L'ARCHE DE NOÉ

Early in 2024, legendary Quebecois avant-proggers Miriodor released this archival single from the line-up that included Francois Emond, Pascal Globensky, Remi Leclerc, Marc Petitclerc, and Denis Robitaille. This track--recorded live on March 3rd, 1983, at Cafe Oxymel in Quebec City--never made it onto any studio album, and thus it is a welcome glimpse into the band's history from the years prior to the release of their full-length debut. Musically, "L'Arche de Noe" (Noah's Ark) begins slowly, and I love this atmospheric beginning. Soon, flute and bass perk up and run with it, flute being the "lead" instrument for much of the song. The piece feels almost like a mix of folk and symphonic to my ear, and I think it does conjure a feeling of water/sea with the rolling, ebb-and-flow performances and chaotic emotions. Despite their reputation for being quite avant-garde, this song, with the flute and 12-string, could just as easily remind you of a young Genesis playing some early sub-section of a long epic track. Later, the violin comes in with a vengeance as the ending gets intense and the rhythm section dramatic. The sound quality is a tad less than stellar as one would expect given the circumstances; it sounds slightly muffled as if there were pillows in front of your speakers. But in no way should that deter you--this is very cool. The single is available for purchase at their Bandcamp page, and I promise it will be very enjoyable for anyone who loves their early work.