Aquaserge - laisse ça être (2017)

French collective Aquaserge have been crafting their singular brand of avant rock since 2005. Their work draws from chanson, free jazz, soundtrack music, and prog (particularly the Canterbury scene and the Rock in Opposition movement), among other influences. Their releases are likely to contain anything from knotty, ambitious ten-minute suites to more relaxed Beach Boys-influenced pop songs. The group began as an offshoot of French pop band Hyperclean, as members Benjamin Glibert, Julien Barbagallo, and Julien Gasc began to pursue more experimental territory. Over time, the group included members such as Manon Glibert and frequent Acid Mothers Temple collaborator Audrey Ginestet. Several members of the Aquaserge/Hyperclean family also participated in Ueh, who released two albums on Acid Mothers Temple's eponymous label, including a collaboration with AMT founder Makoto Kawabata. In addition, Aquaserge's founding members have joined Stereolab (Gasc), Tame Impala (Barbagallo), and Melody's Echo Chamber (Glibert).

Aquaserge formed in Toulouse in early 2005 and recorded their debut album, Un. The Tahiti Coco EP was recorded later in the year, and released in 2008 by Manimal Vinyl. Un & Deux, the band's first CD, was released in 2009. Manimal Vinyl issued Aquaserge's full-length Ce Très Cher Serge in 2010. The album included guitar playing by Kawabata, trumpet by experimental artist Sébastien Cirotteau, and violin by DAAU co-founder Buni Lenski. Aquaserge then collaborated with American indie pop star/Francophile April March for a self-titled album, released by Freaksville in early 2013. The following year, Chambre404 released Aquaserge's full-length A l'Amitié and 12" EP Tout Arrive (which appeared as bonus tracks on the CD issue of the full-length). In 2016, Aquaserge signed to long-running Belgian experimental label Crammed Discs, releasing the Guerre EP and appearing on 16 Visions of Ex-Futur, an album of reworked versions of songs from Véronique Vincent and Aksak Maboul's Ex-Futur Album. Aquaserge's first full-length on Crammed Discs was Laisse ça être, released in 2017. The group's first live album, Déjà-Vous?, followed in 2018. ~ Paul Simpson