Best known at the time as the keyboardist in the band of French singer/songwriter
Bernard Lavilliers,
François Bréant released his first solo album in 1979 on Egg, reissued in 2002 by Musea.
Bréant's progressive rock roots show all the way through this fine platter of progressive electronic music with a jazz-rock twist, which compares favorably to contemporary albums by
Edgar Froese, Alpha Ralpha, and
Jean-Luc Ponty.
Bréant is not a tremendously original keyboardist, nor an accomplished electronician -- his sound palette sticks to the well-documented examples of the era. On the other hand, his writing skills are worth a detour, and so is the cast of musicians backing him up. Appearing here and there are Alpha Ralpha drummer Emanuel Lacordaire, eccentric percussionist Albert Marcoeur, and jazz-rock violinist
Didier Lockwood, along with longtime acolytes and
Lavilliers bandmates Marc Perru (guitars) and Pascal Arroyo (bass).
Sons Optiques (Optical Sounds) is presented as an imaginary soundtrack -- the term had yet to turn cliché in 1979. The instrumental pieces have that floating, evocative aura associated with electronic film music. "Vancances à Concarneau -- Flash Back" and "Scènes de Mobilisation" feature soaring solos from
Lockwood and constitute the finest moments of the LP. The Musea CD reissue adds two bonus tracks, "Les Souffleurs de Verre" and "L'Âge d'or à Montlhéry," both recorded in the early '80s and completed in 2001. An enjoyable curiosity, especially for listeners fond of the French late-'70s touch and fans of light jazz-rock. ~ François Couture