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MADE IN BELGIUM

Aranis

RIO/Avant-Prog


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Aranis Made in Belgium album cover
4.04 | 60 ratings | 3 reviews | 25% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2012

Songs / Tracks Listing


1. Nonchalance (04:33 )
2. Le Feu (07:30)
3. Inara (05:17)
4. Gentlemen of Leisure (04:15)
5. Where is Grommit? (05:02)
6. Le Mar t'eau (06:26)
7. Short story (01:56)
8. L1 (05:21)
9. Salernes (04:09)
10. Bulgarian Flying Spirit Dances II (05:43)
11. Ersatz (06:18)

Line-up / Musicians

Joris Vanvinckenroye: Double bass
Liesbeth Lambrecht: Violin
Marjolein Cools: Accordion
Stijn Denys: Guitar - acoustic
Jana Arns:Flute
Ward De Vleeschhouwer: Piano

Compositions by Joris Vanvinckenroye, Daniel Denis, Roger Trigaux, Wim Mertens, Wouter Vandenabeele, Ward De Vleeschhouwer, Arne Van Dongen, Luc De Gezelle en Geert Waegeman

Releases information

Released by homerecords.be.

Thanks to Thedunno for the addition
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ARANIS Made in Belgium ratings distribution


4.04
(60 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(25%)
25%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(50%)
50%
Good, but non-essential (20%)
20%
Collectors/fans only (2%)
2%
Poor. Only for completionists (3%)
3%

ARANIS Made in Belgium reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
4 stars After the three-band project including the Avant/RIO legends of Present and Univers Zero, Aranis decided to deepen the Belgian thing with their fifth album. The concept was for the band to reinterpret a composition from some ten different Belgian composers, including the well-known Wim Mertens, who will get twice the honour. Twelve tracks that will include one Aranis-leader Vanvinkenroye, but not all composers are well-known, even in small initiated circles. If RIO/Avant fans will recognize the Daniel Denis (UZ) and Roger Trigaux (Present) names, only a few will remember Jan Kuijken and maybe De Vleeschhouwer (now playing piano for Aranis)?. And that's about it. Of course, it's not to say that the lesser-known compositions are any less worthy, quite the contrary. But it would be relatively tough to tell apart any of these pieces apart in a blind test, because they're all pretty similar, outside the two Wim Mertens reprises, which are notably more barren or less complex.

Musically-speaking, we're somewhere between almost purely-classical music and the typical Belgian Chamber Prog that Aranis has become the epitome of. Sonically however, the absence of Dave Kerman's drumming gives back to the band its early sonic softer (and therefore less "rocky") flavour, but the complexity of some of the pieces brings their later efforts in mind. Soooo, MiB would sit somewhere between their first two albums and Roque Forte, so it is somehow a typical Aranis album, but still a far cry from my Preferred Songs From Mirage album. Apparently, their next project will more or less revisit that Mirage album under the Made In Belgium II moniker, thus prompting my enthusiasm.

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars I love Aranis. To me they represent the bravest of artists--being all acoustic, they have no space for mistakes, no means to cover up or hide behind effects or treatments; they represent the possibilities of intelligent, virtuosic music without electricity. Mega kudos!

I love this album--getting to know and re-know composers of modern chamber music (Belgian, all). Where this album suffers is the same place that all Aranis albums thus far have suffered: the songs, musics are lacking melodic "hooks" to lure the listener in and make them feel welcome, secure, at home. The pieces composed by WIM MERTENS ("Gentlemen of Leisure" and "Salernes") are the most melodic, mostly due to the smooth, minimalist style that Mertens wrote, so the Avant/RIO-shy listener might want to start there, but eventually all the songs grow on you. Aside from the two Mertens pieces, my favorites have become the gentle and folksy #5. "Where's Grommit?" (10/10) by Arne Van Dongen, the high-spirited "Bulgarian Flying Spirit Dances 2" (9/10) by UNIVERS ZERO/PRESENT/ART ZOYD's Daniel Denis, the circular and percussive #6. "Le Mar t'Eau" (9/10) by Geert Waegerman, the intricately layered yet smooth #7. "L1" (9/10) by Joris Vanvinckenroye, the Gothic KARDA ESTRA-like #2. "Le Feu" (8/10) by Wouter Vandenabeele, and the Bond movie soundtrack-like #3. "Inara" (8/10) by Ward De Vleeschhouwer.

As much as I believe in Aranis and their magical mission, I'll not rate this a five star masterpiece, but instead hold out for their next album of original songs. These serious virtuosos are so close to breaking through!

Latest members reviews

5 stars When Aranis released their first CD 10 years ago they were praised as the new stars of the Belgium avant-prog scene. Aranis themselves were not aware they were part of any scene nor was this scene known inside Belgium. I am a bit reluctant to call Aranis avant prog. Avant-prog is always ass ... (read more)

Report this review (#858828) | Posted by thedunno | Wednesday, November 14, 2012 | Review Permanlink

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