ARRAKEEN

I was in a record store flipping through vinyls. At some point the song that was playing ended and another one began. Within the very first few notes I went over to the owner and asked him what we were listening to in this very moment. He showed me the CD and I said 'right, I'm buying it'. Thank God I acted quickly because after me two other guys inquired also about the album. Patchwork is an EP (31:16 total running time) consisting of four tracks, three studio ones and a live number. Their sound falls definitely into the neo prog style and are, in fact, Marillion with French female vocals. Actually, they were supporting Marillion on the Seasons End tour and Steve Rothery himself contributes with a solo on the fourth, live track. The band is obviously keyboard-driven and the keyboardist Eric Bonnardel comes up with inspired melodies and themes. The playing of the guitarist Sylvain Gouvernaire is melodic and meanful (very much like his 'mentor' Steve Rothery) and the rhythm section of the bassist Yves Darteyron and the drummer Gauthier Mejanel is absolutely what the songs need. One could say that they lack originality and I wouldn't argue. But to my ears the songs are full of nice melodies, lovely vocals, no matter if they express themselves in less than 5 minutes (L'entaluve which is in 3/4 time and features a superb vocal line) or the theatrical Différences that exceeds the 11-minute mark. I would recommend the album to all neo prog fans and hear for themselves if they find the compositions worth listening to or if the similarity to Marillion is too much for them.

In 1990 this mini-album was self-distributed as a product of support for the French tour of a British neo- progressive gods Marillion. Although Arrakeen's music was the most reminiscent of Marillion, they had their uniqueness. What immediately attracts the most attention at the first listen is the beautiful angelic voice of Maiko, especially the fact that her singing in French combined with beautiful melodies gives the band's sound a special charm. To this day, I get goosebumps when her voice reaches unimaginable heights in Differences. The appearance of none other than the master himself, Steve Rothery, and his magnificent solo in the live version of Folle Marie represents a great finale of this extraordinary work. The band had everything, a nice melodic guitar sound, beautiful atmospheric keyboards, and a good rhythm section, but it failed to attract much attention from music lovers. I think that their music was very accessible and that it was not limited by the prog form .

Being of a certain age, I was fortunate enough to see many of the UK Prog Gods in their early 70's prime - Yes, Tull, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Camel, Caravan, Barclay James Harvest, Greenslade, Wishbone Ash to name but a very few. (For the record, I was never interested in seeing either King Crimson or VdGG - neither was on my wave length at all, either then or now.)

In total contrast, in more recent years, I have regrettably been to very few concerts - in the last ten years in fact, only Pendragon and Big Big Train have succeeded in getting me to stir my stumps (both bands were excellent). That's just the way life evolves.

Across all the years, however, my taste in music has remained relatively stable, and music that seemingly travels, currently, under the generic label of "symphonic/neo-prog" suits me just fine. I haven't the least interest in whether this marks me out as an unfashionable dinosaur - I simply don't give a hoot. I know what I like. And Arrakeen deliver it in spades. Mosaique is an excellent CD, with terrific melodies, soaring guitars, and no duff tracks or fillers. Maiko has a great voice - (if Epidaurus had been able to access her for their Earthly Paradise CD, they might have really been in business). If I rate it as better than the band's first album (Patchwork) it is solely because of their comparative lengths - Patchwork is more of an EP than an LP - but both have stood the test of time in fine fashion.

For what it's worth, not that you're interested, of the multitude of bands and artists that I saw in those far-off Golden Days, the most uplifting was, without doubt, Quintessence; the three quirkiest were probably Tea and Symphony, Arthur Brown, and Principal Edward's Magic Theatre; the greatest crowd-pleasers (with all due apologies to the PA community) were Slade; the loudest (by some distance) was Status Quo; the most tedium-inducing was Byzantium; and the most professional was.....Charles Aznavour (!!) (Bang goes any remaining street cred, but I freely admit to being dragged along by my enduringly lovely wife to see this ageing French crooner shortly after we married, and, whilst I was wholly dismissive and cynical to begin with, in truth he succeeded effortlessly in delivering a completely mesmerising performance. I swear that 20 women sitting near the front of the stage fell pregnant that evening just by listening to him. Talk about the Adoration of the Masses!)

But I digress. Mosaique is just my cup of tea. I loved it from start to finish. Great stuff.

1. A New World so sit back in your chair; Eric's keyboards rise while Cyril vacillates between Yves' low notes and Gauthier's strikes; Maïko launches into the dance on a heavy riff which avoids boredom, here it hits French neo prog; it's unique, caught between the metronomic keyboard and the destructive riff 2. The XI Commandment and it continues with this symphonic-hard sound mixed with cotton balls thrown from Maïko's mouth; this voice in French is the most, navigating between the notes of the musicians, a voice that catches on easily; yes today we could think cutesy or easy to access... I take you back to the time... 30 years is more than a straw, short captivating title with its dose of kitsch 3. The Rain Child and this intro, yes there will be intros each time; yes they will be beautiful, soaring, filled with feeling, emotion; yes 2 minutes of dreaming before hearing Maïko; this basic synth that spins, this ballroom voice in the good sense of the word with a story that we listen to discreetly, yes the air, the sound have that little extra that will capsize you; drum roll break and Cyril the big guy who releases an invasive solo; in the middle of these ruins the child... ah I listen to these words not only with MANSET, ANGE and LAZULI; a symphonic moment this interlude and the keyboard which leans towards that of MARILLION, what a pleasure, come on Cyril give us that again; ending too brutal 4. Sizygy yes for those who follow the alignment of planets, for others the energetic title which allows the sound ARRAKEEN to be shorter; a voice, a text and musicians who start on a typically local pop-rock base

