Moving Gelatine Plates -

The Moving Gelatine Plates were a French jazz-rock band that released the 1971/72 albums Moving Gelatine Plates and The World of Genius Hans on CBS. A partial regrouping as Moving yielded a further album in 1980. Along with Supersister and Pazop, they were one of the first Continental bands to appropriate the rhythmic figures and arrangements pioneered on Volume Two by Soft Machine.

Members: Didier Thibault (bass), Gérard Bertram (guitar, vocals, 1969-72), Gérard Pons (drums, 1969-72), Maurice Hemlinger (trumpet, saxophone, flute, Hammond, 1969-72), Maxime Goetz (guitar, ?-present), Stéphane Lemaire (keyboards), Julien Taupin (violin, trumpet), Anton Yakovleff (cello, trombone), Jean Rubert (saxophone, flute), Eric Herve (drums)

Background

The Moving Gelatine Plates formed in 1968 when bassist Didier Thibault teamed with guitarist Gérard Bertram, who first met two years earlier as 14-year-old schoolmates. They completed the lineup with drummer Gérard Pons and organist/reedist Maurice Hemlinger. Their name derives from Travels with Charley: In Search of America, a 1962 travelogue by American author John Steinbeck.

Didier Thibault and Gérard Bertram formed The Lines in 1966, performing covers of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix. They soon wrote original material influenced by Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, King Crimson, and Frank Zappa. The duo added drummer Michel Coulon to create a trio, but he left for personal reasons. They then recruited drummer Gérard Pons, a student of Kenny Clarke whose technical skill matched their evolving sound. Maurice Helmlinger joined as a fourth member, playing saxophone, flute, trumpet, and organ. The group assigned unconventional roles to instruments; bass and drums often carried entire melodic lines.

The band debuted on March 7, 1970, at the MJC in Sartrouville, France, performing an hour and a half of original compositions. The audience reacted to shifting time signatures and dissonant tones. They then played a side stage at the Festival du Bourget, but audience petitions moved them to the main stage, where they performed before The Pretty Things and attracted media attention. This exposure led to concerts alongside artists such as Jean-Luc Ponty, Magma, and Frank Zappa.

After a single gained radio play, the band signed with a small label. Financial problems canceled the contract, allowing them to sign with CBS Records.

Moving Gelatine Plates (album)

The Moving Gelatine Plates released their self-titled debut album in July 1971 on CBS.

The album presents five group-written tracks. Musically, they infuse semi-composed instrumental passages with contrapuntal details. Thibault’s bass and Pons’ drums provide a shifting metric foundation, while the ensemble weaves precise, energetic lines over complex harmonic structures.

Moving Gelatine Plates opens with spacey, experimental textures, shifts into playful interludes, and alternates between complex organ- and rhythm-driven pieces, frenetic jams, and quiet, reflective instrumentals. “London Cab” starts with ethereal passages, “X-25” delivers a brief playful burst, “Gelatine” explores harmonized and upbeat ensemble patterns, “Last Song” builds through extended solos and rhythmic intensity, and “Memories” closes with a subdued, acoustic mood.

A1. “London Cab” (8:30) – Opens with experimental textures, flute introduction, full-band up-tempo motifs, extended guitar passages, pastoral saxophone, and a sped-up vocal interlude over a hard rock riff, ending in jazzy phrasing.
A2. “X-25” (2:00) – Brief, humorous track with fuzz bass, trumpet, and megaphone vocals.
A3. “Gelatine” (8:10) – Organ-driven, complex composition with harmonized vocals, quiet bass solo, upbeat sax-guitar passages, and a trumpet solo.

B1. “Last Song” (15:20) – Begins with guitar harmonics, fast-paced jam, extended saxophone and guitar solos, four-minute drum solo, organ-led quiet section, and concludes with harmony vocals and hard rock riff.
B2. “Memories” (3:15) – Melancholy instrumental featuring classical-style acoustic guitar, gentle flute, and subtle bass, arranged by one Petit-Jean Boret.

Sessions occurred March 8–13, 1971 at Davout Studio in Paris with producer Claude Delcloo, who prioritized raw, direct sound and mostly live recording, and engineers Jack-Henry Robert and Jean-Claude Boufferait on pre-recorded tracks.

Moving Gelatine Plates features cover photography by Monique Poitrat and Horace, with design by Poitrat.

The World of Genius Hans

The Moving Gelatine Plates released their second album, The World of Genius Hans, in February 1972 on CBS.

The album presents seven group-written tracks, which navigate odd harmonic patterns against shifting metric frameworks. MGP’s core lineup — bassist Didier Thibault, guitarist Gérard Bertram, drummer Gérard Pons, multi-instrumentalist Maurice Hemlinger (trumpet, saxophone, organ) — welcome three guests: bassoonist Jean-Pierre Laroque, trombonist Michel Camicas, and vibraphonist Guy Boyer.

Musically, Genius Hans contrasts long-form suites with miniatures, balancing distorted bass figures, shifting meters, and ensemble exchanges. Horns, flute, vibraphone, and organ create harmonic color against jagged guitar lines and layered vocals. Passages move from dissonant density to lyrical restraint, highlighting the group’s control of pace and contour.

A1. “The World of Genius Hans” (14:00) – Opens with distorted bass and funk-inflected guitar, then shifts into passages with dissonant saxophone and syncopated, Zappa-like rhythms. Vocal harmonies alternate with atmospheric calm before the pace accelerates, closing with trombone-led passages.
A2. “Funny Doll” (4:25) – Drums and horns build the framework around a prominent bass line, accented by flute and vocals. Saxophone and guitar trade lines, shaping the track’s contoured phrasing.

B1. “Astromonster” (6:15) – Vibraphone and distorted bass introduce a subdued atmosphere before the tempo increases into a fast Softs-like section. Midway, a Latin-tinged guitar and organ passage appears, followed by a closing segment centered on slow flute lines.
B2. “Moving Theme” (3:46) – Relies on shifting meters and distorted bass to drive its structure. Interlocking parts from the ensemble emphasize tightly arranged exchanges.
B3. “Cauchemar” (3:46) – Begins with a harpsichord-like timbre before launching into rapid, uneven rhythms. Saxophone and guitar often play in unison, reinforced by vocal harmonies that double the instrumental lines.
B4. “We Were Lovin’ Her” (3:28) – Sustained organ chords and distorted bass form a spacious backdrop colored by abstract textures. Over this setting, saxophone and guitar trace lyrical contours.
B5. “Un jour…” (1:25) – The album ends with a concise soprano saxophone feature, its phrasing delivered in a clear, lyrical arc.

Sessions occurred at Studio des Dames in Paris with producer Claude Delcloo and engineer Roland Guillotel, assisted from Jean-Luc Pourquier.

The World of Genius Hans features cover photography by Henri Noblecourt (front) and Henri Tullio (back), with design coordinated by the band’s team.

Discography: