Forgas - Cocktail (Reissue) (1977/2008)

Often referred to as "the French Robert Wyatt", Patrick FORGAS was 18 when he first heard the music that would change his life: the second SOFT MACHINE album. He spent the 70s perfecting his drumming technique, jamming with various Canterbury-style bands and then in 1977, released his first album entitled "Cocktail". Despite his exceptional talent as a composer and arranger, he failed to achieve any success and disappeared from the music scene, only to return in 1990 with a series of albums which he released either under his name or that of the FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA.

The mostly instrumental "Cocktail", comprising an almost 20-minute long epic, displays superb compositions full of inventiveness and melodic research, emphasizing the strong bass lines of Gérard Prévost (ZOI, RAHMANN). After a couple of average releases under Musea, FORGAS churned out the very strong "Extra-Lucide" in 1999. This is first-rate prog fusion that moves through many different moods and is performed by a sextet of ultra-tight musicians (searing guitar, prominent saxes, flute, keyboards, bass as well as GONG's own Mireille Bauer contributing vibraphone and marimba). Curiously, FORGAS' latest release "Synchronicité" completely departs from the Canterbury style. Almost new-age like, it features FORGAS alone at the keyboards and percussions.

Fans of SOFT MACHINE (and especially of Robert WYATT) should definitely check out the excellent "Extra-Lucide" as well as the 77 debut album "Cocktail". "Synchronicité" is far from being a bad album but will more likely attract fans of VANGELIS, ASH RA TEMPEL and KLAUS SCHULZE.