Aranis / BASta! - 7 Albums (2005 - 2014) Re-up

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Aranis is a Flemish septet playing a somewhat minimalistic contemporary classical with touches of folk and the occasional post-rock spirit. Their music covers grounds from the repetitive and haunting to the more free spirited, melodic and compelling.

The group consists of Jana Arns (flute), Liesbeth Lambrecht (violin), Linde de Groof (violin), Marjolein Cools (accordion), Axelle Kennes (piano), Stijn Denys (guitar), Joris Vanvinckenroye (double bass)

Their music can be likened to a soundtrack (which is in accordance with the phrase on their main page - "Music for an imaginary film). At times sounding like a mixture of Yann Tiersen and Clint Mansell. Think of "Amelie" meets "Requiem For A Dream".

Here are some excerpts from reviews as they appear in their website:
"Classical music and rock are growing towards one another. An evolution we can only be pleased about."
Focus Knack

"Two violins, a double bass, accordion, piano, flute, guitar and almost no voice: it is quite clear that Aranis wants to make music you do not hear just anywhere."
De Standaard

"The secret of Aranis lies in the compelling fact that, as a listener, you are flung to and fro between the finesse of a classical concert and the excitement of a rock concert."
De Tijd

Recommended for people who like DAAU, Volapuk, Gatto Marte and older chamber rock bands like Univers Zero, Julverne and Present.

~ Assaf Vestin, Progarchives

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Aranis Biography:

Aranis is a group that devotes its time to creating and performing new, adventurous music.

The music is filled with contrasts and opposing themes.
It's dark and light at the same time. It's beautiful and nasty, simple and complex. It has a personality of its own and nevertheless you can hear the influences from a multitude of different genres and styles. Never heard before and yet recognisable.

It is through the combination of these opposing themes and influences that emerges a contemporary and vibrant sort of music with a very unique character.

Aranis is composed of a core of five impassioned musicians. Depending on the project Aranis is working on, they call upon guest musicians to complete the sound. The main characteristics of their performances are a delicate and dynamic orchestration in which they constantly search for a fresh and lively rendition.

Aranis
Liesbeth Lambrecht: violin
Marjolein Cools: accordion
Stijn Denys: guitar
Jana Arns: transverse flute
Joris Vanvinckenroye: contrabass & composition

Aranis has released three full albums: Aranis I, Aranis II, Aranis III and…ARanis IV! Next to that there have also been a vinyl album and a small side project CD (Hidden Soundscapes).

Aranis I: Acoustic Chamber Rock (2005)
From their debut album the Aranis style is immediately apparent. A diversity of musical genres and currents are combined into something entirely new.

Aranis II: Music For an imaginary film (2007)
The second Aranis album was logical follow-up to the first one. It confirms the very personal Aranis style and sound. The compositions and orchestrations have further evolved in delicacy and complexity.

Single: Hidden soundscapes (2007)
Some works that came out of a collaboration with flutist Toon Fret.

Vinylplaat (2008)
A selection of the best out of Aranis I and Aranis II

Aranis III: Songs from mirage (2009)
The third full CD of Aranis sounds totally different from earlier recordings. To the instrumental ensemble three female voices were added. This has only reinforced their adventurous music with more power and scope. The music has gained in intensity, sensitivity and dynamics. 'Songs from Mirage' is a musical journey without intermezzo's. It only ends when the last notes fade away. With guest musicians Els van Laethem, Anne Marie Honggokoessoemo, Herlinde Ghekiere (voices), Linde de Groof (violin), Els Vrints (piano)/ Ward De Vleeschhouwer (piano)

Aranis IV: RoqueForte (2010)
The (new) basic Aranis line-up will be enriched with percussion. This gives the music a rough edge, but makes it all the more beautiful. The performance will no doubt be uniquely powerfull. Dark melodies exchange with threatening rythms, raw solo pieces contrast with enthralling improvisations.
With guest musicians David Kerman (percussion), Stefan Wellens (viola) en Pierre Chevalier (piano)

~ official website

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Aranis / BASta! - 7 Albums (2005 - 2014) Re-up

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«Музыка из воображаемого фильма», - так сами участники группы, семеро фламандцев, характеризуют то, что они делают.
Их музыка - причудливое смешение классики, фолка и авангарда, по сути, Aranis играют то, что называется «chamber rock», несколько напоминая «земляков» из Univers Zero? но без присущей тем мрачности

~ Latfm

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Aranis' debut is a strong example of the Belgian Chamber Rock scene. It is the brainchild of bass player Joris Vanvinckenroye, also known from the band he formed with his two brothers named Troissoeur (which is either proof of their goofy sense of humour or of the decline of the French language here in Flanders).
I would describe their sound as half Univers Zero and half Philip Glass. You can hardly call them innovative but they make great compositions. Especially the first half of the album is breathtaking: energetic pieces heavy on pulsating bass guitar, sharp violins and splendid accordion playing. Also the flutes are very prominent. The acoustic guitar and piano play second fiddle and are used to add details and rhythm to the pieces.

