The French formation Lazuli is in many ways unique in the progressive rock scene. This is due to their unique musical approach between prog, folk, chanson and world music. It's because of her outfit, her special live presence and her close relationship to her fans. Our guest author Marcus Cordier went on a house visit to Deaux in the south of France. Claude and Dominique Leonetti willingly gave information about their home base, the current album "Dénudé" and the change at the six strings from Gédéric Byar to Arnaud Beyney
The quintet LAZULI from the south of France is a guarantor for emotional music based on the progressive rock and art rock of the 1970s, yet sounding completely independent - as on "Le Fantastique Envol de Dieter Böhm" (Engl: The Fantastic Flight of Dieter Böhm), their first concept work. This is intended as a bow to the band's loyal fans and focuses on the special interaction between the band and its listeners
"But you have a lot of work with Lazuli," laughs singer/guitarist/main composer Dominique Leonetti when arranging the interview date. It doesn't matter - because in the case of the current album it's worthwhile once again to work intensively on the lyrics, although as a non-native speaker you often have to resort to a dictionary. Leonetti is again happy about this additional effort and is chatting accordingly relaxed about the band dynamics, the German fans and about the fact that Lazuli lyrics have meanwhile even found their way into French lessons.
Lazuli are among the most interesting representatives of contemporary prog. For years, the Southern French have been moving musically at a consistently high level with their very own style. Their current tour also leads them to their loyal German fan base.
Only a few days before the tour of Lazuli starts we meet a rather excited Dominique Leonetti. In a conversation with eclipsed, the singer and guitarist talks about the new album "Saison 8", intuition in songwriting, the future of prog and the warmth of German fans.
eclipsed: Your new album "Saison 8" tells eight little episodes from life. How did you come up with that idea?
Lazuli were founded in 1998 by the brothers Claude and Dominique Leonetti. After several personnel changes they seem to be a consolidated unit since their album "Tant Que L'herbe Est Grasse" (2014), released two years ago. Singer and guitarist Dominique Leonetti explains how her new recording "No Âmes Saoules" came into being and what lies behind the lyrics.
eclipsed: "No Âmes Saoules" is very sensual, sometimes even a little claustrophobic. What inspired and influenced the record before and during its creation?
SPIDERGAWD - No Man's Land (3:52)
Album: III (2016)
Label/Distribution: Crispin Glover/Stickman/Soulfood
www.spidergawd.no
Spidergawd were more than just a motor psycho side project from the beginning, even though half of the quartet consists of Norwegian Trondheim motor psycho members (Bent Saether on bass and Kenneth Kapstad on drums). Spidergawd are a vehicle in their own right, as in the furious "No Man's Land".
Three years ago, the French ethno proggers Lazuli released their last studio album "(4603 Battements)", on which they had further perfected their mixture of prog rock and world music. With the current CD "Tant que l'herbe est grasse" ("As long as the grass grows") the quintet acts one tick more accessible without denying their own roots. With "Déraille" he succeeds in making a powerful entrance, combining world music influences with chansonesque echoes and rocky energy.
YES
We're gonna party like it's 1980
You are one of the last outsiders of the golden Prog era. They're a band for eternity. And they have always been a real drama queen when it comes to personnel changes. But nobody could have foreseen that Yes would release a new album in the old "Drama" line-up after a ten-year studio break with singer Benoît David, who had originally jumped in as a temporary replacement. David, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes and Jon Anderson reveal their views on the revolutionary changes in Yes.
THE HISTORY OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK,
PART 4 SCANDINAVIA & RETROPROG
PORCUPINE TREE
The next big thing
The new album is here! It's called "The Incident." As with every new recording of Porcupine Tree, the expectations of fans and critics are enormous: The band has long since earned a reputation as an innovator of art rock. Will the album be the next big thing? Or is it a lot of smoke for nothing? According to bandleader Steven Wilson, "The Incident" is one of the best things he has ever created.
FLEETWOOD MAC
Metamorphosis of a Band
