PATRICK VIAN

One of the early psychedelic trippers who found an escapist's route through the promise of the Moog synthesizer, PATRICK VIAN dropped his sole release BRUITS ET TEMPS ANALOGUES (Analog Sounds And Times) in 1976 before floating off into the ethers from which he presumably procured his inspiration. Born in Angoulême, France to the famous novelist and jazz trumpet player Boris Vian, a young PATRICK followed in his father's musical footsteps although he took a major detour into the blossoming world of the avant-garde which began with his first group Red Noise with its sole offering in the form of "Sarcelles - Lochères." However that band soon splintered into two groups, one that would go on to form the avant-prog freakery known as Komintern while PATRICK VIAN himself embarking on a solo career that followed in the footsteps of the Berlin School progressive electronic pioneers as well as the burgeoning electronic experimentalism that was sweeping France in the 1970s.

While initially heard by only the most dedicated of audiences seeking out the most bizarre musical expressions in the realms of the world of progressive electronica, VIAN has earned an immortality of sort as one of the entries in the weirdo music lover's Nurse With Wound list. While many progressive electronic acts feature a single-minded focus on synthesizer worship, VIAN solicited the assistance of guitarist Bernard Lavialle and Georges Granier who contributed his Fende Rhodes workouts as well as supplying some ethic touches in the form of the marimba. The drummer Mino Cinelu also joined in for the tracks "Sphère" and "Oreknock" which added a wider range of tones and timbres than the Moog was able to generate on its own. The album featured 9 tracks just over 39 minutes of playing time and was released on the now legendary Egg label which featured the likes of Heldon, Conrad Schniutzler, Roedelius and many other lesser known seekers of the progressive electronic holy grail.

Rockin' his Moog 2C and ARP 2600 along with a Moog Sequencer and good old-fashioned piano, VIAN mixed the electronic space wizardry with touches of rock guitar, jazz and world ethnic sounds in a way that kept his stylistic approach from sounding like just another Moogspoitation one-trick pony act. Falling somewhere between the upbeat Berlin School sounds of Tangerine Dream and the more depressive soundscapes of fellow French act Heldon, VIAN delivered the perfect mix of cyclical loop accessibility fortified with wild excursions into raucous synth soloing and guitar riffing. Moments of jazzy funk guitar provide the perfect underpinning for the spontaneously of the free improv Moog workouts all fortified with the sensibilities of the world of progressive rock with knotty avant-prog workouts subtly blended into the overall procession of the march of the Moog. A veritable mix of classic White Noise and the technological advantages that several years down the road afforded by 1976.

A much more varied pedigree of electronic music creation, BRUITS ET TEMPS ANALOGUES offered a bonanza of moods, styles and musical influences stuffed into an album's worth of musical expressions. While tracks like "Sphère" sit comfortably side by side with other French electronauts such as Heldon, Philippe Besombes and Gilbert Altman's Lard Free, tracks like "Barong Rouge" delivered an unexpected pilgrimage to the Western African traditions that offered a touch of griot wisdom through sound. Other tracks like "Tunnel 4, Red Noise" take the electronic experimentalism to new heights with dueling swirliy effects escaping the gravitational pull of Earth's clutches and launches deep into the cosmos with crazy sequenced looping and an ample layering effect of contrapuntal freakery and perhaps one of the finest moments in the most extreme sector of progressive electronic bar none. No wonder the the album was a recipient of the highest praise of the underground Mutant Sounds blogspot.

Despite a promising career that culminated in this phenomenal expression of outsider weirdo music that dropped in 1976, the musical trajectory of PATRICK VIAN mysteriously ended seemingly as quickly as it began and while VIAN himself lived to the ripe age of 80 when he passed away on 24 February 2023, it remains unknown why this son of a musician with such a promising career suddenly dropped off the radar for the decades following while contemporary acts like Tangerine Dream are still cranking out albums some 50 years later. Whatever the case BRUITS ET TEMPS ANALOGUES definitely stands out for its originality as it mixes the by then popular sounds of the Moog dominated progressive electronic with a plethora of varying influences. It's a true shame VIAN didn't continue because this is really a satisfying trip into escapist music lover's paradise.

I bought a used LP of this in 1997 just from being allowed to listen to it at a Seattle record store (which sadly went defunct at the end of 1997) and I brought it home and was just blown away by it. One of the finest albums I ever bought without knowing a single thing about the artist. Of course now I know he's the son of Boris Vian, and he was in Red Noise in the early '70s which more emphasized the bathroom humor-side of Zappa than anything he did on Bruits et Temps Analogues. Bruits et Temps Analogues is apparently the very first release on the rebooted EGG label (the label previous existed in 1969-70 that released albums like Cruciferious and Original Popcorn, and featured a completely different label from its much more famous late '70s incarnation). This is some truly amazing electronic music that frequently draws comparisons to Heldon, but with a jazz influence from time to time (helps that his dad, Boris, was from a jazz background). The Heldon comparison helping that the cover bears a resemblance to Heldon's 1978 album Interface, although that album was still two years away. Here he gets help from percussionist Mino Cinelu (Miles Davis, Weather Report), Bernard Lavialle of Ame Son, and George Granier on electric piano. "Sphère" starts off with a bit of guitar but then the synths kick in with lots of synth pass and synth soloing, with nice vibes to go with it. "Gross Nacht Musik" is a wonderful piece emphasizing sequencers while "Oreknock" has a World Music feel to it, a bit African with marimbas but with lots of synth bass and the use of the Moog IIc modular. "R&B Degenerit" contains lots of funks electric piano and synths that really go off the deep-end. "Tunnel 4, Red Noise" may reference Patrick Vian's old Zappa- esque band, but at least you won't get references to the "wee stained floor" and instead the most out-there thing on this album with loud synth noises and a very unsettling vibe. "Bad Blue" is a jazz-piece but instead of a stand-up bass, an ARP 2600 was used for the bass lines while real piano is used, in that jazzy manner. "Tricentennial Drag" was an obvious reference to the US Bicentennial (as it was celebrated a month after the album was recorded), with sounds of drag races, a military band playing "Marines' Hymn" and lots of weird electronic sound effects in between it.