I have seen two live concerts from Aranis and I must conclude that a live setting must be the environment they feel most comfortable in. This album is really excellent but does not fully capture their overwhelming live experience which would deserve 5 stars from me.

Review by Bonnek, Progarchives

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It is astonishing what Aranis can accomplish with what seems to be simple music and a lineup of seven musicians. They create music that can be as intense and as powerful as full-fledged rock with a lineup of classical instruments alone. Not only that, but their compositions are as intricate, complex and intriguing as any prog-rock music done by other bands.
One of my first reactions listening to Aranis' music was that their music sounds like the hybrid of Clint Mansell's soundtrack for Requiem For A Dream and Yann Tiersen's soundtrack for Le Fabuleux Destin D'Amelie Poulan. Indeed, this is a valid reference point if one cares to pinpoint the band's sound. A classical setup that plays music that is as intricate, powerful and poignant as rock (or prog-rock for that matter).

They play with their lovely and catchy tunes, combining the harmonious and melodic with slightly disharmonic tones; they are highly skilled musicians and their playing is not only striking and admirable, it also shows how they must have fun playing since it sounds so. well, playful.

Lovely, compelling and magical, their music captures me, the listener, and at the same time sets me free to wonder in their musical realm, with a guiding instrument, which changes between tracks and within a given track, whether it is the violin, accordion or flute.

Moving, daring and occasionally jovial it is a kind of music I can't seem to let by unnoticed. Take for instance the tune "Looking Glass" with its wonderful bass playing that sets the tone of the track, the violin and the flute which compete and complement each other, creating tension and resolving it thereafter; the piano then comes in with a lovely solo, introducing "air" into this dense piece; all of the instruments together reach a synergistic effect, such a powerful achievement that I am dumbfounded each time I hear it, bewitched by its beauty and its purity. A brilliant and simple composition that manages to capture the essence of this band in this sole tune and show their whole potential and capabilities. Not only are the tunes beautiful, but the arrangements, the part written for each instrument are such that the potential of each is fulfilled; everyone gets their deserved spotlight, their abilities and 'usefulness' reached. Listen to "Kitano" and how each instrument sits well with the others while playing their individual part, mingling perfectly with the others and being well heard over the entire 'mini-orchestra'.

The tracks on this album vary from the dynamic and fast ("Walk In One's Sleep") to the slower brand, more calm and relaxed, yet still as emotional and effective ("Waris"). Their compositions are as dynamic in their structure and intensity as the music is. Going from loud to quiet, from fast and furious to slow and delicate, they cover a wide range of emotions and moods.

Direct, precise and strict, their style can be upfront as in "Turbulentie"; but it is never devoid of emotion and certainly not of passion. Moreover it doesn't stay that way for the whole piece, as I mention above; the music shifts from climatic to peaceful, from exhilarating to sluggish and sensual. Aranis know very well how to intermingle all these opposing sentiments and atmospheres, make them into a coherent and naturally flowing whole. Nothing sounds forced to me, there is an innate vigor and drive in their music that makes me wish the music would never end. Whether it is in the uplifting segments such as the 'chorus' of "Trog", the gripping theme of "Looking Glass", the naпve sounding yet elaborate "Lovey-Dovey" or the intensity at the opening of "Kitano" and the ending of "Mythra". There is always the want for more, the after-taste that begs for more; this is how music should be - compelling you, making you want more, having repeated listening, trying to quench the 'thirst'.

Playing rock with a classical lineup -this has been said about them (and other contemporaries and country mates such as DAAU). This is a true phrase, but for me it misses the emotional impact that Aranis achieves with their compositions. This album is following in the line of its predecessor and in my opinion is as brilliant if not more. It boils down to a matter of what are the melodies you prefer. Here, there is none that I dislike; each one is wonderful. I absolutely love this album (even more than their first one, but only because I love the tunes here more, no other reason than that). A personal favourite of mine, not just due to its beauty but for all the reasons mentioned above. A must! More than just an excellent addition to my collection.

