Spirits Burning & Clearlight Feat. Members of GONG, Hawkwind & Clearlight To Release New Album “The Roadmap In Your Head”

London, UK - “The Roadmap In Your Head” is the 13th studio album from the Spirits Burning space rock collective, and the second to feature keyboardist Cyrille “Clearlight” Verdeaux. The album has a strong Gong presence, as it includes performances by four musicians from Gong's Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy (Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Didier Malherbe), and four members of the current Gong (Ian East, Fabio Golfetti, Dave Sturt, Kavus Torabi). Clearlight is a project of French songwriter and composer Cyrille Verdeaux that blends classical romanticism and prog-rock experimentation. The first Clearlight album was released under the name “Clearlight Symphony,” in 1974, by British major label Virgin Records. The most recent release was 2015's “Impressionist Symphony.”

“Spirits Burning is a musical collective overseen by American composer/producer Don Falcone that has released a pluralistic combination of ambient, jazz and full-on space-rock with input from many of the genre's luminaries. Spirits Burning has become a respected melting pot of the space-rock fraternity.” Ian Abrahams, Rock N Reel, July-August, 2008.

Says founding member and band leader Don Falcone, “ 'Roadmap' is a musical journey from the beginning of one possible day to the next, touching different styles of music along the way. Like the previous Spirits Burning & Clearlight album, the songs are primarily instrumental. The new album is also a salute to Daevid and what he has meant to Spirits Burning, as he has been part of every release, except one.” Gong legend Daevid Allen, who sadly passed away in 2015, co-wrote two songs on this release. He sings on the closing track “Roadmaps,” and plays guitar on this track and the opening title track.

There are thirty-five musicians on Spirits Burning's “The Roadmap In Your Head.” Besides members of the Gong global family, there are some special new crewmembers: Paul Booth (who recorded his part while touring with Steve Winwood), Theo Travis (who has played with David Gilmour, Porcupine Tree, and Gong), Judy Dyble (who provided some autoharp flourishes), and Jonathan Segel from Camper Van Beethoven (who Don invited after discovering he was a Gong fan). Returning crewmembers include: Hawkwind family members Steve Bemand, Nik Turner, and Bridget Wishart, plus Albert Bouchard (BÖC). “The Roadmap In Your Head” was mastered by well known ambient recording artist Robert Rich.

Titles:
1. The Roadmap In Your Head 3:56
2. Sun Sculptor & The Electrobilities 3:50
3. The Birth Of Belief 8:38
4. Coffee For Coltrane 6:58
5. Isolation In 10 80 2:55
6. Mrs. Noonness 4:12
7. The Old College Sky Is Where We Left It 1:28
8. Fuel For The Gods 13:05
9. Early Evening Rain 3:31
10. Black Squirrel At The Root Of The Staircase 7:34
11. Outsiders Parachute In 5:48
12. Déjà Vu 2:25
13. La Rue Inconnue 4:48
14. Roadmaps (The Other Way) 5:59

Release date November 4, 2016

To purchase: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15992

For more information:
www.spiritsburning.com
https://www.facebook.com/spiritsburning/
https://www.reverbnation.com/spiritsburning

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Spirits Burning & Clearlight Feat. Members of GONG, Hawkwind & Clearlight To Release New Album “The Roadmap In Your Head”

London, UK - “The Roadmap In Your Head” is the 13th studio album from the Spirits Burning space rock collective, and the second to feature keyboardist Cyrille “Clearlight” Verdeaux. The album has a strong Gong presence, as it includes performances by four musicians from Gong's Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy (Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Didier Malherbe), and four members of the current Gong (Ian East, Fabio Golfetti, Dave Sturt, Kavus Torabi). Clearlight is a project of French songwriter and composer Cyrille Verdeaux that blends classical romanticism and prog-rock experimentation. The first Clearlight album was released under the name “Clearlight Symphony,” in 1974, by British major label Virgin Records. The most recent release was 2015's “Impressionist Symphony.”

“Spirits Burning is a musical collective overseen by American composer/producer Don Falcone that has released a pluralistic combination of ambient, jazz and full-on space-rock with input from many of the genre's luminaries. Spirits Burning has become a respected melting pot of the space-rock fraternity.” Ian Abrahams, Rock N Reel, July-August, 2008.

Says founding member and band leader Don Falcone, “ 'Roadmap' is a musical journey from the beginning of one possible day to the next, touching different styles of music along the way. Like the previous Spirits Burning & Clearlight album, the songs are primarily instrumental. The new album is also a salute to Daevid and what he has meant to Spirits Burning, as he has been part of every release, except one.” Gong legend Daevid Allen, who sadly passed away in 2015, co-wrote two songs on this release. He sings on the closing track “Roadmaps,” and plays guitar on this track and the opening title track.

There are thirty-five musicians on Spirits Burning's “The Roadmap In Your Head.” Besides members of the Gong global family, there are some special new crewmembers: Paul Booth (who recorded his part while touring with Steve Winwood), Theo Travis (who has played with David Gilmour, Porcupine Tree, and Gong), Judy Dyble (who provided some autoharp flourishes), and Jonathan Segel from Camper Van Beethoven (who Don invited after discovering he was a Gong fan). Returning crewmembers include: Hawkwind family members Steve Bemand, Nik Turner, and Bridget Wishart, plus Albert Bouchard (BÖC). “The Roadmap In Your Head” was mastered by well known ambient recording artist Robert Rich.

Titles:
1. The Roadmap In Your Head 3:56
2. Sun Sculptor & The Electrobilities 3:50
3. The Birth Of Belief 8:38
4. Coffee For Coltrane 6:58
5. Isolation In 10 80 2:55
6. Mrs. Noonness 4:12
7. The Old College Sky Is Where We Left It 1:28
8. Fuel For The Gods 13:05
9. Early Evening Rain 3:31
10. Black Squirrel At The Root Of The Staircase 7:34
11. Outsiders Parachute In 5:48
12. Déjà Vu 2:25
13. La Rue Inconnue 4:48
14. Roadmaps (The Other Way) 5:59

Release date November 4, 2016

To purchase: http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15992

For more information:
www.spiritsburning.com
https://www.facebook.com/spiritsburning/
https://www.reverbnation.com/spiritsburning

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Tribal Hybrid Concept CD Featuring Cyrille Verdeaux and Chief Raoni Along With Clearlight Back Catalogue Now Available on Gonzo MultiMedia

London, UK – Following the recent release of Clearlight's critically acclaimed 'The Impressionists Symphony' CD, comes another groundbreaking new album composed by Cyrille "Clearlight" Verdeaux titled 'Tribal Hybrid Concept' on Gonzo MultiMedia.

