Show Date: Friday, August 20, 1999
Show #38
France - volume 12



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Playlist:
# Artist Song (click to play) Album Year CD label
1 Xaal Byblos On the Way (En Chemin) 1992 Progressive International
Xaal is a guitar/bass/drums trio with guest musicians on keys, trumpet, and sax. The music is instrumental prog/fusion with a Zeuhl flair. I am reminded of Mastermind, Fire Merchants, Djam Karet and Weidorje. This is their first album, which is out-of-print. There are still some copies out there, but, probably not for much longer. Their second album "Second Ere", is on Musea, and might be around a little while longer.
 
2 Exclusive Raja Black Movie Insubmersible 1995 Musea
This is a mostly intrumental prog/fusion album that reminds of Asia Minor, Minimum Vital and especially Adrian Belew era King Crimson.
 
3 Volapük Machine A Coudre Slang! 1997 Cuneiform
Volpauk is a trio with basic instrumentation of drums/percussion, cello, and clarinet. This is spicy avant garde music ala Etron Fou and Univers Zero. These guys answer to a different drummer, whose name happens to be Guigou.
 
4 Alambic 7 Numero Deux 1992 Meerkat
This album contains outstanding instrumental fusion, with virtuosic guitar playing. Unfortunately, it is way OOP. It took me about a year and a half to track down a used copy. They have another album which is easier to find called _Hybrida_. That album moves in a more symphonic direction, sometimes sounding like late 70's Genesis, and also adding some vocals. On the track featured here, the guitar sound reminds me a little of Jeff Beck on the Guitar Shop album, but, even more like Steve Morse.
 
5 Drama Renaissance Drama 1995 Musea
Drama is an instrumental symphonic band. I hear similarities to Solaris, I.Q. and yes, Yes. The Yes influence is mostly in the Squire-like bass sound. The guitar playing is more in the vein of Minimum Vital or Edhels. It is a very decent album that just any progressive fans could enjoy on some level.
 
6 Guigon Chenevier Salman Rushdie Les Rumeurs de la Ville 1998 Cuneiform
Guigon Chenevier is the drummer in the contemporary band Volapuk and also a former member of Etron Fou Leloublan. This is a very experimental album of a RIO nature. The music is a mix of composed material adorned with bits of student improvisation. It is pretty interesting and definately different.
 
7 Deboco D95 Deboco 1997 Musea
Deboco is sort of a Musea label supergroup project. This is not so much a single group, but, a project wherein three of Musea's top composer/performers contribute several songs. The three composers are Eric Delauney of Tiemko, keyboardist Gilles Coppin of Halloween, and guitarist Jean-Pascal Boffo. There is a mix of symphonic, classical rock, fusion, electronics. The song featured here is by Delauney and sounds very much like prime Tiemko. This is an excellent album that is essential for anyone who likes Halloween, Boffo, or Tiemko.
 


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