HARMONIA MAUDIT

The only album of this French band is quite typical example of French progressive symphonic fusion: you will hardly find there complex constructions, rhythms or experimental sounds. But the album is full of melodies, emotions, symphonic prog and even Flamenco.

Some songs (and there are many of them on this album) are first of all symphonic prog ( in a key of Camel or Focus), and just in some jazz-fusion element is more important. From another hand, there are some places with acoustic Spanish guitar and very jazzy atmosphere (but not fusion again).

In whole, this album is really nice surprise for instrumental melodic, even mellow in moments, music lovers, but searching in some jazzy flavours in sound. If you (as me) like more energetic, technical and complex jazz fusion, this album could be too sleepy and a bit boring. Not complex or energetic enough to catch your attention.

Still not a bad work though, but more for Camel lovers, than for Mahavishnu Orchestra fans.

Fugu is an obscure jazz fusion band from France with some progressive rock leanings here and there. The band was formed around Eclat's guitarist Philippe Troisi and keyboardist Thierry Masse in late '90's. They release so far a single album in 2000 named Harmonia Maudit at Musea records. To be true, the album is not quite the jazz fusion I like most of the time, I mean the compositions doesn't go anywhere, that doesn't mean are bad. The musicians rely more on skills, who are very good of course, but the compositions suffers because of that. Also here are included some symphonic and even flamenco parts melted ok with the fusion arrangements, maybe the most intristing parts. I can't trace a track to be the best, all are same level, all are good, but something is missing overall. Anyway the album desearve to be a 3 star , but not realy my kind of jazz fusion I'm listenting constantly.