Clearlight is a French progressive rock band created by Cyrille in the 1970s, although their best known work was produced in England and released by a major British record company, Virgin Records. The band's large and continually changing lineup for 40 years featured a mix of French, American and British musicians around pianist and synthesist Cyrille Verdeaux who is also regarded as its producer.

While progressive rock is an overall genre for Cyrille, much of his work explores various other styles, including classical, due to his long classical formation in his youth, psychedelic, symphonic rock, space rock, jazz fusion, and new age music.

Clearlight's first album was 'Clearlight Symphony'. Gilbert Artman of Lard Free and Urban Sax (although he does not play saxophone here, Urban Sax didn't exist yet), french guitarist Christian Boule (RIP) and several members of GONG: Tim Blake, Steve Hillage and Didier Malherbe collaborated to this first opus.

Violinists Jorge Pinchevsky also of GONG, David Cross of King Crimson, Joel Dugrenot (Zao's bassist) and Didier Lockwood of Magma were also members at various times. The ensemble released several critically acclaimed albums in the 1970's including 'Clearlight Symphony', 'Forever Blowing Bubbles', 'Les Contes du Singe Fou' and 'Clearlight Visions'. Both 'Clearlight Symphony' and 'Clearlight Visions' made the list of all time best 100 progressive rock albums, according to the Billboard guide for progressive music.

Clearlight has/have continued to produce remarkable music ever since. But the 'Tribal Hybrid Concept' album is particularly poignant. Pascal Menetrey passed away accidentally in 2006. This album is dedicated to his memory. RIP, Pascal...

The music on this album is powerful, selected to illustrate the yang side of the first chakra, the one in charge of life and death energy. Samples of Inuits, Papoos, Tuvas, Ethiopian, Native American and Kurdish singers as well as samples of various wild animals facing extinction collected one per one by Pascal Menetrey between 1992 and 1999 are musically shaped by Cyrille Verdeaux to boogie for the pleasure of the ears and the heart. The aim of Tribal Hybrid Music is to help in the stopping of all these trails of tears, these massacres of innocents all around the globe.

But there's more. Cyrille says about it : "This CD also hosts the one and only song ever recorded by the Amazonian Chief Raoni, from the tribe Kayapo, former protégé of Sting in the 80's. The old chief is still struggling and still in trouble to keep his tribe alive in spite of the efforts of the Brazilian government to make them disappear once and for all in the name of 'ordem e progresso'. So the more CDs will be sold, the more royalties Raoni will get to help him to resist to his fatal fate.With the genuine voice of the great Chief of Amazonia, this song in genuine Kayapo language sang by Raoni himself is a moving and wise calling to spear the Amazonian territory, for this ecosystem is essential, not only for the survival of his tribe but also for all the earthlings present and future…"

Raoni's message:

"I'm back now, because my concern returned. I learned that you too are worried now. The winds came and destroyed your forest. You knew the fear that we know. I tell you, if man continues to destroy the earth, these winds will return with even more force ... not once ... but many times ... sooner or later. These winds will destroy us all. We all breathe one only air, we all drink one only water, we all live on one only earth. We must all protect it. Home invasions began again. Woodcutters and gold diggers do not respect the reserve. We do not have the means to protect this vast forest which we are guardians for all of you. I need your support. And I ask you before it's too late”.

“Raoni's Song” was composed and produced by Jean Michel Pinoteau. He explains, “I have deposed the song to the French Sacem on September 26, 2011, with the signature of Raoni for the text, and Jean Michel Pinoteau (me) as composer for the music. I have promised half part of the benefits of my production for Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, the famous explorer, who gave me the track (DAT) of the voice of Raoni. Jean-Pierre Dutilleux is a great friend of Raoni, together they made a world tour with Sting in 1989.”

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15675

Along with Clearlight's latest release 'The Impressionists Symphony' and the 'Tribal Hybrid Concept' CD, Gonzo MultiMedia has reissued Clearlight's back catalogue!

Clearlight - Forever Blowing Bubbles (CD)

'Forever Blowing Bubbles' is a progressive rock album by Clearlight, released in 1975 on Virgin Records in the UK. Clearlight's new line up picked up by Cyrille, with drummer Chris Stapinopoulos, bassist Joel Dugrenot, violinist David Cross, flutist-keyboardist Francois Jeanneau and Guitarist Jean Claude D'Agostini (RIP) returned to the Manor studio in England to record this second album for Virgin. It covers many contrasting genres including psychedelic, new age, folk, rock and jazz fusion jamming, and the closing track of abstract electronic music experimentation. Only two songs have vocals, and are sung in French.

Following the release of the album, Clearlight embarked on a UK tour supporting Gong, with an altered line-up comprising Verdeaux, Dugrenot, Jeanneau, D'Agostini, and new members Coco Roussel (drums, ex Heldon, and later in Happy The Man) and Jorge Pinchevsky (violin, later in Gong). CD includes bonus tracks: “Sweet Absinthe”, “Overture” and “Vibrato” recorded few years later

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15656

Clearlight - Clearlight Symphony (CD)

This is one of those exquisite records that somehow slipped through the gaps of public consciousness at the time. But now it's back and you have the chance to revel in a warm bath of psychedelic weirdness. The album was recorded for Virgin Records in 1973 (and probably completed in 1974), after the label's first and highly successful release, Tubular Bells (1973) by Mike Oldfield, and was one of several subsequent Virgin albums that attempted to copy Tubular Bells' format of long pieces in a symphonic progressive rock style; in this case, exactly copying its structure of two pieces titled 'part one' and 'part two.' Since the title Tubular Bells was initially better known to the general public than the name of its artist, Virgin Records decided that Clearlight Symphony would be a one-off album project with just a title. Cyrille kept the name Clearlight as artist name for all his other albums.

Recording was initiated with a session in which Cyrille Verdeaux, alone, played two 20-minute piano solos, which became the basic tracks for the entire album. In later recording sessions at David Vorhaus's Kaleidophon studio and the Manor, Verdeaux and the other musicians overdubbed many instruments including 10 tracks of mellotrons onto the piano solo to create a complex and genuine symphonic arrangement.