Review by avestin, Progarchives

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With their third album, Aranis took their chamber rock in an entirely different direction. By adding vocals, their music has taken an additional step upwards to almost masterpiece-ness.
The two female vocalists give the music an entirely new dimension. The voices are classically trained but not operatic. They sometimes remind me of medieval and early renaissance music, very delicate, harmonious and melancholic. Combined with the pulsating energy of the music underneath, everything gets something of a Zeuhl touch. Not the excessive flavour of Magma, but the more accessible voices of Eskaton comes to mind.

Compared to the debut, the music has become more introvert; still very intense but less wild. As on the second album, the influences from Philip Glass are prominent, on occasion even in the vocals. So the closest I could come to describe this album is as a mix of Philip Glass (Satyagraha style) with a brighter kind of Univers Zero (Ceux Du Dehors). Fans of mentioned artists should be aware that Aranis has no drums or percussion and that they maintain a slightly folksy touch as well. Not the pastoral kind, but there are certain traces of European folk traditions. So also the 2 other Flairck fans here might lend their ears.

With no flaw in the quality of the material or the performances, Aranis truly came into their own on this album. The legacy of mentioned influences can not be ignored but with the addition of the vocals, Aranis have become a truly original act in today's crowded chamber rock niche in Belgium.

It's a solid 4 stars for me and one of the best albums from 2009, I just got it too late to make my list.

Review by Bonnek, Progarchives

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April 2009 was a busy month for Antwerp double bassist Joris Vanvinckenroye. Not only did he spearhead the recording of Songs from Mirage, the third full-length CD by his principal creative outlet, the avant-prog chamber rock outfit Aranis, but he also kept his fingers busy under the moniker of BASta! (exclamation point included and fully warranted), recording this occasionally astounding 45-minute album of solo bass. Whether through multi-tracking or looping (in solo live performance he has produced the sounds heard here in real time using an array of looping and effects pedals), Vanvinckenroye oftentimes suggests a bass-filled ensemble of nearly orchestral proportions, in multi-layered compositions encompassing both the highest and lowest notes the instrument is capable of producing. Unsurprisingly, the bassist is enamored of pulse-driven music, as he is when composing for Aranis, and in many ways Cycles sounds like Aranis if that ensemble's violins, flute, accordion, piano, and guitar had been replaced by basses. The result is somewhat earthier, and if you think Aranis' chamber instrumentation and Euro-folkish elements humanize that group's post-minimalist tendencies, well, Vanvinckenroye takes things a step further here – with their woody textures and grain, his basses are engaged in a deeply organic dance as they lay down a strong foundation of repeated phrases while also answering one another in counterpoint, chugging through the middle ground with relentless drive, and singing wildly in the high registers. And that's only on the first track, "Codis." Scattered across the disc as a whole, Vanvinckenroye uses the bass as a percussive instrument, his arco playing is rich with overtones and recorded with crystal clarity yet depth by Pieter Thys (who certainly deserves much credit for the amazing sonics heard here), and his pizzicato technique in the deepest range provides a true kick to the sternum. On album highlight "SRP," a 7/8 rhythmic foundation is joined by buzzing, fluid basses before shimmering celestial strings – those are basses? – enter to astonishing effect. Vanvinckenroye and Thys conjure up a rough and grainy tone particularly in the middle register, given added punch by the bassist's sometimes clipped phrasing, even when he is bowing. Vanvinckenroye never loses sight of the fact that the double bass is a rhythm section instrument, and rhythm is key throughout Cycles, even when the bassist mimics the sound of a creaky door hinge in a haunted house during "Delayed" (although he strays from the rhythm in a standout improvisational interlude during the title track – ironically perhaps the most uncharacteristic music on the disc). Cycles is a fabulous showcase for Joris Vanvinckenroye, demonstrating his ability to chart a remarkable creative path as a solo artist and casting the talents he has brought to Aranis in a new light.

by Dave Lynch, allmusic

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Aranis's fourth album is a bit of a return to their first two album's foundations, creating a typical chamber prog that is in the purest Belgiam tradition, stuck somewhere between Julverne, Cro-Magnon and Louise Avenue's happiness on one side, and Univers Zero, Present and Art Zoyd's (French, I know) darkness on the other end of the spectrum. But if the first two albums had a joyous, almost frivolous side, and the very/fairly different Songs From Mirage, which explored a more melancholic facet of theirs with an added trio of chorus women; Roqueforte is definitely in the more sombre realm, no doubt in part due to Pierre Chevalier (piano) and Dave Kerman (drums & percs), both Present alumni and appearing as guests throughout the album. It should also be noted that some line-up changes occurred just after SFM, and pianist Axelle Kennes and violinist "meisje" (name escapes me at present time) are absent from here.
The 12 tracks, ranging from 1 to almost 13 minutes, are presenting a palette of red moods (the artwork) that range from near-orange (the lighter tracks) to dark brownish (the heavier ones). Recorded in the early spring '10 in Antwerp and finalized in Liege later that summer on the Homerecords label, RF is surprisingly licensed/referenced as 2009, so go figure.

