LE PAVILLON DES PASSIONS HUMAINES

After more than a decade silence , this seminal and centrepiece of Belgian Chamber Progrssive Music came back to life and dedicated this album to an early 20th-century building a bit forgotten (and slightly abandonned) devoted to Human Passions (of which if you look at the artwork is a bas-relief , lust and lush abandon are definitely among the passions described). Unfortunately , this building is to remain closed for sometime more as it stands next to Brussels Grand Mosque and you guessed it , this might create some controversy, that no one wants.

However , even after a ten years hiatus, nothing new under the Julverne sun: still the same chamber prog music , hovering around classical quintets and slighly more modern contemporary music. Entirely acoustic , and driven by Jeannot Gillis and other original members Claudine Steenackers , and Pierre Coulon (the historical leader) but joined by UNIVERS ZERO members Michel Berckmans and Dirk Descheemaker, this is typical Julverne record that will fit quite nicely alongside their previous works. Among the few surprises are a Michel Jonasz song adatation , the famopus Puccini Tosca theme and a moody Sieczinski 1939-written Vienna waltz composed on the somber mood from Andreas Schönberg as the city was under the Anschluss. I am not saying it , Jeannot Gillis is in the booklet.

Still , for progheads , the interest will be limited as we are really more into Les Musiques Nouvelles than into good ol' prog rock!