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15642/Clearlight-Clearlight_Symphony.html

Clearlight - Best Of Clearlight (CD)

To celebrate the release of 'The Best of Clearlight', Cyrille has been kind enough to go through the CD track by track:

1. Clearlight Symphony part 1 (1974)
In the original vinyl, Virgin decided to put on side A the original side B, for marketing reasons (original side B was the side where Hillage, Blake and Malherbe were playing). Now, the order is right and part 1 is the real beginning of the Symphony, with Christian Boule (guitar) and Gilbert Artman (Drums) .
2. Clearlight Symphony part 2
Recorded at the cult White Noise studios under Tim Blake's supervision, it was Cyrille's first experience of recording in a real multi-track studio and he said about it: "I appreciated it so much that I knew I would do that for the rest of my life.... A recording studio, even home numeric recording studio such as the one I used for my latest work on impressionism is a fantastic space for creativity and I will never be tired of it. I wish I could also work on soundtracks for movies, but my phone never rings for that, unfortunately."
3. Chanson (from Forever Blowing Bubbles, 1975)
This song is a music composed by both Joel Dugrenot (ex-bassist of Zao) and Cyrille Violinist David Cross (King Crimson) plays a great part on this tune and the Northettes (from Hatfield and the North) are doing back ground choirs. Guitarist Jean Claude d'Agostini (RIP) set the song in fire with his chorus and the Greek citizen Chris Stapinopoulos plays drums...A great example of European cooperation....
4. Without Words (from Forever Blowing Bubbles)
no need for words, as says the title...just for listening....
5. The Key (Les contes du singe fou, 1976)
6. Soliloque (Les contes du singe fou)
Originally, this album was the #3 scheduled to be released by Virgin by contract and Cyrille wanted this time to do a cosmic opera with a singer, to alternate styles. He says: "The problem is that Richard Branson decided to prematurely end my contract because of my impossibility to live permanently in London as he was requesting. My wife was 6 months pregnant at this time and didn't want to go to live in London, and that caused the end of my English adventure! Richard doesn't like it when people don't obey his wishes, obviously.... But I managed to find a small French label, Isadora, willing to pay for the recording and Joel Dugrenot helped me to record it in a little Parisian Studio. I wrote spiritual lyrics, wonderfully translated in English by Francis Mandin in order to try to be useful also on a philosophical level. The Beatles syndrome, probably".
7. Novanna (Delired Camaleon Family, 1976)
Cyrille : "This album is not specifically a Clearlight album but mostly 3 days of improvisations with a lot of friends living in Paris at this time.
EMI booked for us a recording studio with the pretext to make a soundtrack for Pierre Clementi's movie very 'psychedelic' with his friend guitarist Yvan Coiquette. I invited some friends to play on it, as I always do, Yvan also invited some of his friends and we ended with a packed recording studio, each recording a track on the spot...Totally 'here and now'. Unfortunately, we had only one day and one night to mix all these tracks together so it has a special charm, different from my other prods...."
8. Spirale D'amour (from Clearlight Visions, 1977)
Cyrille : "This album is the first that I have produced from A to Z, including the choice of the studio, the musicians, the musical compositions, etc. Didier Lockwood had just quit with Magma and I could hire him to play his violin. I asked to Didier Malherbe to come to play flute and sax, and I am proud to say that this very personal album has been selected among the all time 100 best prog albums according to the billboard guide for progressive music."
9. Trance Pire (Tribal Hybrid Concept, 1994)
Cyrille: "During the 15 years between 1980 to 1994 I went in India, studied yoga and made mostly new age music under my name. During these years the music evolved tremendously, came the computers, internet, the samples, etc, giving opportunity to poor independent musicians to continue to work at home even without a producer or a label to back them up financially. I had a friend, Pascal Menetrey (RIP) who had everything I needed in his house to make a new album based on hundreds of samples of natural sounds, ethnic chants or instruments and this is how Tribal Hybrid Concept is born...Probably a Guinness book record for the number of samples used in a single album...Several hundreds... So I call it a tribal progressive album, because this is exactly what it is."
10. Elf Dance, Solar Transfusion, 1998
Cyrille : "At this time, I had the luck to have a friend, Patrick Meynier, that loan me a 24-tracks that could fit in my bedroom and I could take all the time I needed to record all the keyboards and sample drums tracks of this Solar Transfusion album. When they have been recorded, Patrick booked a studio and we recorded his wife, Genevieve (violin) and some other live instruments on my tracks. I call it a House progressive album."
11. Renoir. Impressionist symphony, 2013)
Cyrille: "Originally, this album comes from the idea to compose a new music to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the Clearlight Symphony and I asked Steve Hillage, Didier Mallherbe and Tim Blake to redo the winning team of 1974. This track is just a preview of the future album and will be improved in its final version. For instance, other instrumentalists have been recorded since. This album has been released beginning of 2014."

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15626/Clearlight-Best_Of_Clearlight.html

The Impressionists Symphony (CD)

Lastly, much to the excitement of progressive rock fans worldwide, legendary French prog ensemble Clearlight featuring Cyrille 'Clearlight' Verdeaux released their first new album in decades on March 24, 2014! 'The Impressionist Symphony' focuses on the artistic style of impressionism, painting and music as well with a Ravel, Satie and Debussy influence merged with Cyrille's progressive music experience and linked with the French impressionist school of painting. Featuring guest appearances by Steve Hillage (GONG), Tim Blake (GONG), Didier Malherbe (GONG), Paul Sears (The Muffins), Don Falcone (Spirits Burning), Linda Cushma (Oxygene8) Chris Kovax (newom) and others, Clearlight's 'The Impressionist Symphony' is clearly one of the most anticipated new releases of 2014! The special package includes a 12-page color booklet that captures Cyrille’s vision, as well as pictures from the sessions that produced these works.

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15659/Clearlight-Impressionist_Symphony.html

Clearlight promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vla5lngkmmQ

For more information: http://www.clearlight888music.com
cyrilleverdeaux@hotmail.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR. PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Tribal Hybrid Concept CD Featuring Cyrille Verdeaux and Chief Raoni Along With Clearlight Back Catalogue Now Available on Gonzo MultiMedia

London, UK – Following the recent release of Clearlight's critically acclaimed 'The Impressionists Symphony' CD, comes another groundbreaking new album composed by Cyrille "Clearlight" Verdeaux titled 'Tribal Hybrid Concept' on Gonzo MultiMedia.

Clearlight is a French progressive rock band created by Cyrille in the 1970s, although their best known work was produced in England and released by a major British record company, Virgin Records. The band's large and continually changing lineup for 40 years featured a mix of French, American and British musicians around pianist and synthesist Cyrille Verdeaux who is also regarded as its producer.

While progressive rock is an overall genre for Cyrille, much of his work explores various other styles, including classical, due to his long classical formation in his youth, psychedelic, symphonic rock, space rock, jazz fusion, and new age music.

