Zao - Typhareth

On Typhareth, none of the original members of Zao are left, except keyboardist Francois "Faton" Cahen. Musically, all traces of Zeuhl have also vanished and the album is competent, if a bit dull and sterile jazz-fusion record. Yochk'o Seffer had left and went on with Neffesh Music project. In his place there's a two-member brass section with trombone and saxophone/flute. Oddly enough, the drummer for this project is Manu Katche, who played on Seffer's Ima, even though his drumming is a bit obscured by a percussionist whose congas are quite high in the mix.

The opening track "Mercy Jacky" (dedicated to Jacky Barbier apparently) does feature some of the complex writing that had informed Cahen's previous compositions for Zao and it features some nice brass work. On the other hand, the other two upbeat pieces like "Troupeau de Bisons Sous un Crane" and "Les Temps Changent" are just average run-of-the-mill jazz-funk pieces. Even though there's no soprano saxophone this time around, there's no getting away from realizing just how important Seffer was for Zao.

Typhareth is not a complete failure as it features two slower and more tranquil compositions that confirm how good Cahen was at composing ballads ("Zita" on Shekina is another example). Nicely arranged, with some lovely flute parts to boot, these compositions suggest a more introverted direction Faton was to take on his solo albums like Great Winds. The title track of "Typhareth" is 12 minutes long and features a cute melody that is interspersed with solos on trombone, synth and flute, whereas a shorter piece "Binah" is more haunting and mysterious.

This remained the last Zao studio album in the seventies as the group eventually called it a day in 1978. Cahen and Seffer would work again later, forming Ethnic Duo in 1980, but also reuniting Zao several times later.