Sophisticated Daydream of Library Exotica: Roger Roger and Nino Nardini- Jungle Obsession (1971)

Two of the most consistent figures of the French Library world-- either in collaboration or when working solo (and often under a variety of fake names)-- Nino Nardini and Roger Roger have created a great wealth of worthy music. Perhaps none more wonderful than Jungle Obsession, their homage to the motifs and atmospheres of their spiritual cousins from an earlier musical period, Exotica.

This album plays faithfully within the "exotica" idiom exemplified by the works of Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, or Martin Denny (replete with animal calls, "exotic" vocal arrangements, and xylophonic percussion), but pushes a harder drum and bass sound, lush strings (and mellotrons and fuzz guitars that sound like lush strings), early-ish electronic instruments, and a trippier sensibility that occasionally edges beyond mystery into menace. It's a masterpiece of both Library recording and revisionist Exotica, a must have for all humans and tigresses with even the most burgeoning of Jungle Obsessions.

I have posted this before, but I'm putting it up again because the original link soured and I want to make sure everyone gets a piece of this new one (192 kbps, can anyone do better?). This is really one of my favorite records, so I figure it won't hurt to hawk it twice.

So get this record if you don't got it, and behold the glory of the original cover art below. It's amazing, it has a picture of a tiger, but somehow I still kind of lean towards the immersive composition of the reissue- a rare stance to take, for me.

*Perhaps unsurprisingly, the gentleman Owl from Holy Warbles has scared up a version (with still different cover art and something of a different sound quality beyond fidelity-- it may be a bit slower) at a "Blistering" 256, so skip down to the comments and make yourselves rich.

JUNGLE OBSESSION