Clearlight's first album was 'Clearlight Symphony'. Gilbert Artman of Lard Free and Urban Sax (although he does not play saxophone here, Urban Sax didn't exist yet), french guitarist Christian Boule (RIP) and several members of GONG: Tim Blake, Steve Hillage and Didier Malherbe collaborated to this first opus.

Violinists Jorge Pinchevsky also of GONG, David Cross of King Crimson, Joel Dugrenot (Zao's bassist) and Didier Lockwood of Magma were also members at various times. The ensemble released several critically acclaimed albums in the 1970's including 'Clearlight Symphony', 'Forever Blowing Bubbles', 'Les Contes du Singe Fou' and 'Clearlight Visions'. Both 'Clearlight Symphony' and 'Clearlight Visions' made the list of all time best 100 progressive rock albums, according to the Billboard guide for progressive music.

Clearlight has/have continued to produce remarkable music ever since. But the 'Tribal Hybrid Concept' album is particularly poignant. Pascal Menetrey passed away accidentally in 2006. This album is dedicated to his memory. RIP, Pascal...

The music on this album is powerful, selected to illustrate the yang side of the first chakra, the one in charge of life and death energy. Samples of Inuits, Papoos, Tuvas, Ethiopian, Native American and Kurdish singers as well as samples of various wild animals facing extinction collected one per one by Pascal Menetrey between 1992 and 1999 are musically shaped by Cyrille Verdeaux to boogie for the pleasure of the ears and the heart. The aim of Tribal Hybrid Music is to help in the stopping of all these trails of tears, these massacres of innocents all around the globe.

But there's more. Cyrille says about it : "This CD also hosts the one and only song ever recorded by the Amazonian Chief Raoni, from the tribe Kayapo, former protégé of Sting in the 80's. The old chief is still struggling and still in trouble to keep his tribe alive in spite of the efforts of the Brazilian government to make them disappear once and for all in the name of 'ordem e progresso'. So the more CDs will be sold, the more royalties Raoni will get to help him to resist to his fatal fate.With the genuine voice of the great Chief of Amazonia, this song in genuine Kayapo language sang by Raoni himself is a moving and wise calling to spear the Amazonian territory, for this ecosystem is essential, not only for the survival of his tribe but also for all the earthlings present and future…"

Raoni's message:

"I'm back now, because my concern returned. I learned that you too are worried now. The winds came and destroyed your forest. You knew the fear that we know. I tell you, if man continues to destroy the earth, these winds will return with even more force ... not once ... but many times ... sooner or later. These winds will destroy us all. We all breathe one only air, we all drink one only water, we all live on one only earth. We must all protect it. Home invasions began again. Woodcutters and gold diggers do not respect the reserve. We do not have the means to protect this vast forest which we are guardians for all of you. I need your support. And I ask you before it's too late”.

“Raoni's Song” was composed and produced by Jean Michel Pinoteau. He explains, “I have deposed the song to the French Sacem on September 26, 2011, with the signature of Raoni for the text, and Jean Michel Pinoteau (me) as composer for the music. I have promised half part of the benefits of my production for Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, the famous explorer, who gave me the track (DAT) of the voice of Raoni. Jean-Pierre Dutilleux is a great friend of Raoni, together they made a world tour with Sting in 1989.”

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15675

Along with Clearlight's latest release 'The Impressionists Symphony' and the 'Tribal Hybrid Concept' CD, Gonzo MultiMedia has reissued Clearlight's back catalogue!

Clearlight - Forever Blowing Bubbles (CD)

'Forever Blowing Bubbles' is a progressive rock album by Clearlight, released in 1975 on Virgin Records in the UK. Clearlight's new line up picked up by Cyrille, with drummer Chris Stapinopoulos, bassist Joel Dugrenot, violinist David Cross, flutist-keyboardist Francois Jeanneau and Guitarist Jean Claude D'Agostini (RIP) returned to the Manor studio in England to record this second album for Virgin. It covers many contrasting genres including psychedelic, new age, folk, rock and jazz fusion jamming, and the closing track of abstract electronic music experimentation. Only two songs have vocals, and are sung in French.

Following the release of the album, Clearlight embarked on a UK tour supporting Gong, with an altered line-up comprising Verdeaux, Dugrenot, Jeanneau, D'Agostini, and new members Coco Roussel (drums, ex Heldon, and later in Happy The Man) and Jorge Pinchevsky (violin, later in Gong). CD includes bonus tracks: “Sweet Absinthe”, “Overture” and “Vibrato” recorded few years later

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15656

Clearlight - Clearlight Symphony (CD)

This is one of those exquisite records that somehow slipped through the gaps of public consciousness at the time. But now it's back and you have the chance to revel in a warm bath of psychedelic weirdness. The album was recorded for Virgin Records in 1973 (and probably completed in 1974), after the label's first and highly successful release, Tubular Bells (1973) by Mike Oldfield, and was one of several subsequent Virgin albums that attempted to copy Tubular Bells' format of long pieces in a symphonic progressive rock style; in this case, exactly copying its structure of two pieces titled 'part one' and 'part two.' Since the title Tubular Bells was initially better known to the general public than the name of its artist, Virgin Records decided that Clearlight Symphony would be a one-off album project with just a title. Cyrille kept the name Clearlight as artist name for all his other albums.

Recording was initiated with a session in which Cyrille Verdeaux, alone, played two 20-minute piano solos, which became the basic tracks for the entire album. In later recording sessions at David Vorhaus's Kaleidophon studio and the Manor, Verdeaux and the other musicians overdubbed many instruments including 10 tracks of mellotrons onto the piano solo to create a complex and genuine symphonic arrangement.

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15642/Clearlight-Clearlight_Symphony.html

Clearlight - Best Of Clearlight (CD)

To celebrate the release of 'The Best of Clearlight', Cyrille has been kind enough to go through the CD track by track:

