DE FRESNES, ROBERT 
296667
CD
MYTHOLOGY

STYLE/LINK:VANGELIS

This artist was a definite Vangelis sound alike on the debut ‘Atlantis’ release, but he is not (quite) so much of one now, because there’s a whole host of new element that have crept into the sound of Robert De Fresnes on his second album! This is a sixty-five minute concept album comprising of 3 main parts with each suite featuring 3 individual tracks. It is one amazing, semi-instrumental symphonic crossover album that falls into a category that lies somewhere between the music styles of Enigma, Vangelis, Mike Oldflied and parts of Pink Floyd. It is varied to the point that it can be enjoyed by a wide cross section of music fans, but if you can’t handle some vocal elements in the music you listen to, then perhaps that might be a deciding factor in whether to buy or not, but if you are into having some vocals (especially female) as part of the musical experience, then you will find a lot to enjoy in this album. Click on the ‘More Product Information’ link for an extended review with a track-by-track description.

A distant thunderstorm intro’s the ‘Nordic Suite’ with ‘Runecasting’, where Gregorian voices hang over drifting synth for a minute or so before a male narrative that sounds like it’s from some sort of fantasy TV series like ‘Gormangast’ or something similar leads the track into a highly charged rhythm that is overlaid by an operatic female voice. Both voices continue throughout the next four minutes, before the atmospheric synths and male Gregorian chants return to close the track in atmospheric style, with more words of wisdom from the characteristic voice of the narrator. Rolling waves into the ‘Return Of The Longships’, a slower moving track with a blend of string and choral synths providing a soft layer of sound for a piano theme to play on. More synth string are added as the track builds a mind picture that might look like a sea scene from ‘1492 – Conquest Of Paradise’. Now, this part will make it for some, and break it for others, because there’s a soft female vocal on this track, with Floyd-like electric and acoustic guitars, breaking over the seas of synth textures and melodies to create a fairly hypnotic effect that you will either love or loathe. Chilling winds cross fade into part 3 of the is suite: ‘Aurora’, which starts with a synth sound that sounded so familiar, but I just couldn’t place it a the time of writing this. The female voice is ‘ooh-ing’ and ‘aah-ing’ in here too from time to time as the track slowly moves through a melodic theme, but it is a 12 string acoustic guitar (I think) that provides an intricate but up-front lead line on this piece, as it weaves its way through waves of soft, but beefy string synths. More cosmic winds bring the first suite to a close with more of that familiar synth sound filtering though…. but ah, now I’ve got it – it’s very like Rick Wakeman’s intro to ‘Release Release’ ton the ‘Tormato’ LP by YES…Yes, Yes, Yes!!!  Now it’s into Suite #2: ‘The Suite Of The Ancients’ which opens with the very Floyd-like ‘A New Dawn’ with it’s slowly driving Gilmour guitar line and keyboard backdrops that sound dead like Richard Wright’s style of doing things! The Narrator also pops in and out of the picture a couple of times to add another part to the story. A tribal rhythm introduces ‘The Candle That Never Dies’, together with whispered female vocals, swishing, pulsing synths and more of the operatic Lesley Garret singer that ooh-ed and aah-ed her way through the opening track. Guitars and background synth strings take us into the emotionally charged sounds of the sweeping ‘Willow’, which is part 3 of the second suite, and again it’s an acoustic guitar lead, in a sort of Floyd fashion, but there are more of the dreamy female ‘wordless’ vocals to contend with too, great if you get on with this sort of thing, but if you don’t, then… For me this is a nice track that seems to bathe the room in its tonal texture – the human voice, acoustic and electronic instruments all at the same time, this is really a lot more than just a synth track; it’s more like a cross between Pink Floyd and Mike Oldfield or perhaps Stephen Caudel, and very much in line with most of what is going on throughout the entirety of this album.  As we move into ‘The Americas Suite’, the sound of seagulls in flight and tribal samples welcomes you to the final three tracks. As these sounds merge with an infectious rhythm, ‘The Eagle Dancers’, a very Mike Oldfield style piece is upon you with electric guitar leading the way on a kind of anthemic, almost Celtic melody line backed with some really smooth keyboards and synths – possibly on of the best tracks on the album, see what you think? ‘The Changing Woman’ opens atmospherically with synths and Enigma style voice-over, then synth flute and piano kick in with a melody line, accompanied hot rhythms from deep, pounding Indian drums and ethereal chanted Indian vocal – a highly infectious track that definitely echoes Enigma and Deep Forest with it’s brew of hypnotic rhythms and vibrant melody lines. The track drifts into the distant hazy horizon with a piano melody and then cross-fades into the final seven minutes of ‘Let Your Dreams Guide Your Soul’, a track that starts with drifting, out of focus piano tinklings and soothing synth backdrop, then a female voice flows into the picture with another of those wordless vocal passages, backed with some pretty hypnotic rhythms and continues on for five minutes at this even pace before closing the track and the album with a short passage of atmospheric synths and whispered female voice-overs. 

Weight: 150.00 g