Light – The Path (Musea, 2023)
The Path by Light is one of those albums that captures your attention immediately. It is innovative, creative, and mesmerizing progressive rock of the highest order. This group masterfully intertwines finely crafted symphonic progressive rock with orchestral classical music, spellbinding minimalism, the power of Zeuhl, jazz, circular vocals, gorgeous choirs, mesmeric dreamtime atmospheres, superb jazz-infused lead vocals, and vibrant percussion.
The group is led by multi-instrumentalist Camille de Carvalho. Indeed, Camille plays an impressive list of musical instruments, from keyboards and marimba to clarinet and oboe, percussion, and a wide range of world music instruments from various traditions across the globe. Overall, The Path features 24 musicians and 112 instruments.
Camille embarked on a musical journey more than a decade ago, driven by a vision to fuse a multitude of musical influences, including progressive rock, metal, jazz, classical, and beyond. Initially conceived as a personal endeavor centered around his mastery of the keyboard, the project underwent an extraordinary transformation and maturation over the passing years.
In the project’s nascent stages, Camille found himself in solitude. He acquired and mastered around 100 different instruments, a feat that he displays on his YouTube channel, “Light.” A self-professed perfectionist, akin to the likes of Ravel (one of his inspirations), Camille places significant emphasis on timbre. Notably, he often devotes hours to the meticulous selection between instruments like the oboe d’amore and English horn for even a single segment; their subtle sonic nuances holding immense importance in his creative process.
Guided by the spirit of innovation, Camille made the deliberate choice to record each instrument individually, enabling his compositions to embrace daring complexities, thus echoing the artistic philosophy of Frank Zappa, yet another source of inspiration.
Fast-forward to the present, a span of thirteen years has elapsed, and what initially began as a solitary artistic venture involving a lone instrument has blossomed into a production that includes a remarkable ensemble and a rich palette of wonderful and transfixing sounds.
This masterpiece is a feast for the ears and a strong contender for best album of 2023.
Core band: Camille De Carvalho on piano, Ondes Marteno synth, Korg CX3, Clavinet Pianet Duo, Berhinger Model D, toy piano, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, melodica, Suzuki Andes, clarinets (sopranino, soprano, alto, bass, contrabass), oboe, oboe d’amore, English horn, bass oboe, bassoon, tenoroon, saxophones (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone), duduk, guanzi, hulusi, bawu, dizi, khene, trumpets (piccolo, soprano, bass), flugelhorn, cornet, trombones (soprano, tenor), French horn, baritone horn, tuba, ocarinas (soprano, alto, tenor, bass, contrabass), recorders (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass), gemshorn, racketts (bass, great bass), cornet, morin khuur, erhu, Theremin, musical saw, garrahand, waterphone, udu, tam-tams, opera gong, hand gong, lunar gong, Burmese gong, vibraslap, jingles, bells, guïro, triangles, bongos, temple block, ocean drum, tambourine, thunder box, claves, shakers, baritone choir; Jeanne De Carvalho: lead singer, mezzo choir; Morgan Casseau: lead singer, tenor choir; Auriann Rossard on double bass, drums, bodhran, baritone choir; Paul Ferré on electric 8-string guitar, bass guitar, fretless bass, contrabass guitar, bass choir; Emmanuelle Marchaud on harp, alto choir; Loup Vaillant on cello; Caroline Kempf on flutes (piccolo, soprano, alto, and bass); and Paul-Henry Touzac, mixing and mastering.
Guest musicians on Camille Sabathier on violin, viola, mandolin, alto choir; Timothé Bougon on acoustic guitar, banjo, bouzouki, lute, baritone choir; Clément Gaudry-Santiago on acoustic 12-string guitar, tenor choir; Donnchadh Mullaghy on electric guitar; Camille Montarou on timpani; Camille Fabreguettes on flute; Anaïs Rabary, soprano choir; Lisa Chaïb Auriol, soprano choir; Marion Nicolas, soprano choir; Marie Le Pohon, mezzo choir; Lisa Auneau, alto choir; Audric Faucheux, tenor choir; Valentin Jansen, bass choir; Egon Zanne, bass choir; and Hangsvart, growl.
Buy The Path.