Human opens with the relaxed and mysterious composition “Awakening”. With the next track “Ballet” we enter a world of rhythm, synthetic fx and gorgeous melodies. Caught up by an air stream we are floating through a canyon to a valley hidden by snowy mountains where a primitive tribe has just begun its ritual dance. It’s as if one can almost touch mankind’s past . An image of primeval nature and consciousness remaining somewhere deep inside, not touched by human civilization. Frank Van Bogaert’s music feels as if it lays a bridge between the past and the future.It is always image evoking. ”Atmospheric Conditions”evokes images of beautiful places,cities with snow-white towers hidden in the mist. I confess that I have been looking forward to the release of this fourth Frank Van Bogaert album. My prime interest was to see in which direction his creative search would develop. With “Human” he has surpassed all my expectations! Frank Van Bogaert has remained true to himself, his music is as great-sounding as always without losing his trademark,but on this album it has become a bit more improvised ,not being restrained by a classic structure. In two compositions Frank did use guest-musicians playing acoustic instruments. Just listen to the fabulous saxophone in “Meander” and the exotic viola Braguesa in “Reunion”. Frank Van Bogaert’s album is called “Human” not by chance since this music is full of vital energy, tenderness (“Naked”) and sublimity of feelings (“Rêve d’Afrique”) . Frank has clearly the gift of putting all his emotions in his music. The album ends with the romantic and slightly cosmic “Warmth”. “Human” should appeal not only to electronic music lovers but also to a wide circle off new-age and modern instrumental music fans. I would call “Human” an excellent work of “new electronic music”, an album that should be in the collection of every music-lover. 2002. Serge Kozlovsky Translated out of Russian by Tatyana L.Permyakova I didn¹t think it would be this soon that keyboardist Frank Van Bogaert would top his last album, Docking. But, damn, if Human doesn¹t just top it - it completely transcends it. Human is a fantastic CD, filled with a wide assortment of great songs, ranging from bouncy Berlin-esque EM, to dramatic Vangelis-like keyboard numbers, to softer romantic tracks and even some world fusion textured cuts. Only one song (of the twelve on the disc) is less than great (and that one is still good). The music is always accessible and imminently listenable - in fact, I positively loved this album from the very first playing. After a short (about two-minute) ambient/new age-sounding opening track played out on a bank of synths and twinkling keyboards (some with a Vangelis-like sound), Human hits the ground running on "Ballet" which is nothing like what you would expect from its title. A reverbed synth note gradually increases in volume and frequency, joined by some snappy electronic percussion. Synth strings come sweeping in accompanied by timpani, and then the lead keyboard line plays the main refrain. When the "chorus" hits you, it¹s like an EM explosion - full of genuine grandeur and majestic power (you simply must crank this album up!). Nice vocal chants add some fun world music texture to the song (the vocals have a vague African feel to them). However, Human is just getting warmed up. The third track is "Technologika" and it¹s even more fiery of a number, careening in from the background amidst peppery percussive textures, a blend of neo-Berlin and straight up new age keyboards, and lots of cool drum work. This cut is a rave-up delight and had me itching to move every time I played it. The spoken word sample ("Technologie" spoken with vocoder effects) makes the songs even cooler. There are some nice background vocals in parts of this song as well - but you¹ll barely notice them as anything but another instrumental layer. Besides these two excellent track, you¹ll also hear a dreamily somber yet powerful Vangelis-like (circa Blade Runner) number ("Atmospheric Conditions"); a mixture of atmospheric piano and keyboards with Germanic EM touches (the title song); a high-energy rapid fire sequencer track ("Ouverture des enfants") that also showcases Frank¹s dexterity on piano, keyboards and drums as it morphs into a more mainstream-new age music sounding arena; and a semi-bluesy spin into cyber-lounge EM on "Reunion" (featuring a variety of synths, including choral effects similar to Vangelis¹ The City album) that has moments of drama followed by subtle beauty. There¹s also a beautiful semi-ambient number ("Naked") highlighted by an assortment of synths, some in a Berlin drone vein and others more "sparkly" and melodic. The most overt world fusion number (harkening back to Frank¹s work on Docking or Colors) is "Rêver d¹Afrique," but even here the song is much more "Van Bogaert" in feel than something from, say James Asher. As I stated above, some numbers don¹t clean my clock as much as others ("Meander" has some sax work that,.while well-done by Frank De Ruytter, seemed out of place on the album), but taken as a whole, I believe Human is Frank Van Bogaert¹s best recording by far. I played it at least ten times (including on my portable player during several walks through my neighborhood) before writing this review and loved it more each time. It may be a bit too melodic for die-hard Berlin school fanatics (even though the album is on Groove Unltd), but fans of rhythmic keyboard music that is catchy without being at too commercial should rejoice when the synths pour forth from their speakers. Highly recommended! 