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What the papers say...

Parisman take one great leap into their own future with this very polished three track CD. No more uncertainty about how to balance the rock and the electronics. Parisman have discovered what they're about, and they're doing a brilliant job of it.

"Inspiration and Tar" stands as a classic track all by itself. At nine minutes 17 seconds it hurls music from all over the place into an utterly convincing trip through narcotic paranoia. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Steve Reich, Don Henly, Led Zeppelin, Utah Saints, Kula Shaker... their full size cardboard cutouts are all there for the photo in the studio mockup, propped up behind the lads in their Sergeant Popper Uniforms (with loads of other geezers I don't recognise). Steve Reich's experimental "Different Trains" has a modern echo right at the start. Parisman's sampled voice has a falling melodic line to it, and as the voice repeats hypnotically an Eagles kind of rock guitar picks out the same pattern and turns it into the main theme in some big echoey space. It really is good and you don't really need to know technicalities. It sounds great. I won't spoil your fun by telling you everything that happens. Sit down, shut up and listen. Heroic drumming, great guitars and voices, and noises to delight and amaze.

"It Comes Eventually" is a confident opener, starting with a digital delay sounding like early Reich and going into a punchy two note riff that ties it all up. Vocals and lyrics are completely sorted, and dramatic development is all there. Cheeky little glimpses of sixties and seventies beat music, and real heaviness as it builds to a climax. Maybe I'd have cut the ending by 30 seconds but what the hell. It's huge fun. And it will work live just perfectly.

"Feelings Collide" has some weird glugging noises, followed by a big string synth part and some sampled speech. There's a strung out melody in a great voice, and then the gears turn round and off we go in a chase to the stadium rock death. Terrific.

Something's going on here. Leeds Music is getting seriously good. I know Parisman's website says it was recorded in York, but this one is 10/10 and I fancy that Parisman might soon come up with something even better. So us reviewers will be needing a bigger dial. 

Review can be found @
http://www.leedsmusicscene.co.uk/recorded/r73.html
11th December 2001. Review by Sam Saunders
© 2001 leedsmusicscene

Finally were PARISMAN, and I'll take this all from Heidi's notes: "A good mix of everything. All the best bits of the other bands blended together. Liked the variation of instruments for different songs, with some more funky Dr Who type synth sounds." Here's some more quotes; "The best unsigned band around" "How are this band THIS good?", I hope you get the idea. For me, I completely agreed and more. They had the layered rock sounds of Indigo Dub, the rock action of Brazil and the chilled grooves of Nylon Pylon, and above this the band all the songs all sounded as if they came from the same stable, despite having massive variation between song and during songs. I mean there were songs where you got all featured styles in one, and it passed over you. Where the other bands alternated instrumentation slightly, Parisman went from 3 vocals, 2 guitars, bass, synth, drums, to 3 synths and vocals, with little audible difference. i.e. They still rocked like Mofo's with no guitars.

There is little more I think I can say about Parisman and the gig, except to say, they are equal to ANY other band I have ever seen, and hopefully one of these bands will "take off". Although all excellent, it was a comment we got from watching Indigo Dub, that although great, we didn't know how they would appeal to record company's etc. I think if one such band of this style takes off, then the futures bright for all of them, and by tonight's standards and rumours I've heard about the bands, it won't be long.

And the score?? Well Parisman got a hat-trick quickly to put Leeds back in control, added to that the off-side from Manchester with all their fans going home early (not their fault - the gig ran late, but that's football), and the consistency of Parisman bagging a SECOND hat-trick, makes the score at the final whistle 8-3. Although the game only ran away towards the end, honest.

Full review of the gig can be found @ http://www.leedsmusicscene.co.uk/live/r9.html 
28th May, 2001. Review written by Whiskas

Opening with a dub-techno type intro thing, which kicked into a big rock number with influences ranging from The Prodigy, the Beta Band, Mansun, Oasis, New Order - the list could continue but I won't. Basically they threw all these and about four billion more into a melting pot that created a hugely original and at times awe-inspiring sound. This is one of the few unsigned bands I've been genuinely excited about and told everyone I know about the next morning. Each song was catchy and poppy but extremely cleverly put together, and the outro at the end of the first song put hairs up on the back of your neck. A song based around just the sequencer and the singer made an interesting change and reminded me of a darker New Order, but all round I really can't think of anything bad to say about Parisman. Sheer visceral energy combines with brilliant songwriting and excellent instrumentation. On stage, Parisman are very insular, all simply getting off on the song they're playing rather than being showmen for the audience. The two singers have good if not fantastic voices, but this worked well because it meant that the vocals weren't the focus all the way through. If you've never seen Parisman before (as I hadn't - I'd never even heard of them), they are a definite must-see - the best unsigned band I've ever seen and one of the best bands full stop. I wouldn't be surprised to see them all over the music press soon, so go and see them down at yer local small venue before you have to pay about 20 quid and get stood behind someone in a big hat and have to watch on a video screen four thousand miles away.

A review of all the bands can be found @ www.leedsmusic.freeserve.co.uk/news428.html
12th February, 2001 - Review by Chris May

Parisman come to the Strychnine Lounge amid a hubub of mythology and rumour - most of it encouraging. I heard comments like "the next big thing after the Betas and Flaming Lips", "Imagine the Doors meets Moby and Blur at a wild tequila-soaked Goan beach party" etc. Lots of people tried to compare, contrast and describe the sound, but until you hear it you don't really know.

This is because Parisman have something few bands can claim to have - not just originality and talent, but the ability to so obviously enjoy what they do. Forget the navel-gazing and wankery of 70s prog, this is music having a laugh, largin' it up, and letting its hair down - just doing whatever the fuck it wants - and enjoying every second. So if the song wants to dissolve into swirling keyboards and whooshy feedback so be it, if it seems right for everyone to swap instruments, or take it in turns to sing a line, or to simply rock like a banshee that is OK too - here on planet Parisman this is what having a good time is all about. Only the most tight-arsed and imaginatively underdeveloped could fail to pick up the vibe and join in. Astonishing. 
28th July, 2000 - Review by Nick Copland