A trio -organ, bass, drums- with a saturated organ sound in the same vein as the groups from Canterbury (EGG, SOFT MACHINE, CARAVAN) and an inspiration parallel to these groups. A purely instrumental music in which the organ is particularly shown to advantage during long, complex and elaborate developments.
| LP | Première vision de l'étrange | (Calypsia CAL 78010) | 1978 |
Jazz music. Seduction and a cool atmosphere.
| LP | A Corto Maltese | (PES 526 059) | 1972 |
"How to kiss the Sky" is the first trace of Claude ENGEL on record before he became a member of MAGMA. OMEGA PLUS is the group formed by Claude ENGEL who is not content just to play - and very well too - guitar or flute but also gives a very good show as a vocalist. Released in '69, OMEGA PLUS's album was influenced by CREAM but its music also contains a foretaste of MAGMA on the B side which features a long piece full of electric energy, folly and a frenzied rhythmic beat. Claude ENGEL gives a fabulous display of his talent as a guitarist on this track.
| LP | How to kiss the Sky | (Pitch 3001) | 1969 |
OMETAXALIA is a poet who sets his works to music with the aid of Jean-Louis BUCCHI (ex SPEED LIMIT). Even though the lyrics are important, the music is not to be neglected especially when it is performed by such high-class musicians as Patrice TISON, Jannick TOP or Bernard PAGANOTTI.
| LP | Lettre d'Ocre | (Uniteledis UNI 19.776) | 1977 |
| LP | Antilope I | (Spalax 8.6812) | 1979 |
A group which is a direct descendant of ANGE and MONA LISA, playing the same rock based on the singer's vocal delirium and poetical, surrealistic lyrics with the same musical, vocal, dramatical stress. This excellent concept album is based on a great presence, a remarkable vocal and instrumental personality and a certain musical sophistication, with exquisite arrangements and with a great job done by the studio.
| LP | L'Homme-Voilier | (Barclay 900.583) | 1979 |
This group offered a music in the same vein as progressive folk, based mainly on the purity and beauty of the melodies, the grace and coolness of the musical developments and dominated by the acoustic guitars' interventions and the piano's finesse.
| LP | La dernière toile du maître | (Podom POD 02) |
OPEN AIR is influenced by YES and GENESIS and like groups such as OPUS, IRRWISCH or MACHIAVEL plays a less complicated, less sophisticated, very melodic and accessible progressive rock. It abandons long instrumental development for more concise, direct, sober compositions which are based on the domination and elegance of the vocal parts and enhanced by the short flowishes on the guitar or the keyboards.
| LP | Open Air | (Chicago 2000 900.155) | 1978 |
This elegant, sunny, mainly acoustic, fine and soft music is based on superb, exquisite, polished vocal harmonies, very elaborate compositions and refined arrangements. OPHIUCUS's music evokes ALICE, with that same instrumental perfection, melodic richness and subtlety and ILOUS & DECUYPER with the originality and sophistication of the vocal parts. Both of these albums are indispensable.
| LP | Ophiucus | (Barclay XBLY 930.378) | 1972 |
| (Barclay XBLY 920.382) Not commercialized English version | |||
| LP | Salade chinoise | (Barclay XBLY 80 495) | 1973 |
| SP | T'Inquiète pas M'man | (Barclay 61582) | 1972 |
| SP | Ne cherche plus/Univers | (Barclay 61583) | 1972 |
| SP | Canadian Bar/Cette chanson vient d'autrefois | (Barclay 61758) | 1973 |
One of the groups to emerge from the first wave of French rock. A rather hesitant music, lacking inspiration.
| SP | L'origine/La deuxième aurore | (Pathé Marconi Odéon 2C 006-10303M) | 1969 |
A group influenced by ANGE, MONA LISA but also by GENTLE GIANT and GRYPHON. It offers a music based on a certain vocal dramatic pomposity and cleverly interpreted and constructed instrumental sequences with a dialogue between and combinations of guitars and keyboards with the help of the flute's ethereal and pastoral sonorities with a sound very close to that of the reed-pipe.
| LP | La Nature vit, l'Homme lui, critique | (Oxygène OXY 025) | 1979 |
| SP | Folie/11 faut aimer ou mourir | (Productions Olivier 900.360) | 1977 |
The musical experience of another rock critic, Hervé PICART, who went from writing to playing synthesizers with the aid of Richard PINHAS. A music which takes a lot of its inspiration from HELDON. OSE, in the same vein as HELDON, develops metallic, anguished climates, cosmic and icy sequences and sometimes tense, KING CRIMSON-like rhythmic progressions.
| LP | Adonia | (Egg CPF 90.277) | 1978 |
| SP | Retour sur Adonia/Orgasmachine | (Egg 62577) | 1978 |
This group is part of that new European jazz-rock trend which mixes lyricism and technical to produce a very original, refined, elaborate, polished, melodious and warm music. In the same vein as ABUS DANGEREUX or HIATUS, OZ QUARTET plays a perfectionist, exquisite, progressive jazz-rock, full of finesse. Complicated instrumental developments are constructed around the dialogue between the vocals and guitar or the violin's flowishes. A slight MAGMA influence tinges this music through certain rhythmical pulsations and vocal parts. A simply essential album.
| LP | Instant | (EC 11) | 1984 |