1993 - "M.A.S.C."
(62 min, Italian "Mellow Records" official release)

Tracklist:

Tamaris  3-16

M.A.S.C.19  3-19

With Love  5-22

On an Angel's Wing  3-05

M.A.S.C.33  3-34

Rubis  3-15

M.A.S.C.12  4:36

Vent Vert (Requiem)  4-20

Megalopole  3-34

M.A.S.C.22  4:02

M.A.S.C.11  3-20

Signus  2-54

M.A.S.C.25  4-46

Trice (Lullaby)  2-43

Sphere No-1  4-01

M.A.S.C.52  4:28



All tracks composed, arranged, performed (except * & **),

recorded & mixed by M. Ceccotti.



Produced by Mauro Moroni. 



Additional musicians:



Lead keyboards  on 1, 9 & 15 (*) - by Jean-Marc Bastianelli.

Electric mandolin on 5 (**) - by Mike Sabre.

I think it's important to notice that all the three Marc Ceccotti solo albums were composed and performed practically in the same style already in the beginning of this material. (Whereas the majority of songs featuring all Edhels albums have been composed mostly by Marc himself too, and any of Edhels albums stylistically is highly different from any other.) The music by the Solo Pilot Marc Ceccotti has little to do with his own creation within Edhels. Of course, the way to build a discography under his own name was chosen by Marc with a special purpose, and I don't see a reason to explain why he did so, as it should be obvious to anyone (of our 'brothers in Prog'). All the three Marc Ceccotti albums represent a style whose various manifestations are used by the Solo Pilots quite widely - since their abilities (with the few exceptions) to record an album, that would sound like a band's album, are limited by the absence of band itself. While you already know about the united, on the whole, stylistic 'conception' of Marc's creation as a whole, it should necessarily be said that his "solo" music, as well as his major contribution to the Edhels's creation throughout (being always the band's main mastermind), has a distinctively original 'origin' too. As for the difference between Edhels and Marc's solo creations as a whole, I've mentioned it already. Back to Marc's solo stylistics, there is no traces of such clearly pseudo progressive genres as new-age, ambient, etc (I don't even write these with capital letters and I wonder when I see some of my 'prog-brothers in pen' find progressive a lot of such works). "M.A.S.C.", "An Enigmatic Wave of Empathy" and especially "The Dream Side" I consider the best electronic progressive albums I ever heard (though, frankly, I've heard by no means many of them). It is obvious (at least to me) that on the debut solo album (I suppose, M.A.S.C." is an abbreviation of something like this: "Marc (AS?) Ceccotti"?) Marc was just searching for the right way of his solo stylistics, although "MASC" is already a very good and original album (otherwise Mauro Moroni at "Mellow" would never release it on his label). Structurally (as well as both the following albums), the music on "M.A.S.C." contains approximately as many arrangements typical for Classic Symphonic Art-Rock (with speedy or simply thoughtful, intricate guitar and keyboard solos to accompaniment of hypnotic keyboards roulades) as those that we call an electronic Progressive (not complex yet intriguing minimalist musical pictures inspired by Satie and the likes). While most of the electronic pieces consist mostly of true minimalist musical sketches - sometimes with meditative motives, instrumentals (there are only instrumentals in all Marc's solo albums, though) with obvious Classic Progressive sound have more diverse musical palettes - such as wonderful interplays of quite speedy keyboard passages with unique rhythm and solo acoustic guitar acrobatics (while it's obvious that Marc is a very gifted multi-instrumentalist, his (own instrument) guitar sounds sometimes simply fantastic). I also should add that programmed drums sound at least acceptable (good actually), though Marc uses them here only in those instrumentals whose belonging to the Classic Progressive genre is obvious. By the way, few of these compositions could be ones of the most effective on such Edhels albums as "Angel's Promise" and even "Oriental Christmas" (let alone the band's very early effort called "The Bursting"). I didn't, however, notice any associative principles in various 'fractals' of M.A.S.C. pieces on the album. At least three of them have solid progressive arrangements, while the rest of them stylistically are closer either to typical electronic music or to the same yet with a meditative feel. Also I'd like to let you know that all Marc's self-released CD-Rs are ones of the most quality productions of such a kind (together with Arne Schafer's of Apogee & Versus X) I ever seen and heard. They're wonderfully designed, including coverings of CD-Rs, and have a real professional sound. (I think, if Marc even has an 'official' "Mellow" copy of "M.A.S.C.", it is the only the original CD he has from that edition of 1993.)

1999 - "The Dream Side"
(still unreleased officially)

Tracklist:

Le maitre de l'observance  6-02

Blue Tears  5:43

The Prying Eyes  3-32

Origine  3-44

Green Wave  4-10

Sanctuary  7-01

1335  3-45

Columba  4-30

Technobeat  5-40

Aleph  10-16

Sad Spiral  6-27



Composed, arranged, performed, recorded & mixed

by M. Ceccotti (entirely).

Produced by Laurie Caillaud.

Frankly, I consider "The Dream Side" the best album of Marc Ceccotti's solo creation. Musically, this one is quite similar to Marc's debut solo album, but I have an impression that "The Dream Side" as if adsorbed all the best points of it. Unlike "M.A.S.C." with its 16 tracks, there are only 11 compositions on this album. I find as quite positive a tendency towards longer compositions in general, but especially when longevity is appropriate, as it is the case with "The Dream Side". Since all instrumentals on "The Dream Side" quality-wise stand up to most of the best from Marc's debut solo album, I could just slightly change the appreciative words that I said in the previous review for the review in question, but why? I am rather inclined just to conclude that with "The Dream Side" album Marc has reached his peak as a Solo Pilot of Progressive Rock.

2001 - "An Enigmatic Wave of Empathy"
(so far unreleased officially)

Tracklist:

You & You  3-57

With Joy & Apprehension   5-30

Inner Fire  6-40

An Enigmatic Wave of Empathy  8-10

Dolcezzadi una notte  3-35

Waiting for You  6-16

Don't Hang Up  4-07

The Time Thief  5-18

Crystal Mass  4-30

The Lost Lady  3-43

The Techno-Crime  6-28

Flying With Geronimo  7-22



Composed, arranged, performed, recorded & mixed

by M. Ceccotti (entirely).

Produced by L. Caillaud & M. Ceccotti (with E.(?))



Painting by Philippe Breton (http://www.philippebreton.com).

The review will be available soon.