Time to close our eyes, open the ears and clear the mind for an extended jazz-rock concert live in 2025, the usual lights extinguished, candles lit and maybe the famed duet, comfy couch and some fine Armagnac. From France, we have a thumping quintet led by guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Arnaud Quevedo, aided and abetted by bassist Noé Russeil, Hortense Mailhos on the drum kit, Eloise Baleynaud on the cosmic vocals, and Julien Gomila providing the brassy saxes. This is Arnaud’s fifth album, so he is certainly far from being a rookie debutante, as his guitar and composing skills are hugely impressive. Inspired by the legendary bands Magma, Gong and King Crimson, the quintet forges into a wide palette of fusion, soundtrack and space prog, a delightful mix that will guarantee an endless flow of adventurous music. Particularly appealing is the retro-futuristic setting, stamping this release with a wide variety of seals of waxy approval.
Most tracks are in the seven-to-twelve-minute range, giving ample room to let the proverbial hair down and establishing the contact with the audience. The opener “A) Dry & B) Loo” certainly sets the tempo from the outset, pretty much content to introduce all the instrumentalists, all absolutely first rate , but more about that in each track descriptive.
When “Any 2.0” heats up into an erupting volcano, one cannot help to be intimidated. A lovely e-piano played by Arnaud embraces a warm saxophone swoon , and I personally find myself in heaven. Spread some mellotron waves and Eloise’s entrancing vocalizations, and my knees are hitting the ground. The pace revs up mightily both in intensity and speed, Arnaud unleashing his dirty guitar riffs with sublime talent, Noé’s breakneck bass playing is shatteringly explosive, shoving along the frenetic octopus Hortense (who must surely be channeling Pierre Moerlen) on the pummeled drumkit. The blaring saxophone, nimble bass and spacy voice keep it Planet Gong-ish and Arnaud even adds some audience lessons, launching the second half of the piece into galactic delirium as he peels off a blistering that would make Mahavishnu smile in admiration. The blazing vocals span the gamut from hysterical wails to scat-singing that just kills it.
When the next track starts off with hyperactive bass lines, there is no way possible to resist seduction, as “Prologue” keeps the expansive formula on the perfect vector, primo jazz-rock fusion that clearly engages the crowd, getting them nice and rowdy, Julien’s saxophones exhibiting controlled brassy mayhem, seemingly at will. Crazy cool! The “Electric Princess” suit comes in two parts, establishing a 15-minute dive into more progressive realms, where restraint and mood vie for domination, taking all the necessary steps to build up the much-vaunted passion, atmosphere and melody (PAM) principle so dear to yours truly. Imagine a style perhaps closer to vintage JL Ponty, as there is some fabulous keyboard and guitar interface with the rhythm section as if travelling with a Cosmic Messenger on an Imaginary Voyage. Julien’s devoutly sonorous saxophone playing is again, off the charts in technical prowess. “Electric Princess Part 2” preserves the spirit as AQ&F really prove their mettle with sublime attention to detail, this time with Arnaud getting the spotlight with a phosphorescent showcase on his red-hot electric guitar, getting down and dirty with Julien’s sultry Malherbian interventions. This suite is an absolute masterclass that begs to be heard, each note scratching the deepest recesses of sonic joy, pure unadulterated class. It’s now time for Eloise to shine (c’est à ton tour!) she can croon, whisper and belt with the best of them, and sets this charged princess to bed, lovingly covering her with a mandala blanket. Bonne nuit!
“2nd Life Part 2 -Journey” is the second gargantuan epic, clocking in a few hairs under a dozen minutes, Eloise reaching new heights on the microphone, as this arrangement stretches the limits, from sedate to manic, occasionally intensely urban and then serenely intergalactic, the journey of life, me thinks! The past, present, and the future each have their experimental presence clearly expressed and felt, the volcanic fire of Magma not too far from the hypnotic surface. Her sardonic opening and finishing screeches are mind-boggling, coerced by a delirious sax and more stop and starts than an infected computer.
Both “Ekinox 2.0″and “Ryoko” delve into different moods. Though keeping the flow perfectly, the first suggests a sax / guitar cauldron, occasionally stirred by Eloise, Noé’s limpid bass lines and Hortense careening like a rally car in the desert. Choppy riffs and time shifts really keep one guessing where the hell this may be going. The second is way more playful, almost Pink Panther-esque, Julien and Arnaud duelling on their mischievous solo saxes , grabbing one’s attention instantly. Eventually, the brassy sassy tour de force evolves into a gentle lullaby, bass-led of course, with glittering fretboard slivers, shimmering cymbal work, as well as extended parallel electric guitar and sax exchange that is out of this world, a superbly attractive segment and killer track.
“2nd Life Part 4- Hindsight” reverts to the previous 2nd Life concept that thrilled us earlier with sonic wildfire, here chooses to be more reflective as the title implies. It’s more of a settled groove (darn bass again) that squashes any need for urgency, favoring a dreamier nucleus of imaginary sounds, combined with passionate intensity, Eloise wailing like a gentler yet fervent banshee. Greasy saxophone, brash guitar riffs that spew metallic splinters and an effusive rhythmic duo keep the embers furiously crimson red.
And for the encore, “Mushi’s Forest” closes the concert, and while well over an hour has already slipped by, the remaining 8 minutes are welcome, as if being at the gig and greedily wanting more. The athletic bass has a prominent place on this album, and we should count ourselves blessed as Noé is a real thrill to follow, surely influenced by Mike Howlett and the great Hansford Rowe . The clear saxophone and technical drumming really conjure images of Gong (both the trilogy and Moerlen-era versions), and Arnaud involves the audience one again in a send-respond between his axe and the fan voices, a concert staple that can never sour the mood or disappoint, as it’s a supreme method of involving those who attended. After all, a musician is nothing with an audience, and vice-versa. An extremely enjoyable outing, I can now go and lie down next to the electric princess and sleep my forty winks, a grin on my face.
This album should be on everyone’s year end lists of 2025 favourites; it is most certainly in mine. If this release would come out on DVD , I would get it in a jiffy!
5 La Rochelles