1. Clearlight Symphony part 1 (1974)
In the original vinyl, Virgin decided to put on side A the original side B, for marketing reasons (original side B was the side where Hillage, Blake and Malherbe were playing). Now, the order is right and part 1 is the real beginning of the Symphony, with Christian Boule (guitar) and Gilbert Artman (Drums) .
2. Clearlight Symphony part 2
Recorded at the cult White Noise studios under Tim Blake's supervision, it was Cyrille's first experience of recording in a real multi-track studio and he said about it: "I appreciated it so much that I knew I would do that for the rest of my life.... A recording studio, even home numeric recording studio such as the one I used for my latest work on impressionism is a fantastic space for creativity and I will never be tired of it. I wish I could also work on soundtracks for movies, but my phone never rings for that, unfortunately."
3. Chanson (from Forever Blowing Bubbles, 1975)
This song is a music composed by both Joel Dugrenot (ex-bassist of Zao) and Cyrille Violinist David Cross (King Crimson) plays a great part on this tune and the Northettes (from Hatfield and the North) are doing back ground choirs. Guitarist Jean Claude d'Agostini (RIP) set the song in fire with his chorus and the Greek citizen Chris Stapinopoulos plays drums...A great example of European cooperation....
4. Without Words (from Forever Blowing Bubbles)
no need for words, as says the title...just for listening....
5. The Key (Les contes du singe fou, 1976)
6. Soliloque (Les contes du singe fou)
Originally, this album was the #3 scheduled to be released by Virgin by contract and Cyrille wanted this time to do a cosmic opera with a singer, to alternate styles. He says: "The problem is that Richard Branson decided to prematurely end my contract because of my impossibility to live permanently in London as he was requesting. My wife was 6 months pregnant at this time and didn't want to go to live in London, and that caused the end of my English adventure! Richard doesn't like it when people don't obey his wishes, obviously.... But I managed to find a small French label, Isadora, willing to pay for the recording and Joel Dugrenot helped me to record it in a little Parisian Studio. I wrote spiritual lyrics, wonderfully translated in English by Francis Mandin in order to try to be useful also on a philosophical level. The Beatles syndrome, probably".
7. Novanna (Delired Camaleon Family, 1976)
Cyrille : "This album is not specifically a Clearlight album but mostly 3 days of improvisations with a lot of friends living in Paris at this time.
EMI booked for us a recording studio with the pretext to make a soundtrack for Pierre Clementi's movie very 'psychedelic' with his friend guitarist Yvan Coiquette. I invited some friends to play on it, as I always do, Yvan also invited some of his friends and we ended with a packed recording studio, each recording a track on the spot...Totally 'here and now'. Unfortunately, we had only one day and one night to mix all these tracks together so it has a special charm, different from my other prods...."
8. Spirale D'amour (from Clearlight Visions, 1977)
Cyrille : "This album is the first that I have produced from A to Z, including the choice of the studio, the musicians, the musical compositions, etc. Didier Lockwood had just quit with Magma and I could hire him to play his violin. I asked to Didier Malherbe to come to play flute and sax, and I am proud to say that this very personal album has been selected among the all time 100 best prog albums according to the billboard guide for progressive music."
9. Trance Pire (Tribal Hybrid Concept, 1994)
Cyrille: "During the 15 years between 1980 to 1994 I went in India, studied yoga and made mostly new age music under my name. During these years the music evolved tremendously, came the computers, internet, the samples, etc, giving opportunity to poor independent musicians to continue to work at home even without a producer or a label to back them up financially. I had a friend, Pascal Menetrey (RIP) who had everything I needed in his house to make a new album based on hundreds of samples of natural sounds, ethnic chants or instruments and this is how Tribal Hybrid Concept is born...Probably a Guinness book record for the number of samples used in a single album...Several hundreds... So I call it a tribal progressive album, because this is exactly what it is."
10. Elf Dance, Solar Transfusion, 1998
Cyrille : "At this time, I had the luck to have a friend, Patrick Meynier, that loan me a 24-tracks that could fit in my bedroom and I could take all the time I needed to record all the keyboards and sample drums tracks of this Solar Transfusion album. When they have been recorded, Patrick booked a studio and we recorded his wife, Genevieve (violin) and some other live instruments on my tracks. I call it a House progressive album."
11. Renoir. Impressionist symphony, 2013)
Cyrille: "Originally, this album comes from the idea to compose a new music to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the Clearlight Symphony and I asked Steve Hillage, Didier Mallherbe and Tim Blake to redo the winning team of 1974. This track is just a preview of the future album and will be improved in its final version. For instance, other instrumentalists have been recorded since. This album has been released beginning of 2014."

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15626/Clearlight-Best_Of_Clearlight.html

The Impressionists Symphony (CD)

Lastly, much to the excitement of progressive rock fans worldwide, legendary French prog ensemble Clearlight featuring Cyrille 'Clearlight' Verdeaux released their first new album in decades on March 24, 2014! 'The Impressionist Symphony' focuses on the artistic style of impressionism, painting and music as well with a Ravel, Satie and Debussy influence merged with Cyrille's progressive music experience and linked with the French impressionist school of painting. Featuring guest appearances by Steve Hillage (GONG), Tim Blake (GONG), Didier Malherbe (GONG), Paul Sears (The Muffins), Don Falcone (Spirits Burning), Linda Cushma (Oxygene8) Chris Kovax (newom) and others, Clearlight's 'The Impressionist Symphony' is clearly one of the most anticipated new releases of 2014! The special package includes a 12-page color booklet that captures Cyrille’s vision, as well as pictures from the sessions that produced these works.

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15659/Clearlight-Impressionist_Symphony.html

Clearlight promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vla5lngkmmQ

For more information: http://www.clearlight888music.com
cyrilleverdeaux@hotmail.com

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR. PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Progressive Rock Review: Clearlight-Impressionist Symphony

Release Date:  March 11, 2014

Label:  Gonzo Multimedia

Website

When this particular release for review, Impressionist Symphony by Clearlight, landed on my desk, there was a little light that went on somewhere deep in the recesses of The Ancient One’s mind. Slowly the dimmer switch kicked in and the spotlight slowed and stopped on Clearlight Symphony by Cyrille Verdeaux as an album I had possessed somewhere in the mists of time. Reading a little more info, it was indeed the same band and this new release, Impressionist Symphony, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Clearlight Symphony. With the penny having well and truly dropped, I was very interested to see what changes, if any, had occurred in the interim.

The reasoning behind Impressionist Symphony is to take the influence of some classical composers, such as Ravel, Debussy and Satie, the ethos behind the French impressionist painters and the progressive musical background of Cyrille Verdeaux and see where it led.

Clearlight apparently only became known as Clearlight following the release of Clearlight Symphony, the third album, 40 years ago, and as then, Cyrille has utilized the skills of some of the musicians from the legendary band, Gong. On this album, the musicians involved are, Cyrille Verdeaux (piano, synths), Steve Hillage (guitars), Didier Malherbe (wind instruments), Craig Fry (violin), Vincent Thomas Penny (guitars), Paul Sears (drums, percussion), Linda Cushma (bass), Chris Kovacks (synths), Remy Tran (synths) and Tim Blake (xils synths, theramin).

