Ryuichi Sakamoto. In early 1981, Polyphonic Size records a new maxi single, PS, including a robotic cover version of the Rolling Stones classic, Mother's Little Helper. RM has written a few words on the vinyl : "Fuck the Stones"! But he will still give it to Keith Richard himself some time later. The four other tracks are "Girlscout" (sung with an english friend called Angie), Men & Construction (obviously inspired by Kraftwerk), On the Way To Medora (the opening track for the 1982 tour) and a brand new version of Saison. This time, Polyphonic Size is also Martine Bourlée (who is also RM's girl friend) and Jean Marc Lederman (lately in Kid Montana and Weathermen).In March 1981, Sandwich records release a compilation LP sampler, B9, including one PSize new track : Kyoto (with Akiko, a japanese journalist, on vocals). A different version of Kyoto will be available on the B-side of Nagasaki french pressing (on Radical records).The very first Polyphonic Size concert happens in Brussels, April, 3rd, 1981. In a small festival called The First Belgian Rhythm Box Contest, with Etat Brut, Nausea, Pseudo Code and Snowy Red. No drums on stage (just a cassette with all the basic rythm tracks). Two new singers : one girl, France Lhermitte, and a guy named Bernard Dradin (who will lately be part of Noh Mask). Kloot Per W plays bass. On stage, Bernard sings a smashing speed version of Space Rejection, wearing a ski mask on his face.There are still many unreleased tapes from these days ; different version of Nagasaki, Kyoto, Girlscout, Mother's Little Helper, Saison,... lots of electronic instrumental pieces, and even a couple of weird Stranglers covers : Meninblack, Don't Bring Harry, Duchess.After 3 years and half a dozen singles, Polyphonic Size decides to record its first LP in Brussels, from January to April 1982, with Roger-Marc, Martine Bourlée (vocals), France Lhermitte (vocals), Kloot Per W (bass) and Dominique Buxin (lyrics). JJ Burnel produces, sings and plays some bass guitar too. Other guests are Luc Van Acker (guitar), David Salamon (saxophone in Arbeid Adelt, another belgian band) and Phil Wauqaire (who plays stick-bass in Digital Dance). . Live For Each Moment/Vivre Pour Chaque Instant will be PSize masterpiece, released in September 1982, under 2 different picture sleeves (french or belgian). At this time, we can say that JJ became a real member of the band, as he's the one who sings Winston & Julia (from Orwell's 1984), and Je T'ai Toujours Aimée (recorded in 2 hours, with JJ on bass guitar).Polyphonic Size goes on tour for the very first time. First date is Gand (Belgium), October 29th 1982. The second one is Paris, Bains Douches, November 4th. A fantastic performance, broadcasted on the national french radio (France Inter). As for the 81 festival, PSize plays without drums, just voices, synthezisers, guitars and tapes.A remixed version of Winston & Julia soon follows, with a crazy Parties Dance on b-side, improvised in the studio by JJ and RM, with Dominique Buxin's lyrics. Dominique also writes the extraordinaire Detective Privé for JJ and Dave Greenfield duo LP, Fire & Water. The french label New Rose releases a free promo single of Je T'ai Toujours Aimée, then a new LP sampler called Rose 83, including Girlscout and Parties Dance. Meanwhile, France Lhermitte sings backing vocals on the Stranglers Feline album.May 1983 : PSize got a new contract with Clouseau Musique, a small Virgin Records subsidiary, managed by Philippe Constantin. Then JJ, Martine and Roger-Marc spend the whole summer in the studio to record the second album. JJ sings, composes, plays bass, produces, and brings lots of ideas into the band. Seems like Polyphonic Size has becomed a kind of alternative project to him, smaller but more european than the Stranglers. But JJ also takes some definitive decisions : he decides that Kloot Per W won't be on the record. Of course, Kloot doesn't appreciate at all.Walking Everywhere is released in January 1984, with more great lyrics written by Dominique Buxin and new guests : Daniel B, Dave Greenfield (Stranglers) and several others. The whole LP is a kind of Tour du Monde, from Europe (Brussels Waltz), to USA (Le Rocker de la CIA), via Africa (Irrigation) and the Middle East (Mohammed & Sarah).