5. Mosaic with this sampled pan flute, the snare drum which starts, the piano bringing Maïko who belches here, who now frolics to a nursery rhyme, who puts his voice and takes us on a journey; ah Cyrille comes on stage, he will go far with what comes out of his guitar; the most progressive title with a symphonic finale, a bit of symphonic RAINBOW; the keyboard for another break, a dark atmosphere which prolongs the spell caused by this album which I came across by chance 6. Celebration ah yes the waves, for one of the most beautiful interludes, yes IRIS of course for those who will dive into it afterwards, or how to make an instrumental interlude a candy for a big heart... ah this guitar is just sublime 7. White Moon Dreamer marshmallow synth intro before Maïko's escapade with the Anglicans, yes for those who have difficulty with our beautiful language, take a listen to this 100% English title; I realize that the solo is heavier while the vocals are softer, yes; more orchestration too or the voice slips even more into the instruments; solemn piano finale 8. Rages for the best for the end, this intro, this crystalline keyboard, this drums highlighted, this guitar which starts on MALSTEEN, the bass which swells the air, Maïko who plays his voice, melancholy spleen air in so and the climb... this chorus that hooks you, that's it you start singing... the walls... Eric prides himself on a fresh solo... we don't look back... in short one of the rare French groups who tried neo; the synth comes back forward for this Marillionian break, a captivating voice that leaves, the solemn piano and then it rises and Maïko capsizes us, ah no it's Cyrille in short, both of them; this solo which lasts, which lasts, this riff behind it, one of the great moments of ARRAKEEN without a doubt; the finale which descends gently, to help us better understand the great moment we had.

Arrakeen had built a good relationship with Marillion and in 1991 at a sold-out concert at Theatre Dunois in Paris Mark Kelly and Steve Rothery joined the group on stage.However they struggled to find success in hard times for Prog music, especially by singing in French, preventing them having international recognition.Sylvain Gouvernaire left for England to form Iris with the help of Marillion's Pete Trewavas and Ian Mosley and the rest of the group hired Cyril Achard, a guitarist with a metal background.Gauthier Mejanel was the new drummer and Arrakeen recorded their second album ''Mosaique'' in 1992, released on MSI.

Achard's presence gave Arrakeen a harder edge in the lead guitar parts, but generally the group maintained its style of cinematic Neo Prog with delicate symphonic orchestrations and fabulous, theatrical female vocals provided by Maiko.Through a collection of both short and long tracks they offer elaborate arrangements with interesting melodies, romantic lyricism and extended instrumental workouts, based on Eric Bonnardel's flashy synthesizers.Some of Gouvernaire's monumental solos are absent, but new guitarist Cyril Archard was overall an excellent fit with some great guitar moves and a number of nice solos also in his armour, although a STEVE VAI virtuosic influence is evident in a couple of cuts.Maiko's voice remains the absolute trademark of Arrakeen, combining her majestic chords with passionate, symphonic-inclined musicianship.MARILLION, IQ and RENAISSANCE are the strongest reference points: A nice bunch of Classical inspirations and the lead female voice recall the later, the melodic guitar lines along with the bombastic synthesizers are elements of the first.However ''Mosaique'' was sort of a personal album with non-pop leanings and often a very orchestral sound, twisting from theatrical Progressive Rock to melodic Neo Prog.

After the mini-tour following the release of the album Arrakeen sadly disbanded.Cyril Achard followed a good personal career in the Prog Metal field, while Gauthier Mejanel and Maiko remained involved in the music industry, although far from their progressive roots.

Hail to one of the most underrated Prog bands of the 80's/90's.''Mosaique'' is another nice example of solid, non-commercial Neo/Symphonic Prog, definitely a must-have for fans of the style, albeit a touch weaker than Arrakeen's monumental debut.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

Arrakeen's first album (short enough to be more of an EP, really) was notable mainly for the band's competent neo-prog performance and a guest appearance from Steve Rothery. This time around, there's no famous guest star - and, sadly, not much in the way of advancement over their earlier sound. On the whole, in fact, the album finds Arrakeen practicing an anonymous, faceless sort of poppy neo-prog which distinguishes itself from the work of other groups only in that the vocals are sung in French. Neo-prog fanatics will find this to be an OK listen but for most other listeners there's far better albums to be spending your time and money on.