Impressionist Symphony is an 8 track album with a total playing time of around 64 minutes. The shortest track on offer is track 7, “Lautrec Too Loose” with a playing time of 5:28 minutes, and the longest track is “Gauguin’s Dans L’Autre” with a running time of just over 11 minutes (11:07). There also seems to be a bit of a play on words in the titles as well.

The opening track, “Renoir En Couleur” (8:03) is a simply cracking track, starting with a fairly meandering introduction, with lots of synths, some guitars and then a superb violin cutting across everything. Slowly building, the drums drive the track along until there is a crescendo around the 2:50 minute mark when the sound drops away leaving a tinkling piano, sweeping synths and the gentle sound of the wind instruments painting a beautiful aural soundscape. 4:30 minutes sees that excellent violin joined by a superb guitar, eliciting smooth riffs then more jagged riffs until the tracks gains a more majestic passage with some amazing synth sweeps. From around the 7:00 minute point, the track is beginning to make its exit with some free-form bits and a little guitar flourish whispers “bye bye.”

Following this track, “Time Is Monet” (9:43), kicks off with some superb violin, wind instruments, piano and sweeping synths, “Pissarro King” (6:27) has a more spacey style introduction, still with the synths and piano, but also a cutting guitar passage for this more up-tempo track, “Degas De La Marine” (7:53) continues this spacey feel with the recognizable classical theme deep in the mix and a much more dramatic feel to the sound and then “Van Gogh’s Third Ear” (6:39) builds almost from the start of the track with some very classically sounding piano then guitar and, not forgetting, the synths, before merging into a driving track with the instruments bowling along and ultimately almost tripping over each other to escort the track out.

“Gauguin Dans L’Autre” (11:07) is the longest piece on display and enters with some beautiful wind instruments setting the scene with excellent piano accompaniment. Pictures of gentle winds moving leaves and birds soaring are conjured up in your mind. Synths generate the “wind” sounds before the piano and the synths raise the volume of the track when it then just as quickly moves back to the gentle breeze interlude again. As the track approaches the 6 minute mark, the song becomes very classically styled with little interjections from synths, and to a lesser extent, the guitar. An almost storm-like scenario is built up with the “wind” threatening before the violin superbly brings the epic rack to a wondrous close.

The penultimate track, “Lautrec Too Loose” (5:21) seems to remain overshadowed by the brilliance of the previous track, and although very pleasant, fails to show any of the more memorable moments that seem prevalent in other tracks.

Winding up Impressionist Symphony is “Monet Time Duet” (9:22), which is another very classically tinged piece of music. Slow, but never ponderous, it glides along gently on the wings of piano and violin, carrying the listener along with it. Never varying in tempo much, this track ebbs and flows beautifully and certainly seems to end long before its stated 9+ minutes (9:22).

Having heard nothing from this band since Clearlight Symphony back in 1974, Impressionist Symphony is a very impressive album. There are certainly no new groundbreaking moves angling off in different directions, instead what we have is solid classics/prog collaboration. This will probably requires several listens, but well worth the time invested in this album, and just falls short of gaining the all-important “One to Buy” sticker.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Renoir En Couleur, Gauguin Dans L’Autre, Money Time Duet

Tracks: 
Renoir En Couleur
Time Is Monet
Pissarro King
Degas De La Marine
Van Gogh 3rd Ear
Gauguin Dans L’Autre
Lautrec Too Loose
Monet Time Duet
 

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

April 30, 2014

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

Progressive Rock Review: Clearlight-Impressionist Symphony

Release Date:  March 11, 2014

Label:  Gonzo Multimedia

Website

When this particular release for review, Impressionist Symphony by Clearlight, landed on my desk, there was a little light that went on somewhere deep in the recesses of The Ancient One’s mind. Slowly the dimmer switch kicked in and the spotlight slowed and stopped on Clearlight Symphony by Cyrille Verdeaux as an album I had possessed somewhere in the mists of time. Reading a little more info, it was indeed the same band and this new release, Impressionist Symphony, celebrates the 40th anniversary of Clearlight Symphony. With the penny having well and truly dropped, I was very interested to see what changes, if any, had occurred in the interim.

The reasoning behind Impressionist Symphony is to take the influence of some classical composers, such as Ravel, Debussy and Satie, the ethos behind the French impressionist painters and the progressive musical background of Cyrille Verdeaux and see where it led.

Clearlight apparently only became known as Clearlight following the release of Clearlight Symphony, the third album, 40 years ago, and as then, Cyrille has utilized the skills of some of the musicians from the legendary band, Gong. On this album, the musicians involved are, Cyrille Verdeaux (piano, synths), Steve Hillage (guitars), Didier Malherbe (wind instruments), Craig Fry (violin), Vincent Thomas Penny (guitars), Paul Sears (drums, percussion), Linda Cushma (bass), Chris Kovacks (synths), Remy Tran (synths) and Tim Blake (xils synths, theramin).

Impressionist Symphony is an 8 track album with a total playing time of around 64 minutes. The shortest track on offer is track 7, “Lautrec Too Loose” with a playing time of 5:28 minutes, and the longest track is “Gauguin’s Dans L’Autre” with a running time of just over 11 minutes (11:07). There also seems to be a bit of a play on words in the titles as well.

The opening track, “Renoir En Couleur” (8:03) is a simply cracking track, starting with a fairly meandering introduction, with lots of synths, some guitars and then a superb violin cutting across everything. Slowly building, the drums drive the track along until there is a crescendo around the 2:50 minute mark when the sound drops away leaving a tinkling piano, sweeping synths and the gentle sound of the wind instruments painting a beautiful aural soundscape. 4:30 minutes sees that excellent violin joined by a superb guitar, eliciting smooth riffs then more jagged riffs until the tracks gains a more majestic passage with some amazing synth sweeps. From around the 7:00 minute point, the track is beginning to make its exit with some free-form bits and a little guitar flourish whispers “bye bye.”

Following this track, “Time Is Monet” (9:43), kicks off with some superb violin, wind instruments, piano and sweeping synths, “Pissarro King” (6:27) has a more spacey style introduction, still with the synths and piano, but also a cutting guitar passage for this more up-tempo track, “Degas De La Marine” (7:53) continues this spacey feel with the recognizable classical theme deep in the mix and a much more dramatic feel to the sound and then “Van Gogh’s Third Ear” (6:39) builds almost from the start of the track with some very classically sounding piano then guitar and, not forgetting, the synths, before merging into a driving track with the instruments bowling along and ultimately almost tripping over each other to escort the track out.

