Revue et Corrigée (F)

THIERRY ZABOITZEFF - HEAT
IMD-ZABMUSIC, CD - 2024
No. 143 - March 2025

In his new opus, Heat, Thierry Zaboitzeff tackles one of the main concerns affecting the planet and, consequently, humans – even those holed up in Austria, where the album was recorded and where, in 2024, temperatures were 4.1°C higher than usual, leading to the melting of glaciers. To support this sonic exposition, he uses a range of instruments: his electric cello, of course, but also keyboards, bass and various samples, including texts from weather reports. The overall tone is thus marked by anxiety and the inexorable nature of the phenomenon, through haunting, almost martial rhythms (‘Heatwave Alarm’ or his adaptation of a Purcell theme, ‘Cold Song’). However, the listener can detect a few nuances: the piano playing in the first two tracks is somewhat emphatic, but then, when listening to ‘Echoes’, the listener cannot help but hear Zheulian sounds (particularly the voice).
Pierre DURR

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Forces Parallèles (F)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC/iMusician
Forces Parallèles 04/01/2025 by Nanar

Following on from his previous album released earlier this year, Thierry ZABOÏTZEFF is back with a new collection of personal compositions. Where, on Le Passage, Thierry ZABOÏTZEFF returned to the ART ZOYD of the 1980s, while keeping his footing in the present day, Heat sees him deepening these temporal links, with the same hybrid instrumentation, between organic and electronic. We also hear continuity with the intoxicatingly tortuous Pagan Dances (2021), dominated by piano and strings of all kinds, with a further resurgence of 1990s ZOYD.

As for the choice of sounds, where Le Passage was structured in two parts (one highly descriptive, the other more rhythmic), Heat is more homogeneous. The rhythms and electronic effects seen on the second half of Le Passage are more discreetly and homogeneously repeated. It starts with the counterpoints of the excellent “Vague De Chaleur Intense” and the melancholy piano line doubled by guitar and accompanied by cello of the long “Bulletin Météo”, reminiscent of Nebensonnen (2000) and the softer passages of Marathonnerre (1992). It continues masterfully with the tribal and powerful “Heatwave Alarm”, in contrast to the straightforward interpretation of the aria “Cold Song” composed by Henry PURCELL and written by John Dryden for the opera King Arthur, or The British Worthy (1691) - Klaus NOMI also produced an electronic version on his first album (1981).

The last three tracks seem to be a compromise between the pugnacity of “Vague De Chaleur Intense” and “Heatwave Alarm”, and the gentleness of “Bulletin Météo” and “Cold Song”. The long, ballad-like melody of “Echoes” is diversely harmonized and again enriched by Thierry ZABOÏTZEFF's warm timbre, in contrast to the short, rhythmic “Signes Avant-Coureurs”, which plays on the repetition effect with great variety of accompaniment and orchestration. The “Epilogue” closes the loop with the piano in the foreground, as does “Bulletin Météo”, in a livelier tone.

A few sound elements illustrating the album's theme (global warming) are scattered throughout certain tracks. Le Passage and Heat form a thematic diptych, about the environmental damage caused by Man on a planetary scale, either directly (“The Forest” in Le Passage) or indirectly (Heat). In the absence of lyrics, it's difficult to extract a clear-cut message, other than the musical evocation of a sense of urgency and a look at a wounded nature that risks being no more than a memory, like VANGELIS's “Memories Of Green”.

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Highlands Magazine (F)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC/iMusician
Highlands Magazine 124 - Marie MESMER
19/02/2025

HEAT comes out eight months after the album LE PASSAGE, reviewed in the pages of
HIGHLANDS Magazine n°121 of May 2024.

HEAT 34:41, a seven-track album, was composed and recorded by Thierry ZABOITZEFF between
between April and September 2024 in Salzburg, incorporating various instruments and
techniques.
He plays all the instruments, bass, electric cello, vocals and keyboards,
samplers, soundscapes and programming.
The cover art is by Thierry MOREAU, the sleeve notes by Denis DESASSIS.

