Detailed Reviews [Frederic L'Epee - 2019 - "The Empty Room"]

Prolusion. French composer and musician Frederic L'Epee is probably best known for his tenures in the French progressive rock bands Shylock and Philharmonie as well as his current band Yang. Over the years L'Epee has nurtured a solo career too, with a dozen or so albums to his name at the time of writing. The album "The Empty Room" dates back to 2019, and was released through the private label Yang Music. It is one of three solo albums issued by L'Epee in 2019.

Analysis. While L'Epee has a solid background from progressive rock and jazzrock, the material included on this solo album is one that has a little bit of a different flavor to it. The guitar is the central instrument here, which is both logical and natural, but rather than being explored in a more flamboyant and expressive manner the greater part of the compositions we get are more geared towards experimental minimalism and landscapes with more of a gentle feel. While the opening 'Badong' is a creation revolving around tighter sounds and elements of the kind one might expect, the major parts of what follows segues over to different landscapes with a few different but related modes of expressions. Some are more gentle, careful and dreamladen affair with a bit more of a jazz or jazzrock undercurrent, others explore similar landscapes but with a bit more of a psychedelic or even cosmic touch. The majority of the creations here are much closer to ambient music in form and execution though. Many of them does feature textured instrument motifs and nervous plucked instrument notes of the kind one will otherwise encounter in post-rock material, and one might describe these compositions as being at least related to that form of music or exploring impulses with an origin in these territories. We also get a few examples of more minimalist experimental music without a distinctly defined orientation, but these are in the clear minority here, and by and large also the least interesting material here as regarded from my personal taste in music. While the sole composition combining elements of blues with a slight undercurrent of jazz, on the other hand, is a more interesting proposition again. This is an interesting album experience, but also one that does explore landscapes a little bit different to what one might expect from a musician with a solid past as well as a present in progressive rock circles.

Conclusion. "The Empty Room" as an album experience is perhaps not one that can be defined inside of a progressive rock context as such. The material here does touch base with jazzrock, post-rock and psychedelic rock, but in the majority of the cases more with the use of impulses rather than with full fledged forays into these styles and orientations. This is an album dominated by gentler, more careful and dreamladen excursions, often with an ambient touch and orientation and only occasionally providing a little bit more bite. A production to seek out by those fond of productions with a calm, experimental orientation and with a dreamladen feel as something of a defining aspect.

Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room