Musea Records

Neo (Not in PA database)

Neo (1980/1996)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Osibirsk - (6'42)
2 - Scène De Chasse - (7'28)
3 - Joiwind - (3'51)
4 - Néoplasme - (3'06)
5 - Sortie De Bain - (10'36)
6 - Plage II - (2'52)
7 - Jazz N' Roll - (7'14)
8 - Song 4 Miles - (5'19)

Label info:
A long time before the famous movie hit "Matrix", NEO was the name of a French quintet that performed instrumental Progressive rock, and was led by bassist André PAUL and saxophone player Didier ERARD (FRENCH KISS). This line-up issued their unique eponymous album in 1980. Their compositions are based on melodies with occasional breaks, rhythms changes, accelerations, colours as well as changing and sophisticated atmospheres. The themes are very elaborated, complex and not quite straight and easy. The instrumental dialogues are numerous: a rageous or cutting edge guitar answers to inventive keyboards or to a whirling saxophone line. The band can successively remind of Bo HANSSON, CAMEL (Mel COLLINS's period) or CARAVAN, and sometimes KING CRIMSON ("Islands" days). An absolute rarity, to be rediscovered without delay !

Didier Lockwood / Volkor (Not in PA database)

Volkor (1976/1996)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - To-Morrow - (2'06)
2 - Astral Trip - (5'30)
3 - Elbow - (6'57)
4 - What's The Matter - (2'15)
5 - Volkor - (6'09)
6 - Yellow Faces - (3'36)
7 - Green - (3'50)
8 - Naïta - (4'22)
9 - Debbi - (4'54)
10 - Sabrina De Souza - (2'38)
11 - Don't Forget Him - (4'17)
12 - Question On You - (4'43)
13 - Strange Moon - (5'50)
14 - A Quiet Sun - (5'16)
15 - Good Luck (I. Part One) - (4'05)
16 - Good Luck (II. Part Two) - (1'38)



Label info:
VOLKOR was quite unnoticed when it was in action, and yet, it had all it takes to become a definite reference of jazz-rock fusion: a rhythm section solid as a rock, educated in the US school and composed of bass player Bunny BRUNEL (Future star of the genre) and American drummer Kirt RUST, as well as a superb keyboardist (Patrick GAUTHIER), an unusual line-up with electric violin but without guitars, a unique inspiration, and pure talent... As well as two French musicians that later became some of the best: Didier LOCKWOOD and his brother Francis ! Respectively renowned violinist and pianist, the two brothers perform for us a truly fascinating music, sometimes close to Progressive rock. This line-up recorded their unique album in 1976 and gave it the well chosen title "Jazz Rock". A pure wonder that suffered from the fact that those five musicians only became famous (And rightly) after it was issued... Thanks to Musea, the reissue changes title and includes a worthwhile bonus: Francis LOCKWOOD's complete first solo album "Debbi" (1981) ! This album shows the considerable evolution suffered by the genre in just about five years: gone are the references to THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA or BRAND X, they are going more in the direction of WEATHER REPORT or SPYRO GYRA. The impressive guest list of course starts with Didier LOCKWOOD himself. Together, those two albums illustrate a very interesting period of a particular French jazz-rock fusion school. Here is an indispensable masterpiece !

DeBoCo (Not in PA database)

Deboco (1997)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - D95 - (6'34)
2 - Le Retour De Dark Fader - (5'19)
3 - Trapézistes - (5'19)
4 - Shakti - (5'27)
5 - Procession - (5'27)
6 - Zéro Chrono - (2'32)
7 - Araignée - (4'47)
8 - Allô Wind - (6'13)
9 - Sole Clipping - (4'34)

Label info:
Named after a pun, "DeBoCo" (1997) is the work of three unique modern French Progressive rock musicians: Eric DELAUNAY, Jean-Pascal BOFFO & Gilles COPPIN. Actually, this was the latter's last recording, because he unfortunately passed away in July 1996. His work on this project was completed by his once colleague in TIEMKO, guitarist Rémy CHAUVIDAN. With strong individual talents, diverse styles and creativity without boundaries, each of the three artists present here composed and performed one track of this album. After that, the other two musicians were invited to create their own version of it. At the end of the day, the listener gets nine tracks and more than forty-five minutes of music. It's absolutely not some purely didactic and dry experiment: the music is self-sufficient and the album can be heard in one go. Humour is not absent: the "Star Wars" nostalgic will be pleased to listen to "Le Retour De Dark Fader" ("The Return Of Dark Fader"), thanks to the tongue-in-cheek guitar performed by Jean-Pascal BOFFO. Some will notice straight away the strange spelling in "Allô Wind". Also, it can be said that "Araignée", composed by Gilles COPPIN and sung by Géraldine Le COCQ was revisited on the excellent album by HALLOWEEN "Le Festin" (2001). It's logical, given that the two artists mentioned above are members of this band from Brittany ! An unique experience for a unique result !