The opener, Vague De Chaleur Intense 5:47, begins with a range of sought-after timbres with
nostalgic piano notes, played harmoniously and simultaneously with an uplifting
simultaneously with an uplifting, choppy guitar and the long discourse of a divine
divine cello. Fiery female choruses deliver remarkable sonorities
seem to come from a flamboyant accordion, a scorching palette of sound authentic to the
configuration of the title. A score dealing with the
controversial climate issue.

Bulletin Météo 9:05, a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing piano hook,
Filled with emotion, the repetitive percussion sounds like a threatening ultimatum.
The piano, astonishingly multicoloured in the way it displays its playing, which is as delicate as it is sombre.
Equality of timbre, flexible diction of strings, narration, reverberating percussion.
Sounds from soundscapes strike, creating a certain anguish with the passage of the electric cello over the collected piano.
The orchestral atmosphere becomes more homogeneous with the male-female choirs in a background of crackling in the musical space.

Heatwave Alarm 4:15 is a well-constructed, strong-sounding piece in the same disturbed string vein, with a brutal, expressive lyricism of drum-percussion rolls in a sustained mystical march supported by gongs. Chirping, inaudible sounds wander over dancing electronic effects.

Cold Song 3:57, an adaptation by Thierry ZABOITZEFF, superbly sung in his own language, of the baroque semi-opera inspired by the Arthurian legend of King Arthur.
This semi-opera, composed by Henry Purcell in 1691, refers in particular to the famous Scene of the Cold Genius, an allegory of the benefits of love in thawing the hearts and souls of King Arthur's kingdom.
Thierry ZABOITZEFF describes fantastic landscapes, with enigmatic, percussive sounds set against an orchestral backdrop stamped with this emotional fresco and subtle sonorities.
The sublime strings of her electric cello, combined with the timbre of her suave voice, vibrate to the rhythm of her pulse.
A musical panorama unfolds to the beat of the tempo, her bewitching voice exploring the time that sings, that dances in passionate, hushed words, stretching out against a backdrop of choppy, furtive sounds.
The score is full of high-pitched, spirited choruses, in the mellow phalanx of a proven virtuoso musician where he reigns as master and conductor. Some of his compositions are reminiscent of the gentle languor of Russian song choruses. Magnificent interpretation and adaptation.

Echoes 2:53, a slow, sung melody in which several musical genres and instruments from different countries wander around, airy with a sense of exoticism: India with sitar effects, refined Arabian modulations, those of Japan, the Orient.
A most expressive ensemble blends with the sublime strings of the cello, those of her voice, accordion vibrations, high-pitched percussion, to harmonise a singular whole, with pleasing repetitive consonances of the timbre of her velvety voice that captivates.

Signes Avant-coureurs 5:10, a beautiful poetic instrumental, focused on benevolent iterations of downy sonorities.
Several supple movements, electronic effects, the beauty is in the reverie of sonorities similar to those of a bow laboriously working on its strings.
Deep stretches of accordion, cello, ubiquitous programmed keyboards.
Elegance, beauty of timbre and purity of melody.

Epilogue 3:34, the piano grabs hold of the work and scrutinises it in depth along the same musical line, a different spirit in the narration that scatters into a blaze of several voices, leaving our ears to draw their own conclusions.

An album of immaterial sonic beauty, a science fiction imagined by Thierry ZABOITZEFF. Listen and order on Bandcamp.

