JPL is the name of the project of the French multi-instrumentalist and singer with 22 albums released with the bands Nemo, Wolfspring and soloist. The third and final chapter of the “Sapiens Chapitre 3/3: Actum” saga out on March 25, 2022 via Quadrifonic Records contains 9 tracks including a 5-movement suite. This volume contains 45 minutes of ambitious and exploratory music, which pushes the limits of Rock even further, with influences from Symphonic music, Jazz, Metal and Electro. The album opens with “Paradis Perdu” featuring massive guitar and keyboard riffs that intertwine, the rhythm session is solid and enriched by tempo changes. A track that immediately immerses us in the Progressive atmosphere of the album, and in the second part it becomes more elaborate with a vocal with electronic effects. A warm and expressive French cantato enters which then leaves room for a short guitar solo and then closes. A dreamy arpeggio and a warm and intense vocal open “Mon Cercueil” softer than the previous one and characterized by good mixes of guitar and keyboards. The bass is deep and the track is constantly evolving adding more modern and electronic keyboard sounds, exploring new territories, offering an original and refined sound. From the harshest sounds “Alias (La Machine²)” mixes Prog traits with forays into Metal, with a dynamic vocal with choruses that remain in the mind. The intricate textures mix with the more symphonic parts and the softer sounds with the heavier ones and the intensity increases with the passage of the song. A concentrate of engaging energy from start to finish. With a percussive drumming begins “Dansez Maintenant” a rhythmic track with a very intense vocal, an added value. At the first time change I jumped on the chair, a mix of high-level keyboards and guitar, showing innovative ideas and an excellent technique. The guitar solo and hurdy-gurdy are valuable, giving a Folk touch to the piece. The track ends with an instrumental section that links the tradition to the Prog, between solo inserts and refined plots, excellent. Here we come to the suite that occupies the second part of the album and to the first movement “Memento Mori 1) Marche Vers L’Inconnu” which begins with a pompous interweaving of keyboards. An intro full of energy that mixes classical music and Prog, guiding us to the next. Continuing the classical music melodies of the previous “Memento Mori 2) Tempus Fugit” it has more Metal traits, with good guitar inserts. The orchestral plots blend with the most Rock and Metal features and the sound is always pompous and very intense, with the guitar as protagonist. The third part “Memento Mori 3) La Mort Du Roi” has a longer playing time than the previous ones and develops with more elaborate plots and a spoken vocal. The bass lines are load-bearing, the drumming solid and the track evolves with dark and harder strokes that alternate with symphonic eprture. The large amount of sounds available is certainly an added value and gives the possibility to exploit more sound solutions, giving life to a high-level Prog track. With a rhythmic session and tight melodies “Memento Mori 4) Paria” mixes accelerations and harder strokes with Jazz, opening the track with a fine sax solo. Enriched by tempo changes and by mixing different genres and styles, it enhances the individual technique of the artists involved. The second part is more symphonic and the male and female vocals intertwine, and then accelerate again in the final ending the piece in a musical crescendo. The suite and the album end with “Memento Mori 5) Acta Fabula Est” which is also the longest track on the album, lasting over 7 minutes. The intro features guitar and keyboard arpeggios that create a dreamed vibe, evolving with the entry of the electric guitar. The rhythmic session accelerates and the intensity increases with the flow of the munuti blending more Progressive traits, orchestrations with forays into quality Metal. With continuous tempo changes and long instrumental phrases, in the central part they enhance the guitar, while in the second part the central theme of the suite is elaborated with a pompous sound enriched by orchestrations. With a long solo that guides us to the finale, the record and track ends, leaving us with the desire to listen to this splendid work again. A very intense album, full of ideas and refined passages, which manages to mix the personal traits of Jean Pierre’s sound with other more modern ones. The artist’s musical exploration continues and crosses previously unexplored boundaries, giving life to an original and very engaging work. A listening recommended for lovers of modern Progressive sounds and for those who follow the artist and know his sound. An excellent chapter that concludes the “Sapiens” saga, halfway between Prog Rock and Metal with forays into Jazz and classical, in my opinion a masterpiece.
Tracklist
01. Paradis Perdu (5:54)
02. Mon Cercueil (06:08)
03. Alias (La Machine²) (4:51)
04. Dansez Maintenant (5:15)
05. Memento Mori 1) Marche Vers L’Inconnu (2:31)
06. Memento Mori 2) Tempus Fugit (2:25)
07. Memento Mori 3) La Mort Du Roi (5:26)
08. Memento Mori 4) Paria (5:06)
09. Memento Mori 5) Acta Fabula Est (7:31)
Lineup
Jean Pierre Louveton (Nemo, Wolfspring) / Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Virtual Instruments
With:
Jean Baptiste Itier (Nemo) / Drums (1, 4, 5)
Florent Ville / Drums (2, 3), Keyboards and Programming (3)
Guillaume Fontaine (Nemo) / Keyboards (3)
Didier Vernet / Bass (2, 3)
Stéphanie Vouillot / Piano (5c, 5d), Vocals (2)
Marguerite Miallier / Hurdy-gurdy (4)
Sylvain Haon / Soprano Saxophone (5d)
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