A group in the same vein as ETRON FOU: the same resolution not to take themselves seriously, the same fondness for satire and derision. Les I offer a music of contrasts with different sources of inspiration and based around musical diversion to form a cocktail of rock, funk and nostalgic jazz with the addition of extremely humorous lyrics.
| LP | Les I | (Celluloïd CEL 6598) | 1981 |
| LP | Dans l'hémisphére Nord | (Le Chant du Monde LDX 74797) | 1984 |
A progressive rock group
| LP |
A group of five musicians including three guitarists. Calm and ethereal compositions, serene and flowing music evocative of a more sober CAMEL or a less pompous BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST and with all the legacy and influences of a certain trend in French rock: that of ANGE, ATOLL or MONA LISA.
| LP | Aquarelle | (SRC 491.454) | 1980 |
ILITCH, alias Thierry MULLER, offers an agressive, hard music evocative of HELDON's early experiences, ENO and FRIPP's music or even the works of the masters of repetitive electro-acoustic music (RILEY, GLASS).
| LP | Periodik Mindtrouble | (Oxygène OXY 09) | 1978 |
| LP | 10 Suicides | (Scopa Invisible Records 10007) | 1980 |
| LP | Polaroîd/Roman/Photo | (Paris Album DKF 3820) | 1985 |
The two "troubadours" of French rock, a pronounced liking for beautiful harmonies, elaborate vocals and refined arrangements with influences coming from Liverpool or San Francisco and a sense of melody construction. Two albums -one a solo by ILOUS- on which the voices of these two unique singers rise above a calm, elaborate, attractive music. Another less well-known facet of French rock, that of sophisticated and melodious rock.
| LP | Ilous et Decuyper | (Flamophone FLAM 33.03) | 1972 |
| SP | L'Elu/Non | (Flamophone 45.08) | 1972 |
| SP | Aime toi toi-même/L'Espoir | (Flamophone 45.F.4194) | 1972 |
ILOUS en solo
| LP | Ilous | (Flamophone 2933 101) | 1975 |
| SP | Fille de lune/Je ne sais d'où vient le vent | (Flamophone FLAM 45.07) | 1971 |
| SP | Bienheureux les innocents/Comme les autres | (Flamophone 45.F.4097) | 1975 |
Far from wanting to repeat untiringly the successes of his elders this young trumpet player has a very strong taste for modernism, trying to rediscover an emotional simplicity too long absent from jazz.
| LP | Sud | (Ecorce ECO A12) | 1985 |
This music is halfway between a certain tradition of French songs, where the text is important, and a polished progressive rock which sometimes evokes folk music. Emphasis is laid mainly on the lyrics, with, however, some beautiful musical passages which are dominated by the guitarist and flutist.
| LP | Images | (Vaxigrave V30 ST 7196) | 1977 |
This group formed by three multi-instrumentalists (amongst which two former members of CONFLUENCE) offers a music without classification, mixing elements coming from very varied musics: jazz, rock, ethnic music, contemporary and classical music, in a musical tradition very close to OREGON, but with a more pronounced experimental tendency particularly created by the use of a certain kind of humour and an original way of using percussions in their music.
| LP | Sauf la pantoufle | (Jam 0781) | 1983 |
| SP | Bilder des Todes/Le bon soldat | (Jam CD 021) | 1983 |
This group founded by François COUTURIER, who played with Jacques THOLLOT and John Mac LAUGHLIN, offers a music bordering on jazz, classical, contemporary, improvised and modern European music (STRAVINSKY, BARTOK, HONEGGER). Despite its more jazzy tendency, it evokes Jacques THOLLOT's music which has the same influences and parallel poles of attraction. It shows a taste for polished, carefully orchestrated compositions and studied musical constructions.
| LP | Le vice et la paresse | (JAM CG 1278) | 1979 |
| LP | L'Enigme infinie | (JAM 01811 R012) | 1981 |
This warm and exciting music mixes the influences of LOUNGE LIZARDS, DEFUNKT, Miles DAVIS in '84 and WEATHER REPORT with, to intersperse the whole thing a bit of humour and a colossal deal of swing. This group plays a fiery jazz-funk driven and propelled along by a forceful rhythmic section which imparts that heady and wild beat to the themes. The singer's frenzied vocals soar above these themes in the "pep" tradition. The three saxophonists are particularly crazy and "acrobatic" during their interventions. It's totally energetic and simply essential. A must for lovers of that kind of music.
| LP | Edelweiss | (CA 3310) | 1984 |
Formed at the same time as ANGE (Claude DEMET later became this group's guitarist) and from the same area, INTROVERSION drew its inspiration from the progressive rock of its time (early 70's): SOFT MACHINE, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, PINK FLOYD, ZAPPA. The group only made one single -on the label of its manager J.C P0GNANT who was later to found Crypto- on which the group offers a music mainly influenced by BEEFHEART.
| SP | Chute/Impressions momentanées | (Caepe Disques JCP 25001) | 1970 |
This group, from ANGE's same generation, was part of the trend in a certain French progressive rock (ALICE, ANGE) but its delicate and refined progressive music also belonged to a British musical tradition represented by groups such as CRESSIDA, CZAR or GRACIOUS. IRIS played the same sensitive, suggestive and elegant rock as these groups, with sophisticated compositions built around the exquisite chords and classical reminiscences of the organ and on the polished and high vocal harmonies.
| LP | Litanies | (Sonopresse Connection CTN 69 561) | 1972 |
| SP | Chrysalide/Décadence | (Sonopresse Connection CTN ) | 1972 |
| SP | Aux portes des villes/Opus 340 | (Connection CTN 907) | 1972 |