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AQUASERGE

Psychedelic/Space Rock • France


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Aquaserge picture
Aquaserge biography
Founded in Toulouse, France in 2005

French outfit AQUASERGE was formed in 2005, when three musicians from the band Hyperclean left to start their own musical venture.

Today the band consists of Benjamin Gilbert (guitars), Audrey Ginestet (bass), Julien Gasc (keyboards) and Julien Barbagallo (drums).

Their debut EP was released on US label Manimal Vinyl in the fall of 2008; but Aquaserge already have two more albums of material recorded - presumably to be released sometime in the future.

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AQUASERGE discography


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AQUASERGE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.88 | 6 ratings
Un & Deux
2009
3.65 | 16 ratings
Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines
2010
4.00 | 2 ratings
April March & Aquaserge
2013
4.50 | 11 ratings
À l'amitié
2014
3.80 | 27 ratings
Laisse ça être
2017
3.12 | 6 ratings
The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge
2021

AQUASERGE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.86 | 10 ratings
Déjà-vous?
2018

AQUASERGE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

AQUASERGE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

AQUASERGE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.08 | 5 ratings
Tahiti Coco
2008
3.75 | 4 ratings
Tout arrive
2014
3.50 | 4 ratings
Guerre EP
2016

AQUASERGE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Déjà-vous? by AQUASERGE album cover Live, 2018
3.86 | 10 ratings

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Déjà-vous?
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars I'm such a big fan of this band. It's the way they create intricate melodic music that sounds very french, especially the vocals. Melodic and catchy but drifting into experimental territories is nothing new for this band out of France. I mention that because on this first live record by them they have gone deeper into the avant than ever before. Kind of surprising given this is live and you would think the catchy stuff would rule but it's the other way around. Some of these tracks are quite shorter than the originals but then we get the song "Travelling" from "A L'amitie" which is twice as long as the studio version.

That's my favourite studio album by this band and we get two tracks from it on here including the closer and four from "Laisse Ca Etre" the album they were touring for. Eight tracks from different venues and times, in fact the music covers an almost 2 year period. I like that they put this little insert in the packaging that is blank on one side and on the other we see the band performing on stage somewhere. I count eight musicians there and there's nine total with five blowing horns or flute.

The one track for me that seems out of place is "My Funny Valentine" originally a piano/vocal jazz ballad and of course changed a lot here but I'm just not into it at all. The rest is very good. It would be hard to limit this to a top three but the opener "Virange Sud" is outstanding and recognizable by that bass line that opens it. Some good contrasts and quite avant late. Love that relentless rhythm section. "C'est Pas Tout Mais" has to be a top three just for how unique sounding it is. Spoken words, humour, some singing and very french sounding.

"Travelling" I mentioned and it's my final top three. At nine minutes it is pretty much cut in half with two completely different sounding sections. The opening section is a repetitive rhythm section with different sounds coming and going over top making it interesting while the last half is an experimental soundscape with no structure really. Quite dark after 6 minute and I wonder what the crowd thought here. If you like avant check out the short 2 1/2 minute "Tintin On Est Bien Mon Loulou(Extrait)", mainly that final minute. The closer "Je Viens" is from my favourite album by them and is a worthy way to end this record.

Easily a four star record and very cool to see it make the top 20 for 2018 by the collaborators here, considering it's live and how strong that year was.

 Laisse ça être by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2017
3.80 | 27 ratings

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Laisse ça être
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Can avant jazz be pop-oriented? If it's possible, the French are the ones to accomplish it!

1. "Tour du monde" (4:04) Man! I keep looking for Dave Newhouse's name in the credits for this one! It sounds so much like his MANNA/MIRAGE efforts of the past ten years! Canterbury in the direction Matching Mole took it--only with the buzz-saw organ still tagging along. (8.5/10)

2. "Virage sud (4:01) the first of the STEREOLAB-sounding songs, it's a bit simplistic and straightforward--especially as it has no vocals--though the shift in the final third is delightful. (8.75/10)

3. "Tintin on est bien mon Loulou" (6:00) dirty jazz somewhere between Humble Grumble, Homunculus Res, Panzerpappa, Camamebert, and Stereolab. I like it! (8.75/10)

