Frederic Gerchambeau & Bruno Karnel - 2022 - N + 8

(29:17; Karnel & Gerchambeau)

Track list:
1. Selinofilimeni 10:16
2. Nachtseelen 9:08
3. Nat og Dag 9:53

Line-up:
Frederic Gerchambeau - synthesizers
Bruno Karnel - vocals, guitars, saz, charango, keyboards, recordings
with:
Polina Faustova - cello


Prolusion.
French composer and artists Frédéric Gerchambeau and Bruno Karnel are a collaborative duo that started working together just a few years back, with the initial result of that collaboration being the album "Amra" in 2019. This year the twosome returns with the mini-album "N + 8", which was self-released in the early summer of 2022.

Analysis.
The music on this album is one that perhaps falls a bit outside of the borders of many different types of music, and as such placing inside a progressive rock appears to be both the best overall choice and the most logical one too. After all, progressive rock is about breaking conventions, and this production would appear to fit that description quite nicely.

With the synthesizers of Gerchambeau as often dominant elements, we are presented to three long compositions on this occasion, all of them to a lesser or greater extent revolving around fluctuating and circulating instrument movements with occasional lapses and detours expanding the palette in an often subtle manner. While repetitive in the dominant motifs and textures, there's always movement and momentum in these twilight mood creations, and each of them have been given different flavoring to add a more distinct identity to each of them. With opening cut 'Selinofilimeni' given a bit of a folk music flavoring, the following 'Nachtseelen' alternating between keyboards, atmospheric guitar solo runs and sounds with more of a cosmic presence while the concluding 'Nat og Dag' starts as a more open, playful and expressive creation that gradually moves towards a more fluctuating, circulating and repetitive patterns with the arrangement also gradually decreasing the number of layers as well as a decrease in the intensity of some the different layers  remaining. With various guitar effects in particular having more of a dampened and subordinate presence.

Vocals will come and go in all of the creations here, generally having a bit more of a folk or singer/songwriter style of delivery. Otherwise the opening two songs have a distinct organ presence that is a strong identity mark for both of them, even if having more of a supporting role. In sum one might describe these creations to feature elements of ambient music, progressive electronic music and progressive rock, with folk music elements and some singer/songwriter flavoring further expanding the landscapes explored. Niche music within a niche field one might say, and most certainly not a production that will have a broad appeal. This is music that will have a bit of a solitary position in the world of music, or at least material that explores landscapes without too many well trodden paths to follow. Minimalist and repetitive but also creative and expressive, and quite the gem of a production to be uncovered for those who tend to enjoy music that exists inside such a  contrasting context.

Conclusion.
With "N + 8" the creative partnership of Gerchambeau and Karnel have created one of those special kinds of albums that doesn't readily fit into any given context. Repetitive patterns with subtle nuances but also expressive at times and with occasional challenging details being a part of the total experience too. If atmospheric laden borderline ambient landscapes with a progressive electronic music orientation and a progressive rock undercurrent sounds like your type of music, and the addition of subtle singer/songwriter elements sounds like a good idea to add to such a venture for you, then this is a mini-album that you'll have a very good chance of enjoying. An album that will have something of a limited appeal, but also quite the gem of a production to discover for those who get the music explored here.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, July 2022

Links:
https://www.brunokarnel.com/
https://asso-pwm.fr/artistes/frederic-gerchambeau/