(****½)

Marie MESMER

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Prog Censor (F)

Thierry Zaboitzeff
HEAT
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution
Prog Censor 04/02/2025

rock in opposition - 34:41 - France 2024
‘Climate: 2024, the hottest year, will exceed 1.5°C of warming compared to the pre-industrial era for the first time’, was the headline in Le Monde on 11 November, without waiting until the end of the period for the full statistics - this time, after so many years of “we cannot state with certainty that this event is strictly linked to global warming” (dear scientist, scruples do you credit... and the dishonest revel in it), the evidence is glaringly obvious (except perhaps to Donald-Eau-de-Javel and his QAnon pals in pointy hats). ‘La Terre brûle’ (The Earth is Burning) features Thierry Zaboitzeff, a multi-instrumentalist from Maubeuge now based in Salzburg, co-founder of Art Zoyd and active in new music that draws on (progressive) rock, electronica, contemporary and experimental music, particularly since the start of his solo career in 1997: The weather warning in ‘Vague de chaleur intense’ (Intense Heat Wave), which opens the album, opens the perspective - on an overheated world, incapable of stopping the vicious circle of its energy bulimia, a world which, by dint of wanting more and more (the radiant myth of infinite growth - a sort of greedy and undemanding mathematics), has lost the pedals, the control, the ball, has let go of the steering wheel, the direction. We find the composer's touch in the dense, axe-cut soundscapes, the interventions of the visually impressive electric cello (he also plays bass, keyboards and samplers, gives voice and manages the programming) and the note of hope (? ) in the midst of the intense heat: it's Henry Purcell, of course, but he's so familiar with Klaus Nomi that one hesitates - for ‘Cold Song’, Thierry Zaboitzeff invents his own language, which he rubs as if with his bow, a way of breathing life beyond emotion.

Auguste
Bandcamp: https://thierryzaboitzeff.bandcamp.com/album/heat
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thierryzaboitzeff

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Plus Prog de vous (F)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution

For this work, I'm proposing a different experience: first listen to the album and then come back to my reflections. They, too, will be backwards.
1. Intense Heat Wave (05:47)
2. Weather Report (09:05)
3. Heatwave Alarm (04:15)
4. Cold Song (03:57)
5. Echoes (02:53)
6. Early Warning Signs (05:10)
7. Epilogue (03:34)
Instruments used: bass, guitar, electric cello, keyboards, piano, samplings, soundscapes, programming, vocals.
Artwork: Thierry MOREAU.
Independent production - Formats: digital, CD - Digital release 4 October 2024 by Thierry Zaboitzeff - iMD-ZABMUSIC - Physical CD release 10 January 2025 by Thierry Zaboitzeff - iMD-ZABMUSIC via Inouïe Distribution.
The track titles should have put you on the right track... but not only; the changing moods (eerie, mysterious, dark, but can it be otherwise?), the ideally chosen and placed sound ornaments, the tonalities and textures are particularly evocative. The musical offering (I borrow this terminology from the Kapellmeister because it has become part of everyday language. It's also a nod to counterpoint, which we find here) is structured into seven pieces which - although very distinct in terms of atmosphere and structure - form, after several listenings, a coherent and very tense whole. The rubbed strings, percussive sounds and exploratory nature of this work are its hallmarks.
Oscillating between Modern Classical, Chamber Art Rock, well-dosed Electro and the soundtracks of films yet to be made (just look at the constructions), this proposal titillates our imagination! Totally unclassifiable - and that's the beauty of it - this formidably personal work, which you'll be eager to make your own, has been meticulously thought through and polished with a love of things well done.
The art of composition is not an exact science, and that's fine. In this case, however, it's a skill transcended by an uncommon personal inspiration.
The overall result is particularly evocative, giving us food for thought and action. As on other occasions, there remains this insistent observation: it is not those responsible, it is not the decision-makers, it is not those with the incredible financial resources that would enable us to ACT who are worried. At least not in practice. It's the intellectuals from all walks of life who are deploring a situation that is spiralling out of control. They are the ones who put into music, with sensitivity, what we would put into words. The artist is also - above all - a man. As such, it is unbearable for him to stand by helplessly as Gaia is devastated.
With a remarkable career of creativity and eclecticism, Thierry ZABOITZEFF (yes, the man who worked at ART ZOID), has been working as a solo artist (film, dance, stage) for several years (1997) and has developed a highly singular creative style. The combination of acoustics and electronics, of timbres that rarely meet, of unstoppable melodic patterns and concrete sounds forms a living, pulsating material. The presence of the piano and the dramatic, theatrical or ‘incantatory’ vocalisations, which do not correspond to any known language, reinforce the impact of one or other composition. Special mention should be made of Henry PURCELL's ‘Cold Song’ (4), adapted by Thierry ZABOITZEFF, ‘sung’ in this gripping emotional language.
This is not a simple album. It is a philosophical and musical manifesto.

