Narr (France)

avestin wrote: I posted a thread about this French band in the unsigned section and the thread is now locked http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=49443&KW=Narr In any case, the band has now signed with Musea and has released an album called Oxymore Dans La Chrysalide Des Rêves I'll let others judge where this band could fit in PA, and I'll simply suggest Eclectic as rough guide, but I am not sure. Their Myspace: www.myspace.com/odravyel  Their bio on Myspace: The Narr project was created in November 2003, as a means for its source Clément Werner to take up with a dismissed level of reality, concealed in the veils of onirism. Narr is the telling of this journey back, far from outermost reality, far from what it dares to claim, with a sheer personal and introspective basis, and the release of perception and imagination as an end. To tell this story, the compositions and the texts of Narr emanate as shapes of their own, irreverent of conformism and of the bias that rationalizes what simply is not rational – instead, they follow dreams and poetry toward density. The compositions of Clément Werner (author/composer/bass player of the project) were actually first interpreted in July 2004, when two other musicians joined him: Marti Ilmar Uibo on drums, and Kalevi Uibo on guitar, both of them involved in ancient music (the Tormis ensemble), in jazz (Cirque Lunaire) as well as in death metal (Bloody Sign). This reunion led to the first rehearsals, during which pieces such as “Zepter Des Narren”, “La Lyre Cornue Pleure” or “La Dune Bleue” were invoked. The unreality peculiar to the world of Narr extended to the project organization, since these instrumental rehearsals punctuated Clément's constant gathering of visions through words and sounds. Throughout time, out of time, the “Oxymore Dans La Chrysalide Des Rêves” movement was composed. In July 2007, the band was invited for a week in the artists’ residence of La Condition Publique, a cultural structure located near Lille, which made the preparation for the recording sessions possible. Then, the recording process took place from September 2007 to May 2008 amidst the ancient mountains of the Vosges. The album granted the vision of Narr the echo it was longing for, unfurled by the flute parts played by Laurent Lefebvre (former member of Cirque Lunaire too, he joined Narr in October), by the vocals that Clément (for the lower and solo parts) and Marti (for the upper parts) performed, and by the experimental parts in which the musicians indulged as messengers of this reality (among others, the kannel parts – Estonian harp – and percussions such as spring drum performed by Marti). The maze is blowing its breath unto our faces, the seed of another journey…

Just on a side note: "Narr" is German for "fool" and "Zepter" (also spelled "Szepter") is German for "sceptre" (or "scepter", if you prefer the American spelling). And "Zepter des Narren" is "Sceptre of  the Fool"; the "en" after "Narr" is just an ending in the German language indicating the genitive case.

I'm listening now, and will alert the Eclectic team. 

^Indeed, as I often think, 'tis better to get a response not of the kind one is looking for than no response at all.  All, other than ones with an unpleasant tone, one can be grateful for.

It's an enjoyable band, reminds me of ones such as Arachnoid, and similar KC-inspired dark, theatrical French Prog bands.  Anyway, we have been discussing it in Eclectic.  I'm okay with it there, but wondered if symph should look into it due to similarities to certain French bands in Symph.  Incidentally, you might want to pop into the Eclectic team thread if you get the chance, Assaf.