4. "Si loin, si proche" (8:18) Though introduced to this song via the band's delightful video in the château du Mauvaisin, I love the playful, STEREOLAB-like joy and lightness in this version--as well as the mood and melodies as a whole. Great song! (20/20)

5. "C'est pas tout mais" (5:37) Jazzy pop music to which the male singer/vocalist plays off of with delightful playfulness the tempo and mood shift at 2:30 is beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous! (9/10)

6. "L'ire est au rendez-vous" (5:39) a bit of the Gypsy sound in this one--especially in the guitars. Nice harmonies used throughout in both vocal and instrumental arrangements. I like the instrumental passages best--and the final 90 seconds. (8.5/10)

7. "Charme d'Orient" (5:28) opens up with a kind of old film noir, B-grade tongue-in-cheek spy movie feel--like something that should be behind a Lupin scene--or a Jim Jarmusch or Woody Allen comedy. Just a little too slow and monotonous for me. (8.25/10)

8. "Les yeux fermés" (6:36) industrial samples in avant garde pop jazz?! Works for me! After a protracted 90 second intro, the music shifts, revealing another soundtrack-like piece of music. This one could come from a Pink Panther film. At 3:18 a choral vocal theme is added, moving to background as male singer takes the lead. Still, this could easily be in a French film soundtrack--it has all the perfect intonations of irreverence and cool. The final 90 seconds again take on a more Stereolab-like sound and feel. (8.5/10)

Total Time 45:43

A fun album that I love in the same way I love the Homunculus Res releases: there's a joyful humor and simplicity to these rather complex composition

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collections---especially if you like the quirky avant explorations of the French youth.

 The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2021
3.12 | 6 ratings

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The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars More avant garde modern chamber music from these creative Frenchpersons, here inspired by modern avant garde classical composers.

1. "Un grand sommeil noir" (4:28) Pleasant but not brilliant. (8.75/10)

2. "1768°C" (À Edgar Varèse) (7:04) a little too dissonant for my tastes. (13/15)

3. "Hommage à Giacinto Scelsi" (6:29) obviously a study of the harmonics of dissonance. (8.25/10)

4. "Only" (1:16) a little discord and dissonance balanced by some very pleasant melodies, chords, and sounds. Male leader singer. (4.5/5)

5. "Comme des carrés de Feldman" (5:11) These crazy humans! Stretching the boundaries of what is music. Creative but, to what end? To make me smile? or run away? (7.75/10)

6. "Only" (version 2) (1:36) Female lead singer with choral version in second half. (4.5/5)

7. "Nuit terrestre" (À Gyorgy Ligeti) (10:02) long sustained single notes held by each instrument for over one minute before a change is made or new note added. Interesting. With each new note added or changed there is a definitive change in mood and memory/sensory trigger. VERY interesting! By the fifth minute we have painted quite a scene-- kind of like watching scenery fly by from a window.of a TGV train. At 6:27 we get the first low end, percussive notes. But then we return to the long wind instrument notes--though this time moving and shifting their chordal structures much more quickly (though NOT fast). Difficult to rate. Is this prog? (17/20)

8. "Nuit altérée" (À Gyorgy Ligeti) (2:38) with lazy jazz drums, the aurora borealis chordal curtain of sustained and shifting notes receives a more humane foundation/anchoring. Also, the addition of tubular bells and organ adds something. (4.5/5)

Total Time 38:44

A little too post-modern/avant garde classical for my tastes. It's more of interest as to how my bodymind reacts/responds to the music, rather than a question of enjoyment. The bigger question for me coming from listening to this album is: "If Aquaserge has been admitted into the coverage of "progressive rock music" then why shouldn't Five-Storey Ensemble also be included?"

B-/3.5 stars; interesting by not necessarily something I'd want to return to very often--and certainly not as a whole. I definitely prefer their previous albums.

 Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2010
3.65 | 16 ratings

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Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars While I don't think that this album matches the magic of their most recent release "A L'Amitie", it still casts a spell over this fan. This French trio are helped out by nine guests adding vocals, viola, violin, trumpet, flute, clarinet, organ and guitar. The latter by the way from Makoto Kawabata from ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE. Man this one grew on me a lot as it took a while for it to unfold it's mysteries. Once again we get plenty of intricate and repetitive sounds and those understated vocals. This is very French sounding and I love their sound.