“Gauguin Dans L’Autre” (11:07) is the longest piece on display and enters with some beautiful wind instruments setting the scene with excellent piano accompaniment. Pictures of gentle winds moving leaves and birds soaring are conjured up in your mind. Synths generate the “wind” sounds before the piano and the synths raise the volume of the track when it then just as quickly moves back to the gentle breeze interlude again. As the track approaches the 6 minute mark, the song becomes very classically styled with little interjections from synths, and to a lesser extent, the guitar. An almost storm-like scenario is built up with the “wind” threatening before the violin superbly brings the epic rack to a wondrous close.

The penultimate track, “Lautrec Too Loose” (5:21) seems to remain overshadowed by the brilliance of the previous track, and although very pleasant, fails to show any of the more memorable moments that seem prevalent in other tracks.

Winding up Impressionist Symphony is “Monet Time Duet” (9:22), which is another very classically tinged piece of music. Slow, but never ponderous, it glides along gently on the wings of piano and violin, carrying the listener along with it. Never varying in tempo much, this track ebbs and flows beautifully and certainly seems to end long before its stated 9+ minutes (9:22).

Having heard nothing from this band since Clearlight Symphony back in 1974, Impressionist Symphony is a very impressive album. There are certainly no new groundbreaking moves angling off in different directions, instead what we have is solid classics/prog collaboration. This will probably requires several listens, but well worth the time invested in this album, and just falls short of gaining the all-important “One to Buy” sticker.

4/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Renoir En Couleur, Gauguin Dans L’Autre, Money Time Duet

Tracks: 
Renoir En Couleur
Time Is Monet
Pissarro King
Degas De La Marine
Van Gogh 3rd Ear
Gauguin Dans L’Autre
Lautrec Too Loose
Monet Time Duet
 

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

April 30, 2014

Review Provided By Prog Rock Music Talk

French Prog Legends Clearlight To Release Highly Anticipated New CD 'The Impressionist Symphony' Featuring Members of GONG, The Muffins, Spirits Burning and Others!

Featuring guest appearances by Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Paul Sears, Don Falcone, Linda Cushma, Craig Fry, Remy Tran, Chris Kovax and Vincent Thomas-Penny

Paris, France - Much to the excitement of progressive rock fans worldwide, legendary French prog ensemble Clearlight featuring Cyrille 'Clearlight' Verdeaux will be releasing their first new album in decades on March 24, 2014!

'The Impressionist Symphony' focuses on the artistic style of impressionism, painting and music as well with a Ravel, Satie and Debussy influence merged with Cyrille's progressive music experience and linked with the French impressionist school of painting. Featuring guest appearances by Steve Hillage (GONG), Tim Blake (GONG), Didier Malherbe (GONG), Paul Sears (The Muffins), Don Falcone (Spirits Burning), Linda Cushma (Oxygene8), Chris Kovax (Psyquest) and others, Clearlight's 'The Impressionist Symphony' is clearly one of the most anticipated new releases of 2014!

Cyrille explains, “In 2004, I was giving a solo piano concert at the French Embassy of Brasilia for the June 21st music festival. After the concert, the ambassador came to me and told me I had an 'impressionist style'. His remark gave me the idea to compose a specific Music aimed at the glory of all the impressionists, audio as well as visual.

In 2011, Don Falcone in California made contact with me on Facebook to record some tracks for a Spirits Burning project. So we scheduled an appointment to see what could be done together. First, I recorded keyboard tracks for his project, what became Spirits Burning & Clearlight 'Healthy Music In Large Doses'. When I found out that Don's equipment and technique of collecting tracks from Musicians living all around the World was exactly what was needed to complete my impressionist project, I proposed for him to become a partner in this impressionist saga. He agreed, and began to gather tracks from all of my friends that accepted to play on it, some in England, some in France, others in the U.S. When all of the tracks on his computer's folder were ready, I took a plane to mix it at Don's home studio (CA).

My first album released in 1974, 'Clearlight Symphony', was recorded with the participation of GONG’s Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage, and Tim Blake. So, for the 40th anniversary, I again asked the trio to participate in this new symphonic impressionist rock project. And they did it! Great friends! I completed the musical crew with Paul Sears (cult drummer of the progressive band The Muffins), Linda Cushma, Chris Kovax, Craig Fry (a very good classical violinist), Vincent Thomas-Penny (another guitarist), and synthesizer player Remy Tran, who helped me record most of the Degas De La Marine piece last summer in his home studio in France.”

“All of which brings us to today: 'The Impressionist Symphony' is now a reality, and it is ready for you to experience.” - Rob Ayling

“When I began to dive deeper into new music, one of my first and longest-lasting discoveries was Cyrille, and the 'Clearlight Symphony' album on Virgin Records. It's been an honor and pleasure to celebrate the spirit of that release, and help shape the sound of Clearlight Impressionist Symphony. My efforts for the new symphony began as gatekeeper of sound, morphed into what Cyrille called the project's 'godfather', and culminated in the role of producer. It's been a fun story, and now it's ready for each and every listener.” - Don Falcone, Clearlight 'The Impressionist Symphony' producer, and captain of Spirits Burning

Clearlight is a French progressive rock band from the 1970s, although their best known work was produced in England, and released by a major British record company, Virgin Records. While progressive rock is an overall genre for Cyrille, much of his work explores various other styles, including classical, psychedelic, symphonic rock, space rock, jazz fusion, and new age music.

Both 'Clearlight Symphony' and 'Clearlight Visions' made the list of all time best 100 progressive rock albums, according to the Billboard guide for progressive music.

“Been a Clearlight fan since the Virgin days. Having worked with Cyrille onstage at the Progday festival 10 years ago, I jumped at the chance to participate in the Clearlight 'The Impressionist Symphony' project when he asked me. It is an honor to be included in the dream team that Cyrille selected for this special recording.” - Paul Sears (The Muffins)

The special package includes a 12-page color booklet that captures Cyrille’s vision, as well as pictures from the sessions that produced these works. 'Impressionist Symphony' continues Cyrille’s return to the world of progressive music and now continues through this release and others on Gonzo Multimedia.