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Clair & Obscur (F)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution

08/12/2024
Review by Thierry Folcher

Just a few months after the publication of Le Passage (https://clairetobscur.fr/thierry-
zaboitzeff-le-passage/), Thierry Zaboitzeff (https://www.zaboitzeff.org/) offers us ‘Heat’, a second part just as committed to the fight against the destructive forces that threaten the entire planet. li fights his battle with his weapons, his strength and his inspiration. Each of his creations is the result of a real propensity to stage terribly dramatic and fiery playlets. On Heat, li continues his journey of chiaroscuro based on tensions with an immediate epidermal impact (‘Vague de Chaleur Intense’, ‘Bulletin Météo’) alternating with more reflective moods (‘Echoes’, ‘Signes Avant-Coureurs’).
Early Warning Signs"). Thierry Zaboittzeff also offers his own interpretation of Henry Purcell's ‘Cold Song’, a classic track popularised in the early 80s by Klaus Nomi. The world of Art Zoyd's co-founder is like no other, and can only work if you can get away from the usual reassuring patterns. It's percussive, mysterious and always surprising. The advantage for anyone who subscribes to this kind of music is to find themselves tossed about by powerful waves that are as gentle as they are threatening. It's an experience that goes far beyond a simple and customary relationship with the world of the arts.
relationship with the world of the arts. An ordeal, to be sure, but an enriching one.

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Exposé Online (USA)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-12-15

October of 2024 has brought us the latest set of recordings by multi-instrumentalist Thierry Zaboitzeff, a founding member and bassist of Art Zoyd who has been working as a solo artist since leaving that group in the late 90s. Since that time he has released twenty or more recordings, some full albums, singles and EP length pieces, with many scores for modern dance among them, as well as his 3CD 50 Ans de Musique massive 50th anniversary collection among them; Exposé has posted reviews for nearly all of them over the years. His latest, Heat, is a full album, about 35 minutes all taken, seven cuts in length where Zaboitzeff plays all of the instrumentation, including piano, keyboards, bass guitars, electric cello, samplers, soundscapes, programming, and even the occasional vocals. The music herein runs the gamut, from intensely rhythmic to gentle soft drifts occupying outer spaces, from dark and twisted visions to melodically haunting slices of beauty, full of tension forever seeking release; one might find similarities with his former band at times, though he has always taken care not to fall into the trap of repetition or rehashing old ideas. There doesn’t seem to be any over-arching concept to the pieces, and all of the tracks except one are composed by Zaboitzeff, that exception being an adaptation of “Cold Song” by Henry Purcell. The opener, “Vague de Chaleur Intense,” opens with some field recordings of a spoken voice in French before jumping to a busy rhythmic figure, all seeming like a mash-up between classical sounds, opera, and bits of Canterbury without the jazz — it’s a truly magnificent opening statement. Starting with a bit of a Magma feel, “Echoes” winds through some dark canyons as it approaches its brief three-minute duration, with the melodic vocal harmonies being quite powerful and unique. With a driving pulse and chaotic arrangement, “Heatwave Alarm” pushes the boundaries with dark, menacing vocals, it’s probably as close to rocking as any other track here, but explosive would be a better decriptive. “Bulletin Météo” explores a gentler side, with a prominent piano figure and powerful arrangements that, taken together make for the most introspective and beautiful nine minutes on the album. Another superb release from TZ.