This French album combines a classic neo-prog sound - which to my ears sounds a little more like early Pendragon than Fish-era Marillion, with a bit more emphasis on the keyboards than either band - with the excellent vocals of frontwoman Maiko, whose singing, influenced by the "chanteuse" style, is reminiscent of a French Annie Haslam. Marillion fans will be interested to hear Steve Rothery's guest solo on the closing track, a live recording of Folle Marie from when the band were supporting Marillion on the Seasons' End tour, though I think few others will consider it a particularly high priority release - it's a pleasant enough album but it doesn't really add much new to the format.

This is a wonderful piece of neo-prog minstrelsy, from 1990, worthy of the attention of any prog fan.

The music is drenched in the very essence of La France. In the same way that there was something very English about the early GENESIS sound, something very Italian about the early PFM sound, there is something very French about the sound of the music of Arrakeen.

Fronted by female vocalist Maiko, fans of bands such as STREAM OF PASSION (but imagine a French essence replacing the gothic flavours) will enjoy this as much as the MARILLION fans it is so often aimed toward in reviews. The accessibility and style of the music is probably comparable with early PFM (think PHOTOS OF GHOSTS) and in fact doesn't have so much in common with MARILLION .

The album is only about thirty minutes long, but the quality is exceptional. Compositional skill is high and everything is played with real passion and enjoyment.

The first track 'Le Monde Du Quoi' is probably the closest we actually get to an early MARILLION sound, particularly noticeable in the keyboard lines. The track ends with a memorable guitar solo. The next track 'Differences' is an eleven minute long prog classic and it is here that the French flavour really kicks in. It's a work of many contrasting styles from acoustic piano to heavy guitar power chords. The third track 'L'Entaluve' somehow manages to convert what sounds like a Eurovision song entry from the 80's into an anthemic prog song !!

Musicianship, throughout is second to none and this release evoked some essential and seminal guitar playing from the excellent guitarist Sylvain Gouvernaire, whilst keyboardist Eric Bonnardel displays a talent that is second to none. The whole band provide an epochal performance on the final track, 'Folle Marie' which is recorded live. On this track Maiko's vocals ebb passion and ache with melancholy over a beautiful acoustic guitar riff that is complimented by some emotional keyboard lines before building into a powerful finale where the band are joined by Steve Rothery from MARILLION. This is one gig I sincerely wish I had been at....

It's a shame this album is often remembered only due to the band touring with MARILLION and is often ignored because of this. If you have heard this before and dismissed it, I urge you to listen again with 'fresh' ears !! If you have never heard this, please take the time to find a copy, you will not regret it.

Mildly Interesting Heavy Pop-Prog

Arrakeen was an early 90's French neo-prog band that boasted a very strong singer and some guitar hero flourishes. I was attracted by the strong reviews to their second album Mosaique on this site, and my initial reaction was that the band's sound was good but that the songwriting was not too memorable. After returning to the album that impression remains. Female lead singer Maiko mixes some Enya into the usual female-fronted heavy metal sound (admittedly before that sound was so common). Guitarist Cyril Archard has all the usual shredder moves including sweeps, legato runs, and some tasty clean chops. His leads are quite good, but his distorted rhythm tone is terrible. (The fuzzy timbre sounds like a cheap amp and distracts me throughout the entire disc. The keys are typical of late 80's / early 90's pomp, and really date the work as well. (They aren't frankly unpleasant, however.)

The issue for me is that the compositions are glorified pop rather than prog, and while pleasant, don't really challenge my ear in any way. The song "Sizygie" has some proggy rhythms and some keyboard flourishes, but most of the songs are much more straightforward. "Celebration" is a guitar showpiece which begins with a nice jazzy clean composition that ends with a hammer-on cadenza a la Joe Satriani's "Midnight." A distorted whammy-fest then comes in over a vocal-synth pad, but it's quickly over with little sense of risk. "White Moon Dreamer" is sung competently in English for a changeup.

I must admit I'm not a big fan of neo-prog, but I've certainly heard examples that held my attention. Mosaique is a little too typical, its production a bit too dated, and despite very talented players, fail to make a strong musical statement. I compare this to Magenta, which plays music in very much the same territory, and the difference is immediately obvious. Both the singer and guitarist in Arrakeen probably have better chops, but Magenta has something musical to say.

Pleasant enough, but with so much great music out there, this is really just for neo-prog collectors.

Interesting, but yet little bit sinister cover. These two words means probably weird, so this is weird cover. But nice one. Can be cover art better than music itself (just asking) ? Fortunately, this is not the case. One can't know everything and I have to say that I lack knowledge about Marillion of this era. So as far as my ears work, I can say that I like it. That could be enough for me, but not for you, readers. And because I write also from reason to think about music I'm listening and to understand it more, I'll be glad to continue.

Nightwish reminiscent ? I don't think so, using of higher woman vocals doesn't mean NW automatically. And metal part is maybe 1/10-2/10 of these songs. It's quite short and because of this, my rating wouldn't get over 4 stars. Maybe unfair, but little bit over 20 minutes is not so interesting, as 40, or even 80 minutes. It's almost over before you notice anything. No, this is good neo-prog, which has one big mistake, so

4(-) for short length. Believe me or not, but I see it as a mistake.