Chance 'Escape To Horizon'

MUSEA FGBG 4327.AR - 2000 -France
http://www.musearecords.com/

1.Aquatic Fiction 14'08
2. Ilona 7'53
3. From Here to Infinity 11'23
4. The Dreaming Zone 4'57

The Time Human Machine
5. This Mystic Time 5'18
6. Past to Present 9'26
7. Bridge of Souls 10'39

Musicians :
All tracks : Laurent SIMONNET : drums, bass, keyboards
Aquatic fiction : Roine STOLT : guitars
Ilona : George PINILLA : acoustic guitar
From Here To Infinty : Roine STOLT : guitars
Beyond Darkness :Laurent SIMONNET : drums, bass, keyboards
This Mystic Time :Jean-Luc PAYSSAN : acoustic guitar
Patrice BARRET : electric guitars
Past To Present : Patrice BARRET : electric guitars
Bridge Of Souls : Jean-Luc PAYSSAN : acoustic guitar
Patrice BARRET : electric guitars
All music by Laurent SIMONNET


Chance is the work of French composer Lauent Simonnet who has composed seven symphonic instrumentals on computer keyboards / bass and drums. The CD was recorded over four years some of it is Floyd like - some Camel. In the main the album sounds like what you would expect from any average rock keyboardists solo album (imagine a cross between Rick Wright and Mark Kelly) and if left as such, other than background music, might not sound very inspiring - although Simonnet does have his moments…

However, four guitarists are let lose to solo over the keyboard compositions and this is what saves and makes this album very interesting.

I only know the work of one of these guitarists The Flower Kings Roine Stolt but the others are Jean Luc Payssan who evidently comes from the band Minimum Vital, Georges Pinalla and Patrice Barret who I currently know nothing about.

When the CD arrived at home it had very limited information as to who exactly plays on each track. Now as I say I know Roine Stolt's work and even run The Flower Kings fan site, but I couldn't personally tell for definite which tracks he is on. So it goes without really saying that all four guitarists are of a very high calibre... (Later Musea kindly gave the information noted above).

If you like ambient/ symphonic electronic keyboard compositions, a few sound samples combined with souring melodic guitar work then this album does have a high recommendation and yes it does make GREAT background music.

Ian Oakley April 2000