Glaise
« They were two, now they are three: by adding the creativity of cellist Alexandre Bughin, Philippe Cloes and Nicolas Paternotte now have the ideal instrument to deliver this unique art form. Their third album blends spoken word and instrumental music, a kind of synthesis between melodrama and Sprechgesang. Here, everything is homemade, with the same inspiration running through Cloes's impassioned, dark, and tender lyrics and the music of his companions, where the cello provides both a lyrical counterpoint to the vocal line -more or less 'intoned'- and a rhythmic bounce reminiscent of jazz. Beyond its textual and dramatic power, the result is of high musical quality. » Martine Dumont-Mergeay, La Libre Belgique, November 30, 2022.
In July 2019, the duo Cloes-Paternotte, already active on the Francophone scene for several years, asked me to join them with the aim of exploring a new trio format, continuing the work they had done as a pair—a pursuit of symbiosis between music and words, challenging conventions. Two years earlier, I was introduced to their distinctive universe in a recording session at the Province of Liège studio for a sextet version of their music. Their second album, Les Ogives, is the result of this collaboration.
In February 2020, the three of us gathered for a week-long residency at Théâtre Poème, then directed by Sébastien Romignon Ercolini. The direction was quickly made clear to me: a less abstract language, decidedly oriented towards jazz and contemporary music, was adopted in Nicolas's musical proposals presented to me, while expressing the desire to retain a classical chamber music DNA. I took on this new challenge as an arranger-improviser, a role that was entirely unfamiliar to me at the time. This was followed by two post-residency concerts to present the first creations to the public; the duo transformed into a trio, and Glaise was born.
Glaise is the raw material that is shaped and molded at will, with the starting point being either the text or the music. Although I found my footing as an arranger, it was under the encouragement of my two colleagues that, shortly after our first week of work, I presented them with the first compositions of my own. This project made me a creator and significantly changed my relationship with music.
By the end of 2022, our long creative sessions had materialized into a first album released under the Homerecords label. Le temps du geste was praised by critics for its boldness, originality, and artistic finesse. Needless to say, it is with immense pleasure and undisguised pride that I now perform on stage with my two companions, in 100% original creations.
The trio