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Rythmes Croisés (F)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution

15 November 2024 Philippe Perrichon Chronicles

To introduce Thierry ZABOITZEFF would be to offend our readers who have been following him for so many years, particularly in our columns (see https://rythmes-croises.org/thierry-zaboitzeff-iva-lirmaarchives-02-07/). However, if HEAT were to be your gateway to the musical universe of this exceptional multi-instrumentalist composer, you would probably have chosen the one of his many albums that unambiguously reveals itself to be at the heart of our current and most pressing human concerns, since the very survival of our species is at stake.

It's true that the ever-innovative sonic spaces that Thierry ZABOITZEFF has been exploring without concession for over fifty years (cf. https://rythmes-croises.org/thierryzaboitzeff-au-coeur-de-cinquante-ans-de-musiques/ ) are sometimes akin to dreamlike - and sometimes nightmarish - dimensions, where we find fundamental questions about the dark and light sides of the human soul. Some of his opuses often refer to an imaginary language of their own, whether instrumental or vocal, anchoring their inspiration in the hope or anguish that human evolution can arouse in its interactive and planetary space.

With HEAT, however, the metaphor is no longer appropriate: the planet is burning, and the magnificent cover produced by Thierry MOREAU (the faithful graphic designer and friend who has been producing his visuals for many years) (https://rythmescroises.org/thierry-moreau-ou-le-parcours-dungraphiste-familier-et-pourtant-meconnu/ )and the titles that make up the album are unambiguous:

1. Vague de chaleur intense (5:47)
2. Bulletin Météo (9:05)
3. Heatwave Alarm (4:15)
4. Cold Song (3:57)
5. Echoes (2:53)
6. Signes avant-coureurs (5:10)
7. Epilogue (3:34)

This sensitivity to Gaia's fragile, battered yet marvellous nature was already expressed by Thierry ZABOITZEFF in Le Passage, his album released at the beginning of the year, and in tracks like Heat & Suffocation on his album India. This suffocation, relayed by the linear voices of the media, is clearly evoked here, certainly because this exponential reality is now present at every moment, with its share of disruptions caused by our lifestyles, without the victims, now daily, yet establishing the link of responsibility that falls to us.

But the alchemical furnace in which Thierry ZABOITZEFF's inspiration finds its fulfilment delivers no molten lava: the work here bears witness to a rigour entirely in keeping with the composer's path - and the sole interpreter of his music. The first title announces the glowing colour that will never leave us: the piece begins with a chiselled, staccato piano theme, quickly taken up by the cellos, Thierry ZABOITZEFF's favourite instrument. The rhythmic obstinacy makes it clear that, from now on, it is Chronos who counts the points, with no qualms: Vague de chaleur intense is the countdown to a time that is now being counted. The first track on the opus can be heard on Bandcamp at the following address:

https://thierryzaboitzeff.bandcamp.com/album/heat

The absence of tonal references, coupled with the martial character of the vocal parts and the rhythmic ostinatos of Heatwave Alarm, help to illustrate the brutality that is so typical of human behaviour towards each other and towards Nature. The evocation of martial choirs is not a new reference for Thierry ZABOITZEFF, who had already used this striking vocal technique on ART ZOYD's Le Mariage du Ciel et de l'Enfer. It's not far from Ork Alarm by Jannik TOP, another cellist and bassist well known to MAGMA aficionados.

Cold Song may seem like a respite from this sonic heatwave, but the piece, based on a famous harmonic march by Henry PURCELL, features an ascending chromatic vocal part in which Thierry ZABOITZEFF, in a solitary, fair, fragile and sensitive voice, sings, in an imaginary language, a lament which, at the end of this ascending march, dies in a low, fatalistic tone. The cold is certainly evoked, but the sinister sound of cracking ice does not augur well for what is to come, even though the fifth piece, Echoes, unfolds its peaceful melody, sometimes in two voices: warmth is omnipresent, albeit in the background.