Note:
This album is commonly listed under the DeBoCo moniker, as that is the name attached to the CD.
The record label credits it to Eric DELAUNAY, Jean-Pascal BOFFO & Gilles COPPIN
On iTunes it's marked as an artistic collaboration between Eric DELAUNAY and Jean-Pascal BOFFO
But musically, the main man on this production would appear to be the late keyboardist Coppin.

Benoit Widemann (Not in PA database)

Stress! (1977/1997)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Balèze - (3'25)
2 - Herbes Sol - (6'50)
3 - Stress ! - (1'56)
4 - Le Camp Du Drap D'Or - (4'03)
5 - Demi-Final - (1'22)
6 - Quaternaire - (5'53)
7 - Spirale - (4'32)
8 - Fête Au Septième Plan - Sacrifice - (5'04)
9 - Final (I. Part One) - (2'44)
10 - Final (II. Part Two) - (2'18)

Label info:
After having taken part in CHUTE LIBRE (Jazz-rock band led by Mino CINELU), Benoît WIDEMANN has been involved in MAGMA as its keyboards player from 1975 to 1978, noticeably recording the great "Hhaï Live". "Stress !" (1977) is the name of his first solo album: the music is obviously dominated by keyboards, their sonorities and colours. Using a large sample of them (Synthesisers, Mini-Moog, Fender Rhodes, string section, clavinet, etc.), he performs dreamy, picturesque, impressionist compositions full of sensibility and elegance. They call for nostalgic, happy and very visual climates sounding like soundtracks and sometimes evoking François BREANT's works. For the occasion, he hired some of the best French musicians from the Progressive jazz-rock and Zeuhl music scenes: Guy DELACROIX (MAGMA), Clément BAILLY (MAGMA, NEMO and TRYPTIQUE), Patrice TISON (KAPAK), Patrick GAUTHIER (WEIDORJE, VOLKOR, HELDON...), Jean-Pierre FOUQUEY (MAGMA)... This album displays a series of emotional snapshots or picturesque and imaginary trips.




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Tsunami (1979/1998)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Des Iles - (7'39)
2 - Cécile - (6'21)
3 - Fifteen For Me ! - (4'39)
4 - The Proud Mongol - (7'49)
5 - Let's Go, Kids Of The Drum - (4'33)
6 - Tsunami - (6'15)



Label info:
On "Tsunami" (1979), Benoît WIDEMANN is at the head of a real group and performs a suggestive, impressionistic and dreamy music with some complex parts and rhythms (Powered by André CECCARELLI's brother Jean-Paul, drummer as well !). His picturesque and colourful style could evoke a more European WEATHER REPORT. To be rediscovered !

Motoi Sakuraba (Not in PA database)

Gikyokuonsou (1990/1999)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Humpty Dumpty - (6'26)
2 - Tone Access - (3'46)
3 - Byzantium - (6'00)
4 - Motion - (8'15)
5 - Paradigm - (4'01)
6 - Narratage - (5'20)
7 - Scrap And Build - (5'43)
8 - Drama Composition - (5'44)



Label info:
Keyboards virtuoso Motoi SAKURABA performs a truly majestic and melodious symphonic rock. He has a special taste for rich and refined sonorities and for energetic, emphatic and luxuriant moments. All of those are built in themes displaying a great musicality and a permanently inspired technique. "Gikyokuonsou" (1990) was issued a year after the break up of DEJA VU, a legendary Japanese band that was once led by him, and that only issued one excellent album in 1988 ("Baroque In The Future").

