Heldon
Encyclopedia
Heldon is a French electronic rock band created in 1974. The name of the band was taken from the 1972 novel The Iron Dream
by Norman Spinrad
.
Like its predecessor Schizo, it is above all the group of guitarist
Richard Pinhas who released a large number of albums under his own name.
He has worked with numerous collaborators, including musicians of the band Magma
as well as philosophers such as Gilles Deleuze
(of whom he was a student) and writers such as Norman Spinrad
and Maurice Dantec
(the Schizotrope project).
Influenced by the work of Robert Fripp
and Brian Eno
, the music of Richard Pinhas and Heldon is sui generis
and innovative and has in its turn greatly influenced the field of electronic rock.
The first releases under the moniker Schizo and later Heldon were entirely self-produced and self-distributed.
The majority of recordings of Richard Pinhas and Heldon were pressed on CD by French label Spalax
and American label Cuneiform Records
, featuring numerous bonus tracks.
The Iron Dream
The Iron Dream is a metafictional 1972 alternate history novel by Norman Spinrad.The book has a nested narrative that tells a story within a story. On the surface, the novel presents an unexceptional pulp, post-apocalypse science fiction action tale entitled Lord of the Swastika...
by Norman Spinrad
Norman Spinrad
Norman Richard Spinrad is an American science fiction author.Born in New York City, Spinrad is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco,...
.
Like its predecessor Schizo, it is above all the group of guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Richard Pinhas who released a large number of albums under his own name.
He has worked with numerous collaborators, including musicians of the band Magma
Magma (band)
Magma is a French progressive rock band founded in Paris in 1969 by classically trained drummer Christian Vander, who claimed as his inspiration a "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future" that profoundly disturbed him. In the course of their first album, the band tells the story of a...
as well as philosophers such as Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Deleuze
Gilles Deleuze , was a French philosopher who, from the early 1960s until his death, wrote influentially on philosophy, literature, film, and fine art. His most popular works were the two volumes of Capitalism and Schizophrenia: Anti-Oedipus and A Thousand Plateaus , both co-written with Félix...
(of whom he was a student) and writers such as Norman Spinrad
Norman Spinrad
Norman Richard Spinrad is an American science fiction author.Born in New York City, Spinrad is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science. In 1957 he entered City College of New York and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree as a pre-law major. In 1966 he moved to San Francisco,...
and Maurice Dantec
Maurice Georges Dantec
Maurice Georges Dantec, or Maurice G. Dantec, is a French-born Canadian science fiction author and musician.- Biography :...
(the Schizotrope project).
Influenced by the work of Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. He was ranked 42nd on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #47 on Gibson.com’s "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique...
and Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, the music of Richard Pinhas and Heldon is sui generis
Sui generis
Sui generis is a Latin expression, literally meaning of its own kind/genus or unique in its characteristics. The expression is often used in analytic philosophy to indicate an idea, an entity, or a reality which cannot be included in a wider concept....
and innovative and has in its turn greatly influenced the field of electronic rock.
The first releases under the moniker Schizo and later Heldon were entirely self-produced and self-distributed.
Discography of Richard Pinhas and Heldon
- Schizo : And The Little Girl/Paraphrénia Praecox (197?) (7")
- Schizo : Le Voyageur/Torcol (1972) (7")
- Heldon : Electronique Guérilla (1974)
- Heldon : Allez Teia (1974)
- Heldon : It's Always Rock and RollIt's Always Rock and RollIt's Always Rock and Roll is a double LP by Heldon which was released in 1975.-Side A:# "ICS Machnique" – 4:11# "Cotes de cachalot à la psylocybine" – 8:35# "Méchamment rock" – 3:33# "Cocaine Blues" – 9:42...
(1975) - Heldon : Soutien à la RAF (7") (1975)
- Heldon : Agneta Nilsson (1976)
- Heldon : Perspective 1 bis complément/Perspective 4 bis (1976) (7")
- Heldon : Un Rêve Sans Conséquence Spéciale (1976)
- Richard Pinhas : Rhizosphère (1977)
- T.H.X. : Telstar / Rhizosphère Suite (1978) (7")
- Richard Dunn : Séquences/Modulations (1978) (7")
- Richard Pinhas : Chronolyse (1978)
- Heldon : Interface (1977)
- Heldon : Stand By (1979)
- Richard Pinhas : Iceland (1980)
- Richard Pinhas : East West (1980)
- Richard Pinhas : L'Ethique (1982)
- Richard Pinhas Heldon : Perspective (1983)
- Richard Pinhas : DWW (1992)
- Richard Pinhas & John Livengood : Cyborg Sally (1994)
- Richard Pinhas & John Livengood : Single (1996)
- Richard Pinhas : De l'Un et du Multiple (1997)
- Schizotrope : Le Plan (1999)
- Richard Pinhas & Peter Frohmader: Fossil Culture (1999)
- Pascal ComeladePascal ComeladePascal Paul Vincent Comelade , is a French Catalan musician.Comelade born was in Montpellier, France. After living for several years in Barcelona, he made his first album, Fluences, influenced by electronic music and by the group Heldon.Subsequently, his music has become more acoustic and is...
& Richard Pinhas : Oblique Sessions II (1999) - Schizotrope : The Life And Death Of Marie Zorn - North American Tour 1999 (2000)
- Schizotrope : III Le Pli (2001)
- Heldon : Only Chaos is Real (2001)
- Richard Pinhas : Event and Repetitions (2003))
- Richard Pinhas : Tranzition (2004)
- Richard Pinhas : Metatron (2006, 2CDs)
- Richard Pinhas & MerzbowMerzbowis the main recording name of the Japanese noise musician , born in 1956. Since 1979 he has released in excess of 350 recordings.The name "Merzbow" comes from German artist Kurt Schwitters' artwork, "Merzbau”. This was chosen to reflect Akita's dada influence and junk art aesthetic...
: Keio Line (2008, 2CDs) - Richard Pinhas : Metal/Crystal (2010, 2CDs) with Merzbow & Wolf EyesWolf EyesWolf Eyes is a post-industrial/noise band from Detroit, Michigan, United States.-History:Wolf Eyes began as a solo project of former Nautical Almanac member Nate Young, with Aaron Dilloway joining in 1998, and John Olson in 2000...
- Råd Kjetil Senza Testa : Vinliden (2010, LP) with Richard Pinhas and RKST.
- Richard Pinhas & Merzbow : Rhizome (2011)
- Richard Pinhas & Merzbow : Paris 2008 (2011, LP)
The majority of recordings of Richard Pinhas and Heldon were pressed on CD by French label Spalax
Spalax (record company)
Spalax is a record label in France that specializes in progressive rock and experimental music, it features a huge krautrock catalog too. Spalax music re-released, among others, albums by Amon Düül, Cluster, Harmonia, Popol Vuh, Annexus Quam, and Bernard Szajner....
and American label Cuneiform Records
Cuneiform Records
Cuneiform Records is an independent record label based in Silver Spring, Maryland.The label releases a mixture of musical styles, including progressive jazz, modern fusion music, progressive rock, the Canterbury Scene and electronic music...
, featuring numerous bonus tracks.