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Forgas Band Phenomena — Roue Libre
(Cuneiform CMPL 001, 1997, CD / DL)

Roue Libre Cover art

Patrick Forgas is the leader of a six-piece ensemble who draws heavily from 70s European fusion on the group’s first album. It’s a drummer’s project with a loving nod toward Soft Machine (circa Six) and various elements of Pierre Moerlen’s version of Gong. Melodies are typically played in unison between sax and lead guitar along the lines of Happy the Man, as performed on the opening track, "Déclic." There are also discernible elements of early Passport with Frederic Schmidely displaying signs of influence from Didier Malherbe, but not as brash as Klaus Doldinger or Elton Dean. The three songs use Stephane Jaoui’s repetitive, layered keyboards as the base starting point for the prime soloists, Schmidely and guitarist, Mathias Desmier. The two work well together on track two, "Sérum de Verité." However, Desmier is not the finesse player of a Holdsworth of Lozaga; he’s at his best when using little or no distortion. Leader Forgas' drumming style reminds me of an under-control Wyatt or a subtle Tony Williams. His kit work both propels and smoothly settles into understated grooves when necessary. The album’s real surprise contribution comes from Gong’s own Mirielle Bauer on vibes and marimba. She doubles up the keyboard and rhythmic base while adding an exotic, more percussive slant to the arrangements. Of the three tracks, the title song is probably the most successful merging these influences together without remaining entrenched in the past. Roue Libre is a must for both the Canterbury and fusion enthusiast alike.

by Jeff Melton, Published 1998-07-01

Canterbury music is alive and well, in France — as evidenced by this brilliant set by Patrick Forgas — in the USA (see Volaré, well documented in our last issue), in Japan, and... well just about everywhere but Canterbury itself. If Dave Stewart chooses to make pop, Mike Ratledge dabbles in newage music, and Steve Hillage goes the techno route, well, I guess that’s their business, but that doesn’t mean the old fans have to follow like blind sheep. There’s always Hugh Hopper, Richard Sinclair, and Elton Dean, who continue to remain true to the cause regardless of the prevailing musical trend-du-jour. Drummer / composer Forgas has been around since the late 70s, his debut, Cocktail from ‘77 was a masterpiece, but later work from the late 80s and early 90s (like L’Oeil) was hit or miss, seeming to lack direction. Fortunately, Roue Libre is a welcome return to form, four years in the making. He has surrounded himself with exceptional musicians: Mathias Desmier (guitar) and Frederic Schmidely (woodwinds) are both respected players in the French jazz community. Stephane Jaoui (keys) was a member of Xaal, and Philippe Talet (bass) was a member of the Cocktail touring band, Didier Malherbe’s Bloom, and Abus Dangereux. Finally, Mireille Bauer (vibes, marimba) should need no introduction, having been a member of Gong, Edition Speciale, and Catherine Ribeiro + Alpes, and is presently a member of Art Zoyd. Consisting of a six-minute introductory piece and two sidelong tracks, the album covers plenty of territory in an energetic and spirited instrumental jazz-rock style. While there are plenty of spaces for solos (guitar and sax mostly), the pieces here are all tightly composed and work through numerous changes and sections as they go. Some resemblances to Third period Soft Machine, mid-period Zao or even The Muffins might go nearly unnoticed as this is overall very original, even though it exists within a solid Canterbury ethic. An almost certain candidate for this writer’s best of ‘98 list, this is a surprising and welcome return for Mr. Forgas, and one that shouldn’t be missed. My highest recommendation.

by Peter Thelen, Published 1998-07-01

One of life's little pleasures is to be on the receiving end of a pleasant surprise. I originally ordered this CD in order to support the tireless efforts of Aymeric Leroy, publisher of the on-line Canterbury newsletter, What's Rattlin' (as well as the French magazine Big Bang). Having never heard Patrick Forgas' music, I wasn't sure what to expect. When Roue Libre arrived and hit the CD player I was blown away with just how good it is! Forgas spent the better part of three years in searching for the right musicians for this project, and his efforts paid off handsomely. The backgrounds of the players include stints in Gong, Abus Dangereux, Edition Speciale, Xaal, Bloom, Art Zoyd, and others. Interestingly, most of the solos are handled by relative unknowns (to me at least) on guitar and sax / flute. Both are absolutely outstanding, with Mathias Desmier cranking out manic Holdsworthian leads and Frederic Schmidely wailing on sax. The real star of this disc is the quality of the compositions themselves. Forgas has created two long (approx. 20 minutes each) pieces that unfold beautifully to reveal superbly melodic themes, interesting twists and turns, and some brilliant soloing. All of the three compositions on the disc have a great sense of forward motion and thematic progression. This has turned out to be one of the best CDs that I've heard in the past several years, and it gets my highest recommendation. Check it out for yourself!

by David Ashcraft, Published 1998-07-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 15, 1997 releases

Related artist(s): Forgas Band Phenomena

More info
http://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/roue-libre

 

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