“This music is artistic and genuine; it is such an honor for me to be a part of this eloquent work and look forward to the possibility of one day sharing the stage with these stunning musicians.” - Linda Cushma, Oxygene8

“I bought my first Clearlight Symphony album from a used record store in 1979. I knew nothing about it, and bought it for the cover art. When I got it home and played it, I thought: 'I have found my music'. I dreamed then that I would one day have the privilege of playing with Cyrille Verdeaux, Steve Hillage, and Didier Malherbe. My musical career has gone in a number of directions over the years, but that dream faded, and eventually evaporated altogether. I didn’t even play the violin for ten years. But the forgotten dream found me when Don Falcone asked me if I wanted to play on a new Clearlight album with Cyrille, Steve and Didier. I didn’t take much time to think before answering yes. Violin tracks were recorded at Don’s house, with Don engineering and Cyrille guiding, consulting and editing. In the end the Clearlight 'Impressionist Symphony' has emerged as a beautiful amalgamation of Cyrille’s compositions and the instrumental wizardry of an extraordinary and disparate group of musicians. I am grateful to Don and Cyrille for offering me membership in an extended family I have admired for over three decades, and to which it is an honor to belong.” - Craig Fry, Violin

Clearlight promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vla5lngkmmQ

To purchase Clearlight's 'The Impressionist's Symphony': http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15659/Clearlight-Impressionist_Symphony.html

For more information: http://www.clearlight888music.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/169411359751/?fref=ts

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR. PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

French Prog Legends Clearlight To Release Highly Anticipated New CD 'The Impressionist Symphony' Featuring Members of GONG, The Muffins, Spirits Burning and Others!

Featuring guest appearances by Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Didier Malherbe, Paul Sears, Don Falcone, Linda Cushma, Craig Fry, Remy Tran, Chris Kovax and Vincent Thomas-Penny

Paris, France - Much to the excitement of progressive rock fans worldwide, legendary French prog ensemble Clearlight featuring Cyrille 'Clearlight' Verdeaux will be releasing their first new album in decades on March 24, 2014!

'The Impressionist Symphony' focuses on the artistic style of impressionism, painting and music as well with a Ravel, Satie and Debussy influence merged with Cyrille's progressive music experience and linked with the French impressionist school of painting. Featuring guest appearances by Steve Hillage (GONG), Tim Blake (GONG), Didier Malherbe (GONG), Paul Sears (The Muffins), Don Falcone (Spirits Burning), Linda Cushma (Oxygene8), Chris Kovax (Psyquest) and others, Clearlight's 'The Impressionist Symphony' is clearly one of the most anticipated new releases of 2014!

Cyrille explains, “In 2004, I was giving a solo piano concert at the French Embassy of Brasilia for the June 21st music festival. After the concert, the ambassador came to me and told me I had an 'impressionist style'. His remark gave me the idea to compose a specific Music aimed at the glory of all the impressionists, audio as well as visual.

In 2011, Don Falcone in California made contact with me on Facebook to record some tracks for a Spirits Burning project. So we scheduled an appointment to see what could be done together. First, I recorded keyboard tracks for his project, what became Spirits Burning & Clearlight 'Healthy Music In Large Doses'. When I found out that Don's equipment and technique of collecting tracks from Musicians living all around the World was exactly what was needed to complete my impressionist project, I proposed for him to become a partner in this impressionist saga. He agreed, and began to gather tracks from all of my friends that accepted to play on it, some in England, some in France, others in the U.S. When all of the tracks on his computer's folder were ready, I took a plane to mix it at Don's home studio (CA).

My first album released in 1974, 'Clearlight Symphony', was recorded with the participation of GONG’s Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage, and Tim Blake. So, for the 40th anniversary, I again asked the trio to participate in this new symphonic impressionist rock project. And they did it! Great friends! I completed the musical crew with Paul Sears (cult drummer of the progressive band The Muffins), Linda Cushma, Chris Kovax, Craig Fry (a very good classical violinist), Vincent Thomas-Penny (another guitarist), and synthesizer player Remy Tran, who helped me record most of the Degas De La Marine piece last summer in his home studio in France.”

“All of which brings us to today: 'The Impressionist Symphony' is now a reality, and it is ready for you to experience.” - Rob Ayling

“When I began to dive deeper into new music, one of my first and longest-lasting discoveries was Cyrille, and the 'Clearlight Symphony' album on Virgin Records. It's been an honor and pleasure to celebrate the spirit of that release, and help shape the sound of Clearlight Impressionist Symphony. My efforts for the new symphony began as gatekeeper of sound, morphed into what Cyrille called the project's 'godfather', and culminated in the role of producer. It's been a fun story, and now it's ready for each and every listener.” - Don Falcone, Clearlight 'The Impressionist Symphony' producer, and captain of Spirits Burning

Clearlight is a French progressive rock band from the 1970s, although their best known work was produced in England, and released by a major British record company, Virgin Records. While progressive rock is an overall genre for Cyrille, much of his work explores various other styles, including classical, psychedelic, symphonic rock, space rock, jazz fusion, and new age music.

Both 'Clearlight Symphony' and 'Clearlight Visions' made the list of all time best 100 progressive rock albums, according to the Billboard guide for progressive music.

“Been a Clearlight fan since the Virgin days. Having worked with Cyrille onstage at the Progday festival 10 years ago, I jumped at the chance to participate in the Clearlight 'The Impressionist Symphony' project when he asked me. It is an honor to be included in the dream team that Cyrille selected for this special recording.” - Paul Sears (The Muffins)

The special package includes a 12-page color booklet that captures Cyrille’s vision, as well as pictures from the sessions that produced these works. 'Impressionist Symphony' continues Cyrille’s return to the world of progressive music and now continues through this release and others on Gonzo Multimedia.

“This music is artistic and genuine; it is such an honor for me to be a part of this eloquent work and look forward to the possibility of one day sharing the stage with these stunning musicians.” - Linda Cushma, Oxygene8

“I bought my first Clearlight Symphony album from a used record store in 1979. I knew nothing about it, and bought it for the cover art. When I got it home and played it, I thought: 'I have found my music'. I dreamed then that I would one day have the privilege of playing with Cyrille Verdeaux, Steve Hillage, and Didier Malherbe. My musical career has gone in a number of directions over the years, but that dream faded, and eventually evaporated altogether. I didn’t even play the violin for ten years. But the forgotten dream found me when Don Falcone asked me if I wanted to play on a new Clearlight album with Cyrille, Steve and Didier. I didn’t take much time to think before answering yes. Violin tracks were recorded at Don’s house, with Don engineering and Cyrille guiding, consulting and editing. In the end the Clearlight 'Impressionist Symphony' has emerged as a beautiful amalgamation of Cyrille’s compositions and the instrumental wizardry of an extraordinary and disparate group of musicians. I am grateful to Don and Cyrille for offering me membership in an extended family I have admired for over three decades, and to which it is an honor to belong.” - Craig Fry, Violin

Clearlight promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vla5lngkmmQ

To purchase Clearlight's 'The Impressionist's Symphony': http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15659/Clearlight-Impressionist_Symphony.html

For more information: http://www.clearlight888music.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/169411359751/?fref=ts

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR. PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com