FunkFreak75
If Pat Metheny ever worked with Paul Hardcastle or Ed Wynne or Lars and Martin Horntveth this is the music you might get. Yves is, like Ed Wynne, a genius at getting synthetic 'nature' sounds out of his equipment--which I LOVE. And this is no poor imitator or second rate musician! We're talking virtuosity! His textures and solos are all so well thought out, so perfectly layered or alternated--all with this amazing percussive foundation (some manual, a lot electronic).
"Jazz multi-instrumentalist Yves Potin puts lush soundscapes together in a way that might be familiar to lovers of the music of Andreas Vollenweider and Robin Guthrie or even Ozric Tentacles and Paul Hardcastle but where Yves' music is different from the cited artists is in his exciting and use of percussion, layers and layers of synthetically-rendered musical nature sounds over which he employs heavily treated guitars and other synths to move the music forward on their melody lines. It's truly gorgeous music, soul-engaging music." --from my review of Forest Stairways.
1. 'Lake of Night Ruins' (6:47) slowly picked and echo-strummed guitar over thick, jazzy bass, steady, heavy drums, and water synth sounds sets up a nice foundation over which a Pat Metheny-like synth-horn guitar joins in at the 2:00 mark and slowly, steadily introduces its sound and then starts to really solo in the third minute. Yves definitely has the Metheny sound and style down! This is awesome! In the fourth minute Yves even lets us know that he has the speed and technical chops to further earn the Metheny comparisons! Cool song'definitely more jazzy than electronica'more Ozrics than Alio Die. (13.5/15)
2. 'Droplets' (6:40) very catchy melodies in a groovin' jazz song constructed very much like a soundscape of Ozrics Tentacles. Great lead work over the awesome driving rhythm sections by the electric guitar and synthesizers. (9/10)
3. 'Oceaniques Part 1' (3:01) computer/synthesizer-generated water sounds open this song before electrified acoustic guitar joins in with chords and arpeggi. Fretless bass and distant 'French horn' guitar are added to the mix in the second minute. The song pretty much floats along without much development or meat, as one would almost expect based on the title. (7.5/10)
4. 'Swirls' (10:26) opens with more wave-like computer-generated synthesizer sounds behind which slow-attacking electric guitar chords appear about every six seconds. In the third minute a pulsating sound joins in (moving at a time and pace different from the waves on top). Gradually the wave-sounds begin to shift to sound a little more like keyboard chords. Then, at 3:50, a funky bass sequence enters and begins to take over as the pace-setter. By the end of the fifth minute a Allan Holdsworth-like guitar enters and begins to solo in quite an impressive way. He is soon joined by a second guitar lead, this one more synthesized (or is it a keyboard?) The Holdsworth influence (and imitation?) is remarkable. The two go on exchanging the lead in 'duel' fashion keeping us interested by each remaining founded in their own melody lines. So cool! Around 7:40 this begins to decay and a spacious, more cave- like airy section of synthesizer washes and percussives enters. At 8:42 an alarm-like keyboard sequence makes itself briefly known before just as quickly disappearing'and alternating (as if in a conversation) with a slower-attack synth playing chords. Then it ends! too soon! I want more of this conversation! Great song! Really interesting! (20/20)
5. 'Crustacean' (6:07) saw synth washes with heavily reverbed guitar arpeggi are soon joined by very cool funky/fretless/computer-popping bass and keys (so psybient like). David Torn-like guitar enters to take the lead at the end of the second minute. This is so Sylvian-esque! (Brilliant Trees Side Two or Disc Two of Gone to Earth!) Awesome! (9/10)
6. 'Oceaniques Part 2' (7:37) Straightforward jazz with heavily treated instrumental sounds and water/wave samples. The scaled down, more spacious third minute is cool'though it makes you anticipate something dramatic to follow. The muted synth washes and fretless bass in this section are awesome! Electrified acoustic guitar play becomes a soloing instrument. Nice! Again, Yves can't help but show us: he can play! Great musicianship and songwriting skills on display here! (14.25/15)
7. 'Underground River' (7:11) More 'real' water sounds used at the opening with large brass metal bells, gongs, and/or cymbals being played over the top. Early in the second minute an electric guitar screams out a single note that slowly decays. Soon, these 'outbursts' recur while beneath a bass and drum rhythm line is slowly, almost imperceptibly being established. Two chords of magical synth wash support while a very emotional lead guitar solo takes over in the fourth minute. I'm out of comparisons for this sound and soloing style (maybe Narada New Age guitarist Paul Speers), but it's beautiful. (13.5/15)
8. 'Oceaniques Part 3' (3:31) water flowing, washing, over which bass, drums, and guitar weave into a little spacious jazz motif. The soloing, like Part !, and the music here just kind of meander without ever really gelling into a concrete direction'flowing aimlessly despite the currents of the ocean. (7.5/10)
For lovers of the more synthesizer dominant release of 2017, Forest Stairways, be prepared: this not the same; there is much more of a guitar and jazz dominance to this album (which is just as amazing as the synth work of FS.
I haven't said this enough in my reviews of Yves music, but this man can set up some amazing bass lines! I don't honestly know which are programmed and which are played manually but IT DOESN'T MATTER! They're amazing!
B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of progressive rock music and definitely a progressive jazz fusion artist to check out!