The fatality of heat is once again evoked in Signes avant-coureurs, which, even though there are still pauses in the piece, leads us to an Epilogue that prolongs the low C sharp of the piano, sounding like a death knell. Here, the Earth seems to revolve, glowing red, in a space barely disturbed by the murmur of the last crackles of a fire that has devastated it. A radio message announcing heatwaves can still be heard, while a strange melody, articulated as if in a staggered pattern between the piano and the cello, underlines the absence of time.

Each of Thierry ZABOITZEFF's opuses is a work in itself, and an essential part of his creative edifice. Uniform in its progression and approach, marked by the seal of intransigence and exacting standards, his creation is nonetheless made up of different universes, which could lead us to consider that Thierry ZABOITZEFF's work as a whole is a multiverse, a kaleidoscope of universes coherent independently of one another, but in congruence when we consider the fascinating progression of this musician with a unique personal inspiration recognisable among a thousand.

You've got it: HEAT is a must-have, for the coherence of its message of sensitivity and great urgency. Welcome to Thierry ZABOITZEFF's multiverse!

Philippe Perrichon

Page : https://thierryzaboitzeff.bandcamp.com/album/heat

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Babyblaue Seiten (D)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution

Rewiew by Siggy Zielinsky 11/11/2024

Heat’ by multi-instrumentalist Thierry Zaboitzeff (known to many avant-prog fans through his membership of Art Zoyd from 1971 to 1997) is intended as a concept album about the impending overheating of planet Earth, as a warning to us all. On ‘Heat’, Zaboitzeff once again single-handedly creates an impressive avant-symphonic prog ensemble, contributing bass guitar, electric cello, keyboards, samplers, soundscapes and the programming of rhythms and other effects.

You can hear the talking voices and the gloomy radio play-like effects, which are intended to emphasise the urgency of the impending climate catastrophe. However, the most important aspect of Zaboitzeff's work is, as always, the purely musical level. The gloomy moods of many passages, which are located between modern classical and ambient, should also be understood as a warning. On ‘Heat’ you can hear the artist's typical fusion of avant-garde, modern prog, electronic and experimental classical styles. The musician still uses terms such as ‘alternative’, ‘artrock’, ‘experimental’ and ‘rock in opposition’.

If it weren't for the programmed rhythms, it would be hard to believe that a single person was creating the orchestrally arranged passages, the opulent cello sounds and various vocals. Occasionally, there are also chants in a fantasy language, which seems very primal to me, or the vocal contributions sound very militant. In this case, very fitting for a track like ‘Heatwave Alarm’. ‘Echoes’ combines ambient jazz with world music and shamanic accents.

‘Heat’ is a sign of life from Zaboitzeff worth listening to, with its unmistakable blend of styles.

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Autopoietican - Apuntes de Musica Progresiva Contemporanea (PER)

HEAT - (Rough Mix) - Thierry Zaboitzeff
iMD-ZABMUSIC / iMusician / Inouïe Distribution
Review by Cesar Inca 11/11/2024

The warmth of the new moment of the Franco-Austrian master THIERRY ZABOITZEFF

HELLO, FRIENDS OF AUTOPOIETICAN, CÉSAR INCA GREETS YOU.

The new phonographic work of the French-Austrian master THIERRY ZABOIZEFF is already published as a digital item since the beginning of last October, and its physical edition is scheduled for January next year. The album in question is called ‘HEAT’ and is a new vehicle for the dexterous and suggestive performances on bass, electric cello and keyboards by the incombustible Don THIERRY; in addition, he also does some singing, apart from adding soundscapes and programming to the instrumental framework. The material collected on ‘HEAT’ was recorded in several sessions that took place in the beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg between the months of April and September of this year 2024. In this same city of birth of JOHANNES CHRYSOSTOMUS WOLFGANGUS THEOPHILUS MOZART, the veteran ZABOITZEFF shaped this new sample of compositions focused within a modernist avant-prog with electro-acoustic projections that he forged as his own voice since those times of membership in the ensemble ART ZOYD. It seems incredible that 40 years have already passed since the release of his first solo work ‘Prométhée’ and it is a blessing for the art of sound that this gentleman can still, at 71 years of age, preserve good doses of vigour and creativity. How is this fulfilled in the specific case of the album we now review? Let us review its details to find out.

