Well, the Finders Keepers label continues to surprise that crap outta me each time I stumble upon one of its releases. This time, as opposed to be focused on a region of the world or even a genre, the imprint’s attempted to rescue the legacy of Jean Pierre Massiera from the jaws of oblivion. They’ve succeeded.

In pretty much every piece of writing that’s out there about this producer and this album specifically, folks feel it necessary to make Massiera out to be the French Joe Meek.

Meek, as we should all know by now was a supremely talented producer, in part because of his avoidance of traditional recording techniques. Massiera, by contrast didn’t work out of his apartment. And while Les Monégasques’ “Psychose,” included on Midnight Massiera, could have fit onto any Meek compilation focused on his surf related work, there’s not too much common sonic territory for the pair of producers to share. That’s not good or bad, it just seems that Massiera was more engaged with proper players and musicians instead of spinning some alchemy and arriving at an end product that couldn’t have come from anyone overly familiar with music and how it works.

That’s not to say Massiera didn’t have his hand in some weird shtick. Everything from the human voice to then current synthesizer sounds were utilized and manipulated to create an atmosphere and its surrounding sounds unconnected from most other music – get an ear full of Human Egg’s “Onomatopaeia.” Of course, as anyone engaged with music, Massiera didn’t only work with the most difficult of musics. He had an ear for just about anything.

The producer’s best known work is probably with Chico Magnetic Band, which is obviously funk related and a snippet’s included on this collection. But some funkier stuff crops up. Les Maledictus Sound’s “Kriminal Theme” could have come out of some road house on the Chittlin’ Circuit. Instead, these Frenchies crank out a touch funk beginning with thick horns blurting the song’s melody before supplemental production flourishes kick in and take the track into psych territory. Those two genres – funk and psych – wedded in the proper way always turn out well. And Massiera’s assist on this track is ample proof of music’s jiving together. Of course, all that screaming gets to be a bit disconcerting. But that’s probably why people so persistently check this guy as Joe Meek related. Essential listening, indeed.