VOYAGE CÉRÉBRAL

Didier Bocquet makes electronic music in the traditional Berlin school fashion, using spacey synth effects and driving percussive sequences to create a very interstellar type of atmosphere that is to be expected. Fortunately, this is not simply more of the same when compared to the obvious German artists who created and perfected this style.

Voyage Cerebral frequently seems more diverse in tone and construction than some of the music by Didier Bocquet's more well-known contemporaries. First of all, this album has a great textural dynamism, utilizing density or sparsity masterfully. The music never gets too empty and boring nor does it ever elevate into complete electronic cacophony. Though the main musical elements are very comparable to the Berlin school masters, the way the layers on this album are laid upon each other are done so subtly through its duration create such a steady and practically perfect flow.

As the word voyage in the title may imply, Voyage Cerebral is very much a cerebral voyage with emotional highs that range from imperial bombast to dreary black cosmic gloominess to internally peaceful euphoria.

Intergalactic jellyfish feel

I have spent many a nights watching the glistening star blanket up among the galaxies listening to electronic music. If the feel is there and the music hits me in the right way - the darkened skies suddenly echo oceans and great big fluid surfaces moving about in whatever bobbing rhythmic sequence - lulling me into a beautiful stark black sea voyage.

YES - come on boy!!! We've heard that crap before!!! - I hear you yelling in the back. I often turn to the sea and watery images, whenever I try relegating electronic pieces of music, and especially the Berlin school of sound conjures up these endless pictures of running water. There's a hidden connection there, and even if I mention it a lot, it still doesn't quite put into focus just how seductive and entrancing the music can be, if it's done right. But hey for the purpose of sounding hip, let's just say that it feels like sparkly lemonade or fresh slushing milk...

Whereas the Germans were the main deliverers of said style of music with acts like Manuel Göttsching, Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, - the French had sculpted a sound and a feel completely in accordance with their own temper. You got the scary zeuhlish theatrics from Igor Wakhevitch, the dangerously sharp and edgy Heldon and then the avant garde antics of Phillipe Besombes. Strange to think that a man like Didier Bocquet then sounded far more German than any of his fellow electronic countrymen. Sure, that may well have something to do with his late debut onto the scene back in 1977 with the self-produced album Eclipse - opening up to hypothesis of him being no more than a mere Berlin school copycat, but to these ears there is far more happening for that to be true. This album is more like a refined wine - something that had to sit awhile before it could be bottled.

Cerebral voyage is the name of the thing, and I couldn't imagine a better name, even if I had a thousand years and my thinking cap on. Much like the early krautrockers did - Bocquet focuses on long psychedelic pieces that slowly but carefully open up like sonic apple blossoms. From brilliantly shimmering synthesisers looping infinitely in ever changing patterns to the more menacing outbreaks - this record more than adequately responds to the ripples once uttered by the old German pioneers - and then some! I find this album closely related to the krautrock scene itself actually - mostly because of its ongoing flirtations with loose instant composition, but even more so because of its incessant trippy soundscapes that quite literally scoops you up - throws you in a starfighter and sends you out into the vastness of space. It's a psychedelic journey that keeps reverberating in your head. It does so while you listen to it, but also when you leave the comfort of your home. One day you'll find yourself staring at a puddle of rain experiencing a strange musical deja vu with echoing churning slices of music. This is down to the memorable characteristic of Voyage Cérébral. Now I am not talking about 'melodies' here, no no no - like I said the mood is one of constantly shape-shifting reverberations and psychedelic fuelled synthesisers, - no I am talking about the memorable shifts. The way a deep bellowing sound cycle suddenly intervenes during the first side - coming off like a controlled aircraft carrier foghorn that shakes the very ground with its buzzing yearning calls. Or maybe the cathartic turnover right at the very end will better explain to you the sheer power of this album - the power of music without a program. This is the soundtrack of huge things - love serenades for giants and Cyclops - an electronic kiss from a killer robot a thousand feet tall.

You won't find much in the way of hooks and solos on this outing, but if you wish to venture out beyond the confines of our little blue planet without ever having to leave your favourite rocking chair, then Voyage Cérébral is a safe bet. I feel like an amorous jellyfish listening to this - like one of those neon beams from 2001: A Space Odyssey - I feel like a submarine in warm waters, - utterly comfortable and bizarrely different from my normal self. The constant bombardment of these enchanting electronic cycles that swirl and sway like huge sonic rings, cradles you and at the same time allures you into a false security. You are not a submarine, and you can't fly, - but you do however have the opportunity to dress up with this little beauty.

I can only echo what Guldbamsen has to say about this French Electronic album from 1979. A voyage indeed best heard with headphones on and the lights out. So cool. He does it all himself with synths and electronics and I like the black and white album cover with Didier on it as it sort of represents the melancholy here. All these songs blend into each other and the title really represents what is going on here.

"Interface" has this quiet start as my ears are searching for what's going on but soon slow pulses with interesting sounds over top arrive with spacey synths as well. "Rencontre Psychique" continues with the slow pulses but sequencers and more kick in over top. Not as enjoyable and it almost seems to fade out before 5 minutes as the sound changes slightly to a more melancholic vibe with sequencers.

"Eloignement" has these high pitched sounds that come and go but they stop before 1 1/2 minutes as driving sequencers kick in and more. "Cosmory Theme" continues with the sequencers leading with synths until a change late as we get an experimental ending.

The second half is much better in my opinion beginning with "Prelude" where we hear what sounds like birds chirping but it's not then spacey waves and static-like sounds arrive along with faint percussion-like sounds. The spacey sounds build after a minute. The melancholic synths before 2 minutes sound so good. Just drifting away into the night here.

"Evell Sideral" turns intense rather quickly as the tempo picks up. It settles back around a minute. I like this. Spacey synths over top with sequencers and deep sounding electronics that come and go. Twittering sounds late. "Amorissage" has these slowly pulsing sounds with pinging then this spacey melancholic sound comes in. Some buzzing after 2 minutes but this is drifting and beautifully sad music. "Voyage Terra" has more of those great sounding melancholic synths along with spacey sounds and more. A perfect way to end the album.

A solid 4 stars and this does seem to get better as it goes. One of the better French Electronic albums in my opinion.