It's only a guess, but the album's name is a play on words on the French cheese Roquefort, made fairly close to Carmeaux, the site of the RIO festival that Aranis played in mid-September 09. Opening on the Roque track and closing on the Forte track, the inner contents of the album is a typical instrumental chamber rock that sometimes nears the Tango realm, where Marjolein Cools' accordion plays an important, but not definitive, role; but it's an important trump card in Vanvinkenroye's compositions. If I spoke of the sombre moods of RF, it is still quite far from Present and UZ dark and almost sinister moods. Sometimes I wonder if Joris didn't use an electric bass guitar, rather than his usual contrabass (Tissim)

Clocking just under one hour - including the afterthought PS (post-scriptum most likely, not part socialiste) that acts as an announced hidden track last 1 minute after a 1 minute silence break, RF is well in the Aranis-line of its usual creations after a slight deviation of the previous SFM. And it should please all chamber rock fans and Avant/RIO heads.

Review by Sean Trane, Progarchives

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On 2014's Made in Belgium II, Flemish acoustic "chamber rock" sextet Aranis revisit the concept of their excellent Made in Belgium album from two years previously – that is, they explore works written by a host of Belgian composers rather than concentrating exclusively on music penned by bassist/bandleader Joris Vanvinckenroye. Aranis have selected compositions with a broader stylistic range here, and the band is more powerfully incisive than ever, beginning with the opening track, Peter Vermeersch's "Skip XXI" from the 1995 X-Legged Sally album The Land of the Giant Dwarfs. It would be hard to imagine a more punched-up gang of avant jazz-rockers than X-Legged Sally, and while Aranis' take on "Skip XXI" is more precise and less raucous than the XLS original from two decades earlier, bringing the piece's multiple layers and astringent intervals to the fore, this version is still vigorous and kinetic – even when performed with entirely acoustic chamber instrumentation (double bass, piano, flute, guitar, viola, accordion) sans drums. And English-language monolinguists less than enamored by the clinical sex talk samples shoehorned into the XLS original may find flutist Jana Arns' adept soprano vocalizing to be a far more appealing alternative. Arns' vocals are also featured elsewhere: the backbeat-accented "Tolles Pferd," written by Cro Magnon saxophonist Koen Van Roy, finds her assertively tackling theatrical song as if inspired by Dagmar Krause in Henry Cow or the Art Bears (with Philip Glass stylings tossed into the arrangement), and her wordless vocal in Aurélie Dorzée's magical waltzing "Funambul," which closes the album, recalls the ethereality of three female guest singers on 2009's Songs from Mirage.
But Arns' pleasing vocals are only one touch of seasoning on a primarily instrumental album that never loses the capacity to both surprise and engage, as in Walter Hus' intense, pounding "La Vague" (one of two tracks roughed up by guest Pierre Vervloesem's electric guitar), which ends with a tinge of Asian folk but nearly segues into the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" in its midsection. Additional variety arrives in several brief solo miniatures featuring Vanvinckenroye on bass or Pierre Chevalier on piano, but the longest numbers best illustrate Aranis' forte: rhythmically charged post-minimalist chamber music imbued with dark atmospheric ambience in the tradition of Belgian avant-prog pioneers like Univers Zero and Present. Revisiting the 1993 album Let's Take One More by Louise Avenue, Aranis double the length of Jan Kuijken's "Hit," alternately charging and dancing through a central interlude that ingeniously draws thematic elements from the original; Ward De Vleeschhouwer's (the pianist on Made in Belgium) "Boki II" presents a riveting extended buildup of urgency; and the nearly ten-minute suitelike "Cell Stress," penned by Univers Zero's Kurt Budé, is a masterful example of UZ-style agitated and ominous medieval-flavored avant-prog. Announced as the second installment in a trilogy, Made in Belgium II is Aranis' most accomplished, diverse, and indeed enthralling outing yet, creating much anticipation for the group's next foray into the extraordinary world of Belgian modern composition.

by Dave Lynch, allmusic

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