Hauteville...Sui Generis
The recording of a self produced EP in Paris in the middle of the 90ies brought the HAUTEVILLE project to life.
Out of the cinders of a group called "NETWORK" - which had only a regional impact came HAUTEVILLE with a sophisticated and reworked rock style. Their unique style cannot be called "progressive", "AOR" or "Hard Rock FM"...It is probably a little of each ...
Smack in the middle of the post-grunge period, this type of profile is nevertheless not a leaning, an artistic orientation or a colour but rather a pathology.
They dont care.
At this point, the sextet is made up of Cyril GRIMAUD (Vocals), Lydie GOSSELIN (background vocals), Laurent OBER (Bass), Didier THERY (Keyboards), Denis TURMEL (Guitars) and Vincent TURMEL (Drums). The CD is self-made, Didier THERY at the controls takes off with the recording, the mixing...
The band gives quite a few gigs in small venues and at festivals and occasionally works with its counterparts. In a nutshell, the band follows the usual path of developing artists although their music genre doesnt allow for easy access neither to general public rock media nor to the most popular scenes.
Again, they dont care.
The band keeps working, rehearsing, composing and releases, under French label Brennus, a first album in 1998. This album receives an excellent welcome from the hard and progressive musical press both French and international.
The talent forseen in the EP has acquired a new dimention as can be seen by the following press releases :
"Hauteville is nothing but the reunion of tremendously talented parisians, gifted with brainwaves ". "Over 11 tracks, the sextet highlights his skill to deliver his progrock, blended with the better taste AOR"... "A voice that sounds like Jon Anderson, percussions worthy of Rush, and a style smartness close to Journey".
Planète HARD (Fnac Store Chains Magazine) - 98 December
"This CD is a true delight, with very elaborated tunes and instrumental passages that could park a condemned to deaths enthusiasm".
Rocktime - 98 December
"Qualitywise, Hauteville is endowed with : innate gift of melodiousness, unchallenged inspiration, nice blend of male lead vocals & female background vocals, skillfully used keyboards, for a walk on AOR/progressive/hard rock land".
Hard Force 98 November
"A little bit of delicay in a brutes world"..."Rush, Saga, & Yes are the first names that cross your mind while listening the subtle & melodic hard rock of this band, who believes in mind over muscle".
Hard & Heavy - 98 July
"Hauteville is of the sound polishers breed, and from the tunes stonecutters stock, often on a level playing field with Saga, Foreigner, or even Boston & Journey"..."Hauteville holds out the flag of French AOR, neither too heavy nore falsely self-claimed "ProgRock", simply a magnificent wonder you can listen, admiring such a skill. AOR like this ? Granted !
Harmony Mag - 98 November
"If the influence of Yes, Rush or Saga cannot be denied, the qualities of the band in its own right are obvious enough to be stressed, and allow them to carve out a place among the candidates to this répertoires throne :first of all, the quality of the compositions, gathering lyrism and melodioussness, but the level of the musicians, too"..."With Hauteville, French AOR-ProgRock has probably found his standard bearer".
Guitar & Bass - 98 November
Etc, etc, in France as elsewhere....
So ? Whats up ? Not having sold the hoped for 500.000 albums, HAUTEVILLE could have disapeared hook, line and sinker like most other similar bands...
But what do they care ! (almost ) This is the groups real strength. If it lost a singer along the way, aspiring for quicker fame and success, with Lydie taking the lead vocals it obtained a female one, and what a singer !!
HAUTEVILLE doesnt try to run behind the most famous hard and progrock figures by copying such and such artistic finds to gather some crumbs of whats « in ». It continues to develop, ripen, digesting influences and freeing itself from them, perfecting its own musical discours, free from all marketing constraints
Almost 10 years later, in 2006 (what a long pregnancy !), the result is a new album called « Relief Data Incomplete ». 10 years continuing to be more and more demanding in all areas : composing, arranging, originality, interpretation lyrics, production 10 years to make HAUTEVILLE a unique species, a lone music style, sui generis.
Some would say 10 years is what is necessary to start making a good Bordeaux or Burgundy wine after all, we are in France !
Hauteville contact : [email protected]
Hauteville artwork : Romain Fournier
Hauteville link : Antithetik
Hauteville link : La Housse à Gratte - La Grosse Radio
