French prog rock
Lazuli
LAZULI – French progressive rock with a sound of its own
Lazuli are anything but an ordinary progressive rock band. The French group have created a musical universe in which symphonic rock, world music, powerful rhythms and mysterious, almost Middle Eastern flavours merge into an instantly recognisable sound.
At the heart of that sound is Claude Leonetti and his unique Léôde. After a road accident in 1995 left him unable to use his left hand, Leonetti refused to give up making music. Instead, he designed his own instrument: the Léôde. Connected to a MIDI system, it produces extraordinary sounds somewhere between an electric guitar, synthesizer and musical saw. Its expressive glissandos are particularly important to Lazuli’s distinctive, sometimes almost Arabic atmosphere.
Musically, Lazuli are almost impossible to place in a single category. Fans of the adventurous side of Peter Gabriel and classic Genesis may recognise certain influences, but Lazuli have transformed them into something unmistakably French and entirely their own. Poetic vocals, sweeping melodies, powerful rhythms and extended instrumental passages create music that can be intimate one moment and grand and theatrical the next.
Since their breakthrough in France in 2003, Lazuli have built an impressive reputation. Their appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2005 was an early confirmation of the band’s remarkable qualities. Even within France’s rich progressive-rock tradition, associated with bands such as Ange and Atoll, Lazuli remain true originals.
Lazuli are a band you don’t simply listen to – you experience them. Expect an intense musical journey filled with emotion, virtuosity and unexpected colours, performed by a band that truly sounds like no other.