Cyrille Verdeaux
(Copyright © 1999 Piero Scaruffi | Legal restrictions - Termini d'uso )

Clearlight Symphony (1974), 7/10
Forever Blowing Bubbles (1975), 6/10
Les Contes Du Singe Fou (1977), 6.5/10
Visions (1978), 6.5/10
Kundalini Opera (1999), 7/10
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French keyboardist Cyrille Verdeaux studied at the Conservatory of Music in Paris (1964-68) and at the Conservatory of Nice (1969-72). In 1973 he formed the band Babylone with guitarist Christian Boule`. He then assembled a few members of Gong (Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe) and some old friends (Christian Boule`, Gilbert Artman) to record the Clearlight Symphony (Virgin, end of 1974), released under the moniker Clearlight. This lush electronic and symphonic work was one of first to continue the mission of Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece and Tonto's Expanding Head Band.

Forever Blowing Bubbles (1975), performed by a broader ensemble, was a more conventional collection of songs, heavily influenced by the presence of King Crimson's violinist David Cross and by guitarist and flutist Jean Claude d'Agostini and Zao's bassist Joel Dugrenot. The instrumentals (Without Words, Way, Ergotrip, Et Pendant Ce Temps La) are almost as good as the previous symphony.

Delired Cameleon Family (1975) was the soundtrack for Pierre Clementi's one and only movie "Visa de Censure n*X",

Les Contes Du Singe Fou (1977), later re-recorded and re-issued as In Your Hands (Musea, 1994), is a metaphysical piece that features Tim Blake, jazz violinist Didier Lockwood, bassist Joel Dugrenot and vocalist Ian Bellamy (the three-part suite Time Skater).

Verdeaux self-produced Visions (Polydor, 1978), the fourth Clearlight album, which featured a small orchestra comprising rock (Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage, Christian Boule), Indian and jazz musicians (violinist Didier Lockwood), and marked a return to purely instrumental music (with a minor exception). The four longest suites are also the most significant. Spirale d'Amour and Messe Caline predate new-age music with their languid, calm lakes of chords, whereas Full Moon Raga and Shanti Lotus strike a magic balance between western and eastern classical music.

At this point Verdeaux abandoned the Clearlight moniker and began recording under his real name.

At the border between classical and new age music, Verdeaux recorded in California the electronic chamber music of Offrandes (Fortuna, 1980) and the Nocturnes Digitales (Fortuna, 1980) for keyboards, tablas, violin and natural sounds (Winds Talks, Piano Strings).

Prophecy (Fortuna, 1981) was a collaboration with electronic musician Bernard Xolotl.

Upon returning from a sojourn in India, Verdeaux released Moebius (Soundings of the Planet, 1982), Shambala (Soundings of the Planet, 1982) and Messenger Of The Son (Catero, 1983). The latter balances pomp (Overture) and dynamics (Vibrato), the religious (Full Sun Raga) and the ethereal (Astral Journey, The Key Of Enoch).

Kundalini Opera (2004) is an ambitious seven-CD concept album that began with separate album releases, starting with Kundalini Opera (Eurock, 1984). As completed in 2004, it is an ambitious seven-CD concept album, ranging from the solo piano sonatas of Piano for the Third Ear to the Tangerine Dream-like "kosmische musik" of Journey to Tantraland (1984), that features Dallas Smith on flute and lyricon (and that offers ((Shambala, Journey To The Center Of The Head). Its seven one-hour chapters, that aim at reharmonizing the seven chakras, are: Ethnicolours, Journey to Tantraland, Solar Trancefusion, Flowers from Heaven, Rhapsodies Pour la Planete Bleue, Piano for the Third Ear, Inner Peace Concerto. Best of Kundalini Opera is a selection.

After this opera, Verdeaux recorded sparsely: Rhapsody for the Blue Planet (Emen, 1988), with Creation Synthetique, and Symphony II (Mantra, 1990), a timid follow-up to his masterpiece that belongs more to new-age music than to progressive-rock.

Ethnicolors (Clearlight, 1998) and Tribal Hybrid Concept (Clearlight, 1998) are collaborations with ethnographer Pascal Menetrey, who adds third-world rhythms and chants to the former and samples Inuits, Papoos, Tuvas, Ethiopians and Kurds as well as animals facing extinction on the latter.

Rainbow Music (Clearlight, 1999) is a 6-CD anthology of 25 years of recordings.

Aerobix 99 (Clearlight, 1998) is a soundtrack for aerobic exercise.

