You might know the Bene Gesserit as the sectarian order from the Dune films, but before those films (the first Dune appeared in 1984), there was already this project, BeNe GeSSeRiT by Alain Neffe and his wife Nadine Bal. Alain Neffe is a cult figure from the early minimal wave scene and the cassette circuit of the 80s, with numerous projects to his name. He was also the man behind the Insane Music label, which explains the title of this live CD. One of those projects, and perhaps one of the more well-known ones, was this BeNe GeSSeRiT, a project considered by connoisseurs as one of the pioneers of the minimal wave genre.
It is commendable of the Je M’en Fish label to give this unconventional project a chance, as it caters to a niche market, and it is known in advance that it won’t be a commercial hit. This live CD gathers no less than 21 tracks that had so far remained in the archives of Alain Neffe, presenting us his brainchild BeNe GeSSeRiT, “Mickey Please” possibly being their most famous track but not present here, in all its forms.
Minimal wave, indeed, but also pieces that are much more experimental, influenced by Eastern sounds, or have a more freeform approach. More experiment than song at times, that was also BeNe GeSSeRiT. The album opens with the ticking of the sound improvisation “Each And Every Day,” where the alarm clock prepares us daily for a new day and thus for this “Insanely Live,” the washing water washes our sleep away... To discuss each track individually would be tempting, but in a fit of megalomania, I tried to categorize the live versions presented here, which often overlap and blend into each other, for BeNe GeSSeRiT, with multi-instrumentalist Alain Neffe, was above all an exercise in experimentation.
There is indeed a significant portion of what I conveniently want to describe as minimal wave: “Tonight” (which practically turns into a tirade), “Rock Yoko” (where I think, Karen Finley must have listened closely to this), the more experimental and Eastern-sounding “Snake Un Jour, Snake Toujours,” or “Step By Step” (with a Suicide echo), “Orchestral Story” or the “Nobody Can Know” that carries synthwave in its genes long before this term even existed.
A track like “Alles Ist” links to the more experimental side of BeNe GeSSerit. There are rabid monkeys in “Crazy Monkees” or the light version of Diamanda Gallas in “Les Flammes De L’Enfer,” the Edith Piaf ode in “Massacre A l’Accordéon,” but it can also be more Eastern-inspired in “Something Exotic,” even somewhat esoteric and more dreamy in “Erg Habbania” or “Guilty (Les Plus Cruels Des Dieux).”
Madness knocks on the door in “White Men” while behind “Rats” a pop gem is hidden. You have to want to hear it, of course. And there's much more to discover. To put it simply, BeNe GeSSeRiT was unique and special, always searching for the power of sound, with or without melody, unconventional and thriving on a 'do it yourself' mentality without compromises. Much more experimental than minimal wave. A special and unique release on the beautiful Je M’en Fish, which will find its way worldwide, for BeNe GeSSeRiT has a cult name, and it’s not surprising when you hear this “Insanely Live - A Collection of Unreleased Live Tracks.”