RENCONTRES

The self-released debut LP by Miriodor finds the band drawing from diverse prog subgenres. It's only natural that this includes the jazz-rock stylings of the likes of Maneige, since Miriodor also hail from Quebec, and there's also the humour of the likes of Samla Mammas Manna or the Muffins in play, as well as extensive influence from the likes of Egg, Hatfield and the North, and National Health - none of whom could exactly be described as dour.

The end result is a sort of Canterbury-ish RIO-y sort of jazz-rock mayhem, and one delivered with deft skill by the players. Putting out a debut album with this sort of sound in 1986 was a risky prospect, but such is the quality of the material that if you sent it back to 1976 it could have gone toe-to-toe with any of the group's influences.