A lot of albums I've own for a long time seem to date me quite a bit, but not this one. This album had really stood the test of time and demonstrates how much I still enjoy it as I did on a blind buy in 1997. Of course even in 1997 I was wanting that kind of electronic music and it hardly disappointed. Really worth your time to check this out!

French artist Patrick Vian, formerly of Seventies avant group Red Noise, released his one solo album `Bruits Et Temps Analogues' in 1976, and what a baffling yet intriguing electronic-related album it is. A colourful and confusing work that perhaps occupies the mindset of Vangelis' unconventional albums from the same decade, or even Manuel Göttsching's Ashra in just a few moments, but without leaving quite as much of an impression as those works did, it's a mix of progressive-electronic, jazz/fusion, ambient, blues and avant-garde that makes it quite fragmented and disjointed, yet full of experimental potential that was never followed up on.

Chilled bluesy guitars may burn over whirring Moog and trilling synths throughout opener `Sphere', but `Grosse Nacht Musik' is pure floating electronic ambience full of mystery and wonder, and one of the best pieces on the LP. Quickening murky loops, drowsy guitar bends, lonely faraway flute, gentle sounds of nature and hypnotic electronics drift through `Oreknock', which might have easily come from the early Deuter albums, and the Vangelis-like synth experiment `Old Vienna' closes the first side.

Glistening Fender Rhodes electric piano and slow-burn funky guitars weave between splintering synth ripples on `R & B Degenerit!', percolating percussion carefully builds behind marimba as the Gong-like `Barong Rouge' slowly unwinds (unsurprising to find guest musician Mino Cinelu here, who actually played on that band's `Shamal' album, and in Zao and Weather Report), the maddening sequencer patterns of `Tunnel 4, Red Noise' cause instant mind-meltdown via bubbling freeform electronic nightmares, as if the groaning hostile mutant offspring of Pink Floyd's `On The Run' and mid Seventies Tangerine Dream are making violent love, `Bad Blue' is a jazzy piano interlude with a hint of darkness, and `Tricentennial Drag' is a fractured cut-up sound collage.

Fascinating, frustrating, unique and frequently gently precious, Patrick Vian's `Bruits Et Temps Analogues' is maybe not essential, but it still makes for an interesting and diverting little electronic curio that holds real magic in a few little spots, while also growing stronger with each listen. Electronic listeners, take a break from the big names of the genre and explore the little guys like this one, easier than ever before with the recent CD reissue!

Three and a half stars, rounded up to four!

Yes, 5!

PATRICK VIAN's, "Bruits Et Temps Analogues" is using Prog labels a 1976 electronic music work which goes from Prog Electronic to Prog's Crossover and then also other un-proggy destinations. To try to nail this whole work, I will mention "progressive electronic aesthetics" + "World/Jazz-fusion without the "exotic Imperial approach" + "serious music composition", yet unpretentious, just truly creative and from there to "contemporary classical music" structures with brushes of Prog's "Symphonic" styling and RiO's daring proposals and the inevitable "Ambient" tagging.

It will be unwise for a single artist´s release not to mention the impeccable musicians alongside Vian's moogs and piano. Drums are poignantly and cheerfully played by Mino Cinelu well acquainted in fact with a wide spectrum of Prog bands (Gong, Weather Report). Percussions run on the hands of Georges Granier who also adds Fender Rhodes, marimba, noise and "scissors" to his collaboration. The very welcomed flavor of Bernard Lavialle (Ame Son) , on the electric guitar makes this album "rock" where needed and soft if it happens.

What else can I say............ It is completely absurd to miss this ***** 5 PA stars work, now that you know about its existence "and miss the "bliss".

An altogether different proposition to his previous band 'Red Noise's' 'Sarcelles Lochères' which appeared 6 years earlier. This is far more synthetic and electronic in application. It's a pity it has only been released on vinyl (as far as I know) because this would sound great cleaned up for a cd release.

There's some out of place guitar on the first track, but it's pleasant enough with it's synthesised sound. It's what follows that is particularly good. Lots of really nice 70's electronics, ethnic percussion and jungle sounds.

'Old Vienna' pretty much sounds like a track from Wendy Carlos' 'Clockwork Orange'. He's got that Tangerine Dream throbbing bass thing going on in the background which helps quite a bit as I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.

There's really quite a lot going on here, with 'Barong Rouge' sounding very Gamelan in nature with reverbed guitar and metallic pots and pans being thwacked.

You also get some early sequencers thrown in along with squelches and squeals from various electronics. Slowed down and speeded up tape samples along with Laurel and Hardy car horns makes my day towards the end.

I feel rotten giving this a three rather than four star rating. Probably because it's on crackly old vinyl. Harumphh!

A pretty good effort