Two years after “We play” and five years after “Palmyr,” Aloan is back with a new album full of finesse and authenticity. Through the collaboration of Alain Frey, drummer and founder of the group, Sebastien Von Roth, Lyn m and MC Granite, their latest enterprise combines a verve and artistic style already present in their earlier albums.
Trip-hop in addition to electro, the insistence is on the raw energy, the momentary, the power of rhythm, beauty in the melodies and poetry in the lyrics. Throughout the years, Aloan has invented a world all its own and has demonstrated an original personality and a strength of will in any trial.
Widely backed by the press and the media, Aloan has reached a wide audience on the stage. Its “live presence” in the words of Marc Ridet has enabled Aloan to perform on such renowned stages as the Paleo Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Musique de Stock, and the Eurockeennes of Belfort.
On the stage the group (expands and) welcomes three extra musicians in order to add a more acoustic and rock feel to their songs. Aloan manages to mix electronic samples with four acoustic instruments (drums, Rhodes keyboard, guitar, bass).
The samples can be turned on and altered in the same way as an instrument, and thus the performance remains very lively and spontaneous. In February 2006, a live DVD was produced in order to show more clearly what Aloan is like on stage.
As for their discography, Aloan has released several titles for various compilations in the world between 2001 and 2006,most notably on that of Eva Gardner (Infracom), DJ Parisienne, whose reputation is already well-established in the clubbing scene.
You can also find Aloan on the compilation Swiss One (Universal) along with Royksoff and De-Phazz, as well as on Future Jazz with Instinct Records, a record label based in New York. More recently, Aloan appears on the mix Amazon Grace (yyy), on Top Trock 2005 (3/3), as well as M4Music 2006, or Couleur 3 “Electro” 2006 (Couleur 3 & FCMA).
Aloan’s two preceding albums both made waves in the Swiss electro-clubbing scene. In May 2005 “We Play” was released, the first offering from a band created by Alain Frey, who had up to that point been composing songs alone.
This was also the first contact with the singer Lyn m who brought a new energy to the group. Her soulful, R&B-style voice would eventually take the group in more of a pop direction. This was also the first collaboration with Sebastien Von Roth in the composition of two songs (Calm, EveryMorning).
It is also on this album that David Granite, already featured in a song from the album “Palmyr”, infuses his groove and personality more prominently. In short, “We play” marks the transition from a group of musicians to a united and determined band.
It was actually in 1998, four years prior to the album’s release date, that Alain Frey launched his career in the world of electro music. After ten-years’ experience on Swiss and European stages (WildMango, PPA+, Sumo, Demillac,Mad Violet, Scotty-Ribordy, etc.
), he came up with the premise single-handedly for the Album Palmyr. It was with the addition of sound-engineer Serge Garcia that things really began to pick up and doors started opening for the group Aloan.
Collaborations began at this time with the singers Julien Laurence, Jamila, and David Granite, as well as numerous musicians who would debut on an album with sounds both urban and reminiscent of the Orient, making it quick to gain recognition in the Swiss electro-lounge scene.
Alain Frey, Sebastien von Roth and Lyn m are launching a purely electronic live concept in order to reach a greater club scene: Aloan light. Comprising two laptops and a voice, the trio appears quite regularly in various clubs with original compositions.
