17F – “Tree of them”

You may order my CD for 15CHF by email at f.merk@bluewin.ch. I'll send it to you by post with an invoice! It's quite easy and cheap...

17F is the name of a project by Frederic Merk, a self-educated minimalist musician from Vevey (CH). He
has collaborated as an arranger, musician, composer or remixer with several leading bands on the new
Swiss music scene, such as “Charlotte Parfois”, “Hemlock Smith” or “Girls in the Kitchen”.
The idea behind « Tree of them » arose while Fred...

17F – “Tree of them”

You may order my CD for 15CHF by email at f.merk@bluewin.ch. I'll send it to you by post with an invoice! It's quite easy and cheap...

17F is the name of a project by Frederic Merk, a self-educated minimalist musician from Vevey (CH). He
has collaborated as an arranger, musician, composer or remixer with several leading bands on the new
Swiss music scene, such as “Charlotte Parfois”, “Hemlock Smith” or “Girls in the Kitchen”.
The idea behind « Tree of them » arose while Frederic was composing the very long song “Aiga” which
was then recorded with friends and musicians at Studio 603 in Vevey. This launched the whole process
and the idea took shape and eventually ended up in a coherent 7-track album.
Impressionistic, tense and captivating, playing with the lingering and cold feel of the northern
countries, following the river jazz at times, titillating the progressive and psychedelic music of the
70’s, sometimes shrilly, sometimes noisy and provocative, the dramatic and introspective atmosphere is
either appealing or disturbing. Quietness is marked with violence, sadness is filled with hope.
Beyond any radio, commercial or stylistic constraint, “Tree of them” is the outcome of a collaboration
and its title expresses the trinity between a man, his father and his son, the wandering, the questioning
about the emptiness left by the dead.
“Tree of them” starts intriguingly with “Le Sexe Faible” in which the tribal drums and the ney of
virtuoso Sufi Kudsi Erguner answer to an animal Larsen; a harsh observation on frailty and denial. “Le
Nain” goes on with tones attesting that the author has made up with Gainsbarre. “For a while” is the
only pop track of the album which allows one to catch their breath before “Receipt”, a hybrid and
puzzling song, a complex neurosis with a hint of humor.
Then comes “Racines”, an intermezzo with oriental notes, which prompts one to anchor their feet to
the ground and to sway like a tree. An adequate preparation to tackle the long and melodic “Aiga”
which, just like the Styx, describes the winding and imaginary river parting the author and the world of
the missing ones. Finally, “Angel”, a brief musical haiku as a thank you note where the black swift and
its spring song invite us to look at the sky and find the first signs of summer.