Part of what took me a while to get into this album was the opening track called "La Genese" as we get laid back multi-vocals only and nothing else. Thankfully it's short at under 1 1/2 minutes. But yes this is called getting off on the wrong foot. "Un Soir Tempete" is the guitar/ drum show to start but then some very prominent bass lines arrive as it turns avant sounding, vocals follow as the avant vibe continues. We now get a run of some great sounding tracks starting with "Errance". Percussion leads early on as this repetitive melody slowly builds as the bass then horns then vocals eventually join in. Check out the horns late. Nice. "Ce Cher Serge Est Perdu" opens with what sounds like strummed bass as a beat and more joins in. Catchy stuff as the vocals arrive after a minute. Such a cool track. "Un Monde Englouti" is similar to the previous tune, at least the melody seems to be. This one has more of a psychedelic style and it becomes much more experimental when the vocals stop after a minute. This is so interesting to listen to. Horns after 2 minutes as spoken words come and go.

"Es Algues" is powerful with some screaming guitar. "Vers Le Neant" opens with intricate sounds as the vocals arrive briefly then we hear water sounds. Flute follows in this laid back start. An almost native vibe with the chanting and drums before 2 minutes but it's brief. A relaxed tune overall. "Visions" is by far the longest track at over 11 minutes. Piano and violin to start. A slow beat takes over 1 1/2 minutes in then the piano and strings return. It's building very slowly then bass joins in after 4 minutes along with some guitar expressions. It turns somewhat spacey after 6 minutes and the vocals join in as well. This is good! Love the spacey synths and sound. A change before 9 minutes with some interesting guitar as the bass and drums continue. "Retrouvailles" ends it and this is different from the rest as it brings to mind Brian Eno solo as in "Another Green World". Strummed guitar, horns and multi-vocals with plenty of energy.

I feel this is well worth the 4 stars despite paling somewhat to their 2014 release. This is a band that certainly has a sound that I can't help but appreciate in a major way.

 À l'amitié by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2014
4.50 | 11 ratings

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À l'amitié
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

5 stars Well it's a huge honour to be the first to review AQUASERGE's latest album "L'amitie". The music is difficult for me to pin down but it's been called a blend of psychedelia, jazz and avant pop. The vocals are very understated, almost whimsical at times. We get complex and twisted melodies with plenty of clarinet and percussion and to my ears this sounds very French. The leader Julien Gasc played keyboards for a short time for one of his all time favourite bands STEREOLAB, and the drummer played with TAME IMPALA for a while.

"A L'amitie" is spacey to start then those almost mono-toned vocals take over with a beat, bass and atmosphere. Intricate sounds come and go. Piano and more also help out. A calm before 3 1/2 minutes as sounds beat and pulse then it starts to pick up as the organ creates atmosphere. The vocals are back again 5 minutes in as an earlier theme returns. Guitar takes the spotlight after 6 minutes. "Serge Singe" opens with fuzzed out guitar and a cool sounding rhythm to start. It settles down with clarinet as these contrasts continue. So much going on. "For Bob" as Gasc pointed out in an interview with "Quietus" has a beat inspired by Hip-Hop. It opens with vocals, a beat, atmosphere, piano and more. Some good backing vocals here as well. This is catchy with those understated vocals and we get some left of center guitar for a while then the clarinet joins in. "Sillage 1 & 2" and the next track which is a continuation of this one are my favourite tracks. Drums to start then this CAN-like rhythm kicks in along with piano. Love this stuff. It changes shades somewhat after 3 minutes. So good!

"Sillage 3" has more of that CAN-like beat. I love when the clarinet joins in. Piano after 2 1/2 minutes as it feels like it's winding down. "Je Viens" opens with sounds that echo as bass and some atmospheric keyboards join in. Vocals and clarinet also join in. I really like the backing vocals and mood of this one. It sounds like whistling after 3 minutes as it settles right down. Amazing song. "Travelling" opens with piano as the sounds of cars driving by can be heard. Clarinet helps out then this interesting rhythm kicks in. Strange synth? sounds arrive followed by more clarinet after 1 1/2 minutes. Voices can be heard in the background after 2 minutes. Twittering sounds only after 3 minutes then it ends with an experimental soundscape. "Preparation" is a short avant piece with outbursts of sounds coming and going. "Je Viens(Reprise)" has this guitar tone that reminds me of the sixties. Another short piece. "Ceci" opens with percussion-like sounds as dark piano lines come and go. Vocals after a minute will also come and go. This is a haunting song that turns experimental late to end it.

