MARAUDE AUTOMNALE

4.5 stars. PASKINEL is the solo project of one Patrick Dufour who's nickname happens to be Paskinel. He's brought along one of his ALCO FRISBASS members Frederic Chaput making this a duo with six guests helping out. The third member of ALCO FRISBASS Fabrice Chouette guests on one track playing organ. We also get lap steel, sax, violin, flute and bassoon from the guests.

ALCO FRISBASS released three studio albums and I feel each album was not as good as the previous one. So yes their debut is the one for me, and this PASKINEL album does rival it. I love how uniform it is with really just that one track "L'echo Noir" sounding somewhat different with the guest bassoon and violin. There is so much going on with each track. Tons of sounds. Dufour playing electric piano, organ and synths, while Chaput adds guitar and bass. There is distortion in those organ sounds at times bringing Canterbury to mind once in a while.

This is all instrumental and we get eight tracks worth 50 minutes. So many keyboard sounds here, it's awesome! My favourite song is the title track. Such a warm sound as we get electric piano, bass and beats. Guitar joins in then Canterbury organ around 2 1/2 minutes. The bass here and throughout is really good. Upfront and dirty. Mellotron too at times like at 5 1/2 minutes on here. "Belle En Tete" opens with a bass line as electric piano joins in then organ. This sounds great, and we get guitar a couple of times later on.

My second favourite track is that one that is a little different "L'echo Noir". It's the bassoon that brings the darkness while violin, upfront bass and electric piano lead the way. Love this track! Very RIO sounding as in UNIVERS ZERO. Nasty bass 3 minutes in and I like when the tempo picks up late with guitar. "One O'clock" might be the shortest piece on here but it sure has plenty of energy. That second track needs to be mentioned "Tartempion" with the guest flute and Canterbury organ later on. But it's the mesh of sounds all working together that is so impressive. So much going on.

This will go down as a top ten for 2023 in my musical world. And my favourite when including the three albums by the parent band ALCO FRISBASS. Not sure about that cover art though.

Social review comments

Review related links

• Send comments to Mellotron Storm
• Report this review (#3205847)
• Buy PASKINEL music online with PA partners
• Show all PASKINEL MP3/Stream
• Go to PASKINEL page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Maraude Automnale page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for PASKINEL related discussions