The repertoire of ‘HEAT’ opens with ‘Vague De Chaleur Intense’, a piece centred on an agile and sophisticated chamber-rock dynamism after a brief narrated prologue. The close twinning of the harmonic bases of piano and cello establishes the development of the thematic focus at a steady pace. The inherent density of the compositional sketch boasts a peculiar expressionist brilliance. A striking start to the album that, in a way, reminds us of the ART ZOYD of the 1985-87 phase. Then comes the turn of ‘Bulletin Météo’, the longest piece on the album at 9 minutes and a bit. A low piano note initiates subtle flourishes over which an aura of expectation builds, which lies somewhere between the introspective and the mysterious. As the minutes pass, the predominance of cinematic overtones opportunely accentuates the atmospheric mood of the composition so that the introspective becomes the predominant factor. The occasional resources of expressive energy come from the impressionistic orchestral ornaments that fill in some of the spaces indicated by the piano notes and the accompanying synthesizer harmonies. The handling of percussion and programmed scales reminds us, to a certain extent, of the TANGERINE DREAM of the early 80's. “Heatwave Alarm” is oriented towards an extroverted and acid dynamism for an obscurantist idea that, in the end, is handled with hooks on a danceable scheme. Tension and magnetism converge with perfect fluidity in this piece marked by an undeniable appeal. Cold Song' is a composition by the English baroque master HENRY PURCELL that ZABOITZEFF remodels to bring it into his own territory. This version is marked by a greyish solemnity that flirts with a measured flirtation with the gloomy without ever quite getting into it. Echoes' takes some of the impact of the systematic solemnity of the preceding piece, but takes it into a more distinctly lyrical area, with the melodic scheme and orchestral arrangement used with it boasting an evocative mood.

Signes Avant-coureurs' sprawls for a space of more than 5 minutes to explore again the more extroverted dimension of the musical proposal exhibited in the album, being so that the striking looseness under which the thematic nucleus is framed condenses elements of contemporary electronics and fusional vibrations. Appropriately titled ‘Épilogue’, this track is in charge of closing the repertoire with a contemplative aura that is wrapped in a twilight climate with some sombre shades that are handled with great subtlety. In fact, the sober vivacity provided by a synthesised sequence under the dominant presence of the piano allows some subterfuges of agility to come into play with which the sombre can be preserved within a refined latent instance. There is a certain haunting in the calm piano phrasings that makes us wish this epilogue lasted a little longer... but this is what there is to the farewell. All this was, after all, what we were offered in ‘HEAT’, a stupendous phonographic work that shows, for the umpteenth time, the tremendous creative work that the great THIERRY ZABOITZEFF is capable of.

Sample from ‘HEAT’.Vague De Chaleur Intense: https://thierryzaboitzeff.bandcamp.com/track/vague-dechaleur-intense Bulletin Météo: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=hAIUv98PMaY Signes Avant-coureurs: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=WYjlWwC6Org

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HEAT - rough mix

Reviews

Revue et Corrigée (F)

Forces Parallèles (F)

Highlands Magazine (F)

Prog Censor (F)

Plus Prog de vous (F)

Clair & Obscur (F)

Exposé Online (USA)

Rythmes Croisés (F)

Babyblaue Seiten (D)

Autopoietican - Apuntes de Musica Progresiva Contemporanea (PER)

HEAT - rough mix

Reviews

Revue et Corrigée (F)

Forces Parallèles (F)

Highlands Magazine (F)

Prog Censor (F)

Plus Prog de vous (F)

Clair & Obscur (F)

Exposé Online (USA)

Rythmes Croisés (F)

Babyblaue Seiten (D)

Autopoietican - Apuntes de Musica Progresiva Contemporanea (PER)

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