Man i'm so excited about discovering this band and without question one of my favourite releases from 2014.

 Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2010
3.65 | 16 ratings

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Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Sean Trane
Special Collaborator Prog Folk

3 stars Second or third album (this is confusing) from this quartet that exploit the submarine vessel like the group Nemo or Nautilus would, but this time in a very Bande Dessinée (comics) manner, with these impressive underwater life dangers on both the front and back cover of the digipak (apparently also pressed on vinyl). The group is now a quartet, but there is a flurry of guest musicians that appear here and there throughout the progress of the album. CTCS is a very different beast than their previous works, and not just in terms of sonics, but in the presentation as well. Indeed, gone are the Canterburyan soundscape and the Zeuhl intonations, but it doesn't mean that their music is that much more accessible or even less insane.

Opening on an, a capella Genèse, the album is not off to a good start, because the following Soir De Tempête is a bit of an obtuse hard-fusion piece with weird mixing choices (IMHO), directly leading (we're in the middle of 6-part mini-suite) into the minimalist Errance and the vocal-dominated interesting Serge Est Perdu, then a very punky Gong-ian Selve and the psychy searing feedback-filled guitars of Algues piece. Only the lengthy Visions piece does bring you back to Aquaserge's previous works on the present album, because we hear some Wyatt-like soundscapes, but unfortunately the finale is a silly vocal-dominated piece that might just seem built to be a sing-along in concert.

As I said above, CTCS is quite different than the U&D release, to the point that it's not that easy to tell if it's the same band at first glace/listen. Repeated listens will soften this remark, because there are less obvious hints that make the link. Personally I prefer the U&D release by a certain margin, but finding it might just be a bit difficult.

 Un & Deux by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2009
3.88 | 6 ratings

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Un & Deux
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by Sean Trane
Special Collaborator Prog Folk

4 stars This is a relatively rare release comprising the band's first two albums (recorded in 05 and 09) and other releases (including a Tahiti single) that were simply not available anywhere, and now all compiled into one superb orange and brown cardboard sleeve depicting their fave submarine vessel dealing with hairy underwater dangers. It's not quite clear as to which line-up (none mentioned) recorded what material, but there is over four years' time lapse through the disc.

It's rather difficult to categorize the band's music, but for sure Robert Wyatt seems to have a real influence over their first full-length album (renamed Un), but one couldn't be mistaken, despite its sombre but descriptive soundscapes and strange storytelling. Their generally slow-paced Canterburyan music (everything being relative) really only belongs to them and they sound like no-one else I've heard so far. The music is mainly keyboard-driven (often electric piano), but the bass plays a preponderant role as well, as there are some slight Zeuhl-ian touches as well, and even a hint of RIO at times with some very effective dynamics. Generally their album is haunting and even a tad fascinating, but there is a slight weaker moment in the slow jazzy piano piece of Aquabaret, which seemed to be the last piece of their album, but nowadays only second-last. Indeed the Sous-Marin piece that is now ending it dates from 09, and seems a much-more fitting exit, despite being an experimental/RIO sound collage.

The second album is a rather bizarre mix of their Tahiti release and some added tracks that made their second album (recorded a mere 8 months after their first), now called Deux, but subtitled Tahiti Coco. Only three (long) tracks of a much faster tempo with harder soundscapes. Opening on a rather engaging groovy Femme De Tahiti, the vocals are much more easier-going, the whole thing being fairly straightforward and even a tad commercial (by prog standards) in its first few minutes. On the whole, the Canterbury influences are still present as well on this second album, but this time slightly more in the JR/F realm, but the Zeuhl also remains. Weird electronic noises open Cloclo, before an up- tempo Quo-esque boogie is refusing to change Status, despite some short scat vocal interventions. Wild guitar and fuzzed organ parts are reigning supreme here. The Closing Mon Capitaine has lengthy psych-RIO intro, where fuzzed-out organs are blooming openly, but the bizarre childish electronic takes over, only to leave the grounds to an enthralling funky bass & guitar passage

Quite a pleasant surprise to have discovered the band through the 2010 RIO Festival in Carmaux, as the band was just releasing their second/third album, Ce Très Cher Serge, and by the same token, distributing this Un Et Deux compilation, recently manufactured as well. Indeed, Aquaserge is a very unique band that deserves a lot more attention, especially if you're into bizarre Canterburyan-Zeuhl with an RIO twist.

