Heldon / Richard Pinhas

3-23-10 Heldon

Heldon is a French electronic progressive rock band based around guitarist Richard Pinhas. I followed them in the mid-70’s, but I stopped at a certain point. I enjoy some of the solo works by Richard Pinhas. It’s fair to say that Mr. Pinhas was influenced by the Fripp & Eno LP “No Pussyfooting”.

LP AGNETA NILSSON URUS FR 11

1976 5 TRKS

LP ALLEZ TEIA DISJUNCTA FR 2

1975 7 TRKS

CD ALLEZ TEIA CAPTAIN TRIP JPN CTCD-532

1975 8 TRKS (1 x bonus track) ('05 issue) (kami sleeve)

LP ELECTRONIQUE GUERILLA DISJUNCTA FR 36873

1974 6 TRKS

CDx2 ELECTRONIQUE GUERILLA / IT'S ALWAYS ROCK'N ROLL CUNIEFORM US RUNE 51/52

1973/4 15 TRKS (’93 issue)

CD INTERFACE CUNIEFORM US RUNE 43X

1977 8 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks) ('92 issue)

LP INTERFACE COBRA FR COB 37013

1977 6 TRKS

LPx2 IT'S ALWAYS ROCK'N ROLL URUS FR 000006/7

1973? 9 TRKS with Gilbert Artman

CD STAND BY SPALAX FR 14233

1978 3 TRKS ('91 issue)

LP UN REVE SANS CONSEQUENCE SPECIALE COBRA FR COB 37002

1976 4 TRKS

I guess by the time of “Stand By” (1978), I felt that “progressive rock” of this nature was past it’s sell-by date. I had moved on to Magazine, XTC and Ultravox. I liked “Interface” a lot – and I just listened to it again the other evening. I distinctly remember feeling that “I didn’t get it” when I heard “Un Reve Sans Consequence Speciale”. Yes, I believe all of these Heldon albums are 100% instrumental electronic music.

I also liked that Lard Free’s Gilbert Artman worked with Heldon on “It’s Only Rock’n Roll”. I am a huge Lard Free fan, and I got to meet Mr. Artman in Paris in 1979. I don’t believe we ever discussed his work with Heldon, however. I really liked a lot of the artists who were on the Cobra label, from France.

Richard Pinhas solo works:

LP CHRONOLYSE COBRA FR COB 37015

1978? 9 TRKS

CD ICELAND CUNIEFORM US RUNE 44X

1979 9 TRKS (1 x bonus track) ('92 issue)

LP ICELAND POLYDOR FR 2393 254

1979 8 TRKS

LP RHIZOSPHERE COBRA FR COB 37005

1977 5 TRKS

I recently got the “Iceland” CD and enjoyed it a lot. The bonus track on it was lengthy! I would love to find “Rhizosphere” and “Chronolyse” on CD (for a good price). Cunieform Records has certainly done a nice job with the Heldon albums making their way to the CD format.