In the second of only two solo prog-oriented efforts apart from a pair of albums with his first band, Nemo, French keyboardist-composer François Breant amalgamated the tense synthetic grooves of Heldon and the verve of Vangelis' classical fusion with the quirk of Kraftwerk and the stamina of Goblin's Roller. Shake well, and the CD remaster of Voyeur Extra-Lucide — "peeping tom," basically — is what staggers forth from the rebirth gizmo at Musea. Released during the same year (or so) of Force Majeure by Tangerine Dream, End Of Illusion by Anders Helmersson, and Take/Off by Sangiuliano, Voyeur strikes strikes a pleasant contrast to those with the aforementioned elements.
The album cover displays a pensive Breant and his closest friends (ARP, Obie, Prof, and the Ya'ma'ha clan is somewhere about) basking in the glow of a TV set. As simple as it may seem, cool, unimposing cover art like this is seldom seen nowadays as bands indulge ceaselessly in digital-art-overkill. With the tools of his trade, Breant's process of balancing futuristic sounds & robotic patterns with warmer, pastoral interludes is artful, to say the least, and never leaves the listener cold. Guest contributors on hand number quite a few, including violinist Didier Lockwood, guitarist Jean-Michel Kajdan, bassist Pascal Arroyo, and vocalists Stella Vander & Klaus Blasquiz on one track.
"Poursuite Sur Le Péripherique Nord" is resplendent with analog paints and an uppity, euphoric motif that could work in many an anime short. The genre-splicing is handled briskly on the eccentrically-titled "8 Août, 0H15, 125éme Rue," wherein dense sounds — presumably from the great Yamaha CS80 — leave pockmarks in the aural ceiling before a smooth jazzy interlude of cleanly-picked guitar and blippy Rhodes intervenes for a few measures. Then just as quickly, the analogs interrupt again to remind their docile neighbors that they can stop by, just as long as they don't overstay their welcome and wear out the carpeting or yellow the lawn.
"L'Amour Au Grand Air" is the bastard child of two film scores: legato piano and sparse Oberheim textures spell decadence sweet as chocolate. "Danse Rituelle Talmouse" almost takes on a Jean-Michel Jarre-esque veneer, but Jarre's music seldom intrigues as much as this; no, perhaps the synth lead is closer to those slick, "bubbly" kinds by Moraz or Watkins. One of several pieces featuring Lockwood's talent, "Les Funérailles Du Voyeur" is a thick slice of spatial drones, shimmering ARP pads, and a percolating Oberheim bass-peggio; a page right out of Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel Jarre. "We Ate the Zoo" features Vander and Blasquiz, a cute operatic vignette that plays like, well, a play. A trio of bonus tracks rounds out this superb disc: "KO," "Fille De La Ville (La Nuit)," and "Passage De La Fonderie," all three of which are consistent qualitywise with the nine preceding tracks. To put it any plainer would be out of mind: Voyeur Extra-Lucide makes a fine addition to any keyboard/synth-lover's collection.
Tracklist:
1. Poursuite Sur Le Péripherique Nord (5:06)
2. 8 Août, 0H15, 125éme Rue (5:13)
3. L'Amour Au Grand Air (5:59)
4. Cadence D'Eperonnage (3:59)
5. Danse Rituelle Talmouse (4:19)
6. L'Eveil de L'Acrobate (3:08)
7. L'Obus Rouillé Trouvé Dans La Dune (3:09)
8. Les Funérailles Du Voyeur (4:13)
9. We Ate the Zoo (2:13)
— Bonus Tracks —
10. KO (3:37)
11. Fille De La Ville (La Nuit) (3:47)
12. Passage De La Fonderie (1:28)
Total time – 46:20
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