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Force of Light (1998)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Persistance Of Hope - (8'00)
2 - A Force: To Arms ! - (5'12)
3 - A Light To Lead The Way - (5'48)
4 - Strive Against The Dark - (1'39)
5 - Bulzome Rising - (4'41)
6 - Traveler's Respite - (5'51)
7 - Tides Of History - (5'27)
8 - Force On The Move - (4'32)
9 - Sanctity - (5'18)
10 - The Lever To Move The World - (5'24)

Label info:
"Force Of Light" was released nine years later, in 1998, as the soundtrack to the video game "Shining Force III"...

Loch Ness (Psychedelic/Space rock)

Drumnadrochit (1999)
Imprint: Musea

Track list and info: PA database





Edited by Windhawk - August 07 2011 at 22:02

Ophiucus (Crossover Prog)

Ophiucus (1971/2000)
Imprint: Musea

Track list and info: PA database





Edited by Windhawk - August 10 2011 at 16:37

Jade (Not in PA database)

Jazz Afro Design Electric (2000)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Môm - (8'28)
2 - Deux Minutes Suisse - (2'04)
3 - Tharabella At Thames - (6'04)
4 - Budaï - (7'13)
5 - Monica Du Désert - (7'32)
6 - Acid Halloween - (8'16)
7 - Kosovo - (8'07)
8 - Hiroshima 6/8 8:11 AM... - (5'00)



Label info:
JADE is a current French group that works in the area of experimental and totally instrumental Progressive rock. Guitar player Olivier FRECHE, bass player Bernard BRAND and drummer Raoul WISNIEWSKI evoke TIEMKO or KING CRIMSON, but with a strongly jazz-influenced rhythm section. The unfailing cohesion of the trio is quite evident on "Jazz Afro Design Electric", an album recorded during the year 2000. One can also notice the friendly appearance by former ABUS DANGEREUX guitar player PierreJean GAUCHER. Not to be missed !

S & L (Not in PA database)

Eternal (2001)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Another World - (5'40)
2 - Eternal - (4'02)
3 - Nobody's Land - (5'24)
4 - Tension - (3'07)
5 - Escape - (5'04)
6 - Heaven - (6'00)
7 - Crush - (4'58)
8 - Sunday In L.A. - (6'04)
9 - Epilogue - Tension Part Two - (4'56)



Label info:
S & L is a current Italian Progressive rock group, called after the initials of its two musicians' first names. These two goldsmiths are a keyboardist devoted to the big names of Progressive rock music (Salvio SCHIANO), as well as an extremely melodic guitarist (Lino ESPOSITO). "Eternal", the first instrumental album, was released in 2001 under the Musea label. It provides a music which is at the crossway between Seventies Progressive rock Italian people are so fond of, the guitar-hero style which is dear to Joe SATRIANI, a touch of neo Progressive sound and a little bit of symphonic heavy-metal. SAGA and DREAM THEATER are two other references often mentioned...

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Time Machine (2004)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Time Machine - (5'08)
2 - Faithless Breed - (5'28)
3 - My Friend My Enemy - (6'40)
4 - Runaway - (4'20)
5 - Noise - (4'58)
6 - A Different Man (I. Part One) - (6'46)
7 - A Different Man (II. Part Two) - (7'48)
8 - Landscape - Sunrise And Sunset - (6'24)



Label info:
Three years later, S & L is back with "Time Machine" (2004), a second album both more personal and more professional. The feeling we have now that this is a real group is even strenghthened by the participation of lots of guest-musicians. Three tracks also involve singing, one of which is the suite "A Different Man". Embark for a fascinating trip in the windings of the current Progressive heavy-metal sound !

Rigel Michelena (Not in PA database)

Bartok's Room (2001)
Imprint: Musea

Track list:
1 - Artilugio - Florilegio Artefactico - (8'30)
2 - I - (4'45)
3 - Final Chat: Colubre - (2'32)
3 - El Ojo Dido - (4'47)
4 - Song For Bartok - (7'00)
5 - Inside - (5'21)
6 - Twiggy Pig - (5'10)
7 - The Last Dodo Bird - (2'36)
8 - Street Jam - Jam En La Calle - (3'30)
9 - Uranus - (5'01)

Label info:
With "Bartok's Room", Venezuelian guitarist Rigel MICHELENA simply thanks his cat for letting him record this album in his favourite room ! Beyond this anecdote, this musician perfroms, with the help of various guests, an excellent modern jazz-rock. All this shows an amazing youth.