Arkham Arkham 1970 72 belgium, impressive experimental fusion progressive rock
Arkham - Arkham (1970-72 belgium, impressive experimental fusion progressive rock)
The Arkham born in Brussels following a meeting took place between Jean-Luc Manderlier keyboardist and drummer Daniel Denis, finding the reasons for this association in order to create original music, based on the style of the so-called “Canterbury School“. In May of 1970, joins bassist Claude Berkovitch, from the Here and Now Group, where he also played Marc Hollander, later with Aksak Maboul.
After just a month of evidence together, the three musicians decide to confront the audience with enrolling in a competition among groups called “Guitare d’Or“, a music festival held in Ciney in Belgium. The Arkam win with a strong public acclaim, which will give strength to the group and will substantially concert activity within the confines of the Belgians. In October of the same year, Berkovitch left the band to differences over musical line to follow and was replaced by bassist Patrick Cogneaux.
Denis had already played with Cogneaux in 1969 in a group called Knives and Axes. The compositions of the group are the sole prerogative of Manderlier and the group starts to appear in the broadcasts of Radio and Television Belgian gaining considerable popularity. After a few concerts with the newcomer, with other groups participating in the “Midi-Minuit“ of 1971 in Liege - Belgium, where a festival will feed a variety of musical proposals under the artistic direction of the contemporary composer Henry Pousseur.
Throughout the year 1971, the group took part in many important concerts, such as Bilzen and the Festival of Ciney, the “Cocoripop“ in Charleroi or the “Free-show“ held in Josaphat Park of Brussels. They had also the opportunity to open the first concert of the Belgian Magma, 4 September of the same year, revving very Christian Vander.
At the end of September, Cogneaux leaves Arkham and then later to join Pazop and the group then invited the guitarist / bassist Paul Radoni, a former member of the Here & Now. Since then, the Arkham proposed a less elaborate music, placing more elements of improvisation. This feature lasted for a few months and in a few live concerts. During the last months of 1971, joined the group on trumpet Claude Deron (co-founder of Univers Zero) and the French guitarist Francois Arnaudeau, which, however, only played in a concert.
Cristiano Ramon is a bassist who occasionally participated in a concert held only in Verviers April 28, 1972. With the participation of the trumpet of Deron, Manderlier writes new songs in which to channel the inspiration typically jazz-rock bands like Nucleus. Deron only participated in two concerts, before the group is separated as a result of the invitation to join the Manderlier by Vander of Magma in March 1972.
Tracks
1. Upstairs In The Granery - 0:00
2. Eve’s Eventful Day (Part 5, 6) - 5:13
3. Monolithic Progression With Anticipated Rupture - 8:38
4. Brussels Shortly After - 16:41
5. Bleriot: Visibility Poor - 25:14
6. With Assays Of Bias - 33:35
7. Eve’s Eventful Day (Part 3) - 43:59
8. Riff 14 - 48:46
9. Tight Trousers - 57:37
Arkham
*Jean-Luc Manderlier - Hammond Organ, Electric Piano, Clavioline
*Daniel Denis - Drums, Whistles
*Patrick Cogneaux - Bass
Additional Musicians
*Claude Berkovitch - Bass
*Claude Deron - Electric Flugelhorn
*Christian “Djoum“ Ramon - Bass