 Tahiti Coco by AQUASERGE album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2008
3.08 | 5 ratings

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Tahiti Coco
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Coming from France,Aquaserge is a Psych/Jazz/Prog experimental trio established in 2005 by three members of the group Hyperclean: Julien Gasc on bass/guitars/keyboards/vocals, Julien Barbagallo on drums/keyboards/vocals and Benjamin Glibert on bass/guitars/vocals in order to broaden their music boundaries.Their first work was an EP,or better a short LP,as this was released on vinyl by the American label Manimal Vinyl Records in 2008,entitled ''Tahiti Coco''.

The sound on this album is really a big surprise with the French trio opening the work with ''La femme de Tahiti'',a track heavily influenced by Psychedelic/Prog and Kraut Rock with demanding guitar work,obscure organ and electric piano parts,a hypnotic rhythm section and some quite complex KING CRIMSON-esque passages.The following ''Ciocio'' will open with effects instead of music to become soon a Heavy Rock piece with a steady groove,experimental vocal tunes and some dated (is it farfisa???) organ throughout reminiscent of early SOFT MACHINE.The longest and closing piece ''Mon capitaine'' is coming straight from early-70's Electronic/Kraut at the opening minutes with distorted head-pain effects before becoming some sort of Experimental Lounge Jazz on the way with again a ROBERT FRIPP-like guitar work,while after the middle the track becomes trully heavy with great synth/electronics blended with energetic Heavy Rock.

A daring first step for the band,not absolutely succesful,but definitely towards the right direction with quite a few interesting experimental bits to be heard.Recommended.

 Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines by AQUASERGE album cover Studio Album, 2010
3.65 | 16 ratings

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Ce très cher Serge - Spécial origines
Aquaserge Psychedelic/Space Rock

Review by EchidnasArf

4 stars Aquaserge rocks hard but know how to clean up very well.

This group from France has managed to stay somewhat under the radar, which is surprising considering their ample talent and ability to churn out fantastic art/jazz/space rock, seemingly at the push of a button. This is the kind of album that I think fans of Frank Zappa and Soft Machine would enjoy immensely, myself being one of them.

Ce très cher Serge gives the listener equal doses loud freak-out psychedelic rock, and chilled out grooves under harmonious atonal chanting (in their native tongue, so the lyrics go completely unknown to someone who knows not but two words of French, such as myself). This is an album for headphones! The sound quality is great and there is real attention to detail here. There even seems to be some distant harkening back to some of Brian Wilson's vocal arrangements with the Beach Boys! For this band to exist in this day in age is beyond me. They would have been right at home in the jazz-rock, avant, and Canterbury scenes of the 70s, but don't let their naturally vintage sound fool you. Make no mistake, there is something about this band that is entirely "NOW", highly original, and sometimes seemingly from the future. Drum and bass grooves are a cornerstone for these guys, and they have the odd groovy time signatures down to a T. I would even suggest this album for an open-minded math rock fan given the frenetic, yet precise playing on songs such as "Un Soir De Tempête", "Un Monde Englouti", and "Tombé Dans La Selve". It's hard to pick particularly noteworthy tracks from this album (seeing as how I love the entire thing!), but specific songs that jump out at me are:

2. "Un Soir De Tempête" 3. "Errance" 5. "Un Monde Englouti" 6. "Tombé Dans La Selve" 9. "Visions"

Do yourself a favor and pick up this album now. It is a thing of beauty. These guys are hands down, one of the few exciting bands in existence right now (IMO of course), and you'd be hard-pressed to find another band that sounds like Aquaserge. I'd give this album 4.5 stars if I could.

Thanks to windhawk for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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