Although it doesn't sound as spontaneous as the first album, Walking Everywhere is a real great record, and Walking Class Hero is a great single. At this point, everything sounds perfect for Polyphonic Size, but that's when things will start going wrong...Polyphonic Size goes on tour again in early 1984, with Ann VW instead of France Lhermitte. But something goes wrong. Believe it or not, Roger-Marc doesn't like the new album. Maybe because he finds it unfinished and would have like it more guitar oriented. Maybe because he thinks it is more JJ's album than his... At this point, it seems there are two Polyphonic Size : the first one has recorded Walking Everywhere, the other one is trying to play it on stage, completing the set-list with new material written by Kloot : Happy Couples, Artist, Siberia, ...But Kloot Per W eventually leaves the band in July. Two live tracks (recorded in Gent, may 1984) will see the light of the day on a new sampler compilation, Mask Production, produced by Daniel B. Then PSize almost stop any activities for one year, recording just a movie soundtrack (Brussels, Center of Europe) in January 85 for the "Men & Technology" international exhibition in Tsukuba, Japan.
Tours and studio sessions start again but the relationship between Virgin records (who had just bought out Clouseau Musique) and Polyphonic Size is in a bad way. The english compagny isn't satisfied with the records sales. Then Virgin try to change the previous contract. They suggest Jay Alanski (who used to work with Lio) to produce the next album, but Roger-Marc doesn't want to hear about it. Problems... quarrels... lawyers... trial... It will take about 4 years to Polyphonic Size to get out of this nightmare.But Polyphonic Size keeps on working : they record new demos (still unissued) : Do The Hou, Propagande, Les Petites Filles, No Colours, Lovestorible... Great instrumental versions, partly produced by Daniel B. Roger-Marc looks for new musicians, trying several line-ups. His own little brother, Patrick (aka Glen), eventually becomes PSize new bass player. Pierre Gillet plays keyboards.
Polyphonic Size meets a new producer in 1986, Nigel Gray, who has previously worked with Police, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Girlschool, etc. At least, Virgin eventually releases a new single, L'Amour/Everybody needs Your Sex. The A side sounds very french pop music, the B side is a surprising kind of rap. But the record doesn't sell very well and Virgin decides to give up the band.January 1987 : more than 3 years after Walking Everywhere, Polyphonic Size still can't record a new album. Money becomes a serious problem, and the band plays every gig they can get to make some cash. Then, in July, they play in Moscow and on the Transsiberian Express ! Actually, they are part of a belgian artistic residence in China and URSS. They give a couple of great gigs in Russia, but in Beijing, the Chinese authorities decide to cut off the power about 15 secondes after the beginning of the concert and kick everybody out!At least, the third album sessions begin in August 87, at the London Surrey Sound Studio, produced by Nigel Gray. The Overnight Day is released in april 88, on New Rose records. Big change : no more electronics, but a much more pop / melodic sound instead, with only 5 songs written by Dominique Buxin.The previous single, l'Amour, is also included, with a cover version of a 1960's Michel Polnareff number, Tout Tout Pour Ma Chérie. The band gets good press reviews, but the sales don't go very far.In June 1988, they give a short, but great gig with JJ Burnel at the famous London Marquee. The P. Size Info Service is created in december. This little Polyphonic fanzine also sells T-shits, videos and 2 unreleased tapes : Black Cassette and Live (82-88). The band talks about new tracks, like this mysterious Earcom, written in "javanais" (weird french slang) by Dominique Buxin!One year later, they play at the Printemps de Bourges festival (6/4/89), with the Purple Helmets as backing band, as part of JJ's tour Un Jour Parfait, his new frenchy solo album for which Dominique Buxin has written several songs. One month later, Pierre Gillet quits to play New beat music under the name of Acid Ascorbic. Roger-Marc, Martine and Glen start rehearsals in june 89, in Cambridge, with John Ellis (guitar), Manny Elias (drums), JJ Burnel, and Nigel Gray on production. Daniel Darc (ex Taxi-Girl) writes some lyrics. These new sessions (in instrumental versions) are released by the P. Size Info Service in september, on a new tape called PSize' 89 , with the Bourges concert and a couple of rare B-sides. Things seemed to be getting better for Roger-Marc and his band. They got a new manager (Michel Lambot, Sandwich records former manager), a new album in the making and a new record contract with EMI and BMG/Ariola.EMI will eventually release 2 singles : Nosotros and Tomorrow (under the odd name of Triumvirat), but nothing more. The Prime Story, a Polyphonic best of/sampler, will see the light of the day in 1991, compiling old songs and the Cambridge sessions with a few remixes and some bizarre sound effects between the songs. This very first CD on Play it Again Sam rec. had to be the very last PSize album : the P. Size Info Service last issue announces the death of the band in November 1991.Roger-Marc, Martine and France are living in Brussels. Jean-Jacques Burnel is still part of the Stranglers. Glen works as photographer. Dominique Buxin is living in Belgum and Kloot gives guitar lessons to Martine's and RM's daughter...Ten years later, Roger-Marc has recently announced a brand new musical project with Kloot Per W.- http://polyphonicsize.free.fr