Infinite symphony (2003) marked a return of the legendary Clearlight.

Impressionist Musique, whose recording began in 1995, is still unreleased.

(Translation by/ Tradotto da Moreno Marcon)

Il tastierista Cyrille Verdeaux studio' al Conservatorio di Musica di Parigi e piu' tardi formo' i Babylone con il chitarrista Christian Boule`. Poi chiamo' qualche membro dei Gong (Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe) e alcuni vecchi amici(Christian Boule`, Gilbert Artman) per registrare Clearlight Symphony (Virgin, 1975),distribuito a nome Clearlight.Questo sontuoso lavoro elettronico e sinfonico era uno dei primi che continuava la missione di Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece e Tonto's Expanding Head Band.

Forever Blowing Bubbles (1975),eseguito da una formazione piu' ampia,era una collezione piu' convenzionale di canzoni molto influenzata dalla presenza del violinista dei King Crimson David Cross e dal chitarrista e flautista Jean Claude d'Agostini.I brani strumentali (Without Words, Way, Ergotrip, Et Pendant Ce Temps La) sono quasi buoni quanto la sinfonia precedente.

Dopo la colonna sonora Delired Cameleon Family (1975),

Les Contes Du Singe Fou (1977), piu' tardi ri-registrata e ri-stampata come In Your Hands (Musea, 1994),e' un pezzo metafisico in collaborazione con Tim Blake,il violinista jazz Didier Lockwood e la voce di Ian Bellamy (la suite parte-tre Time Skater).

Visions (Polydor, 1978),il quarto album dei Clearlight, fatto con una piccola orchestra comprendente musicisti rock (Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage, Christian Boule),indiani e jazz (il violinista Didier Lockwood),marco' una ritorno alla musica puramente strumentale(con una piccola eccezione) e rivelo' le prime influenze orientali.Le quattro suite piu' lunghe sono anche le piu' significative. Spirale d'Amour e Messe Caline anticipano la musica new-age con i loro languidi e calmi laghi di accordi,mentre Full Moon Raga e Shanti Lotus colpiscono per un magico equilibrio fra musica classica occidentale e orientale.

A questo punto Verdeaux abbandono' il nome Clearlight e adotto' il suo reale nome.

Al confine fra musica classica e new-age,Verdeaux registo' la musica elettronica da camera di Offrandes (Fortuna, 1980) e Nocturnes Digitales (Fortuna, 1980) per tastiere,tablas,violino e suoni naturali (Winds Talks, Piano Strings).

Prophecy (Fortuna, 1981) era una collaborazione con il musicista d'elettronica Bernard Xolotl.

Sul ritorno per un soggiorno in India,Verdeaux rilascio' anche Moebius (Soundings of the Planet, 1982) e Shambala (Soundings of the Planet, 1982).

Kundalini Opera (Eurock, 1984) e' un ambizioso concept album di sette CD che comincio' con uscite separate dei vari album: Flowers from Heaven (1983), la sonata di solo piano Piano for the Third Ear (1983) e Messenger Of The Son (Catero, 1985). Quest'ultimo riesce a equilibrare fasto (Overture) e dinamicita' (Vibrato), le religioni (Full Sun Raga) e l'etereo (Astral Journey, The Key Of Enoch).

Il secondo capitolo di "Kundalini" e' in realta' Journey to Tantraland (1984), fatto assieme a Dallas Smith al flauto che offre una musica cosmica alla Tangerine Dream (Shambala, Journey To The Center Of The Head). Complete Kundalini Opera (Clearlight, 1999)e' un box di sette CD che include tutti e sette i capitoli. Best of Kundalini Opera e' una selezione.

Dopo quest'opera,Verdeaux registo' sempre piu' di rado: Rhapsody for the Blue Planet (Emen, 1988), con Creation Synthetique, Symphony II (Mantra, 1990), un timido seguito al suo capolavoro che appartiene piu' al new-age che al progressive-rock, Impressionist Musique (1995) per piano e suoni naturali.

Ethnicolors (Clearlight, 1998) e Tribal Hybrid Concept (Clearlight, 1998)sono collaborazioni con l'etnografo Pascal Menetrey,che aggiunge ritmi e canti del terzo mondo al primo e campionari Inuits, Papoos, Tuvas, Etiopi e Kurdi,come animali in estinzione,nel secondo.

Rainbow Music (Clearlight, 1999) e' un' antologia di 6 CD di 25 anni di registrazioni.

Aerobix 99 (Clearlight, 1998) e' una colonna sonora per sedute d'aerobica.

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