2002. Bill Binkelman "Wind and wire" The Belgian composer, producer and musician Frank van Bogaert is a master in creating music that brings together all the best from great melodic synthesizer music, film-like music and rhythmic pop Human, his fourth album, is the best example of his skills until now. Frank really composes music: his melodies are thoughtful and built up with very much feeling and room for details. After the short opening Awakening” excellent effects open Ballet which is perhaps the best piece of music Frank has ever written: sublime melodies reminiscent of Vangelis himself and strong rhythms. This influence can also be heard well in the title track, which could easily come from one of the recent albums of the Grandmaster. Sometimes Frank slows down like in beautiful tracks like Lullaby and Naked in which he sits behind a grand piano. Influences from ethnic music can be heard in pieces like Ouverture Des Enfants and Rêve d'Afrique. The last number on the album is called Warmth. Actually, this is all where Franks music is all about. It combines relaxing piano sounds and beautiful atmospheres. Human, an album with a very “human” sound, deserves to be listened to. Paul Rijkens 4th album after "Colours", "Geographic" and "Docking" Packed in a great digipack designed by brother Kris, this CD is yet another milestone for Frank. Kees Aerts These are my first impressions on Frank's new album which I received yesterday. I'll do another review once I get back from my holidays in a couple of weeks' time, when it has had time to settle in. 1. Awakening [2:25] It's either Frank van Bogaert or it's Vangelis (That's a compliment, BTW !). Looking at the cover, I see it's FvB. Beautiful stuff. Too short by a long way...erm, if you see what I mean. :-) 2. Ballet [5:25] Very cool. Lots of electronic sounds and great melodies. 3. Technologika [6:02] I'm currently having a bit of trouble getting past the 'bagpipe' lead sound, but the track is melodically strong, so maybe I'll grow to like it. 4. Atmospheric Conditions [5:47] Currently one of my favourites. After a gentle intro, it becomes quite a dynamic number. More relaxed in structure than usual, this might be an example of the 'improvised' style Frank alludes to in the liner notes. 5. Meander [6:18] The whole feel of this track reminds me of Jon and Vangelis' version of 'State of Independence'. It features.......real sax lead ! But don't panic - it's done with taste and feeling. 6. Human [5:10] Has a similar vibe to a lot of the stuff on 'Docking', which was quite a dark album overall. Not sure about this track just yet. 7. Lullaby [4:05] Unsurprisingly, a gentle and sleepy number. Not saccharin-sweet, though. 8. Ouverture des enfants [6:05] A good old uptempo Frank van Bogaert trademark track. I defy anyone to keep their feet still while listening to this one. 9. Reunion [6:24] Restrained dynamics handled in a expert way. Has a bit of a dark mood to it, again. 10. Naked [6:28] Ambient and evocative, gentle and shimmery. I like it a lot. 11. Rêve d'Afrique [3:50] Quite a jolly piece with a strong melody and a sense of motion/travelling. 12. Warmth [3:31] This has a sort of Discrete Music vibe to it. Mellow and gorgeous. Again, too short. As usual, the sound quality is outstanding and the Digipak presentation is very professional. Another winner from the talented Belgian! I still think 'Geographic' is his best album, but if you like Frank's style, this latest one is a no-brainer. Enjoy. Grant M. Könnte gut sein, dass sich die Initialen des Belgiers Frank Van Bogaert in nicht allzu ferner Zukunft zu einem Merkenzeichnen entwicklen, das in einem Atemzug mit JMJ und TD genannt wird. “Human” ist nämlich in nicht einmal vier Jahren schon das dritte Album (zu “Geographic” und “Docking” siehe KB 08/02), auf dem FVB seinen meisterlichen Umgang mit allem beweist, was den Puls von ‘EM’-Traditionalisten bechleunigen hilft. Knackige Drums à la Jean Michel Jarre und himmelwärts schwebende Synthischleier in Tangerine-Dream-Manier, dazu folklore-artige Melodie-Motive à la Mike Oldfield, unaufdringlich eingebettere ‘Ethno’-samples und in “Meander” (track 5) ein Echtzeit-Sax (als Gast : Frank De Ruytter), das auch eine Linda Spa – Anfang der Neunziger in TD-Konzerten ein heute schmerzlich vermisster Blickfang – nicht sauberer geblasen hätte : das sind kaum zu widerlegende Argumente pro Brüsseler Spitzen-Elektronik. Albrecht Piltz (review : Keyboards – German edition - 10/02 -september 2002) Like Frank himself tells us in the leaflet accompanying his new album, in "Human" he has bet for improvisation rather more than in his previous works. The result of having allowed himself to follow the inspiration of the moment has been fully fruitful. On the one hand, we have the basic style of his previous albums, where he portrays a musical landscape of multiple influences. On the other hand, we find a warmth and spontainety that remind us of those typical in a live performance. Between melodic Synth Pop and the New Instrumental Music, all the CD has an air mainly blissful, optimistic, full of positive energy. ALEJANDRO HINOJOSA Van Bogaert’s latest album sees this underrated but increasingly important musician mixing many different styles of electronic music with a homogenous feel that marks this out as a classy album that takes on some famous names and beats them at their awn game. For instance, listen to the opening duo of the gentle “Awakening” and triumphant and exuberant “Ballet” and you realize that here is the man who stole Vangelis’ crown and while the ethnic touches show some Enigma likenesses this superb piece effortlessly wipes the floor with Cretu and co in terms of melodic complexity and in the warmth that Frank injects into each number. This is even more evident in the lively “Technologika” which mixes. Sequences Electronic Music – special edition nb 27 This fourth release from the Belgian musician Frank Van Bogaert sees this increasingly important musician mixing many different styles of electronic music with a homogenous feel that often beats even the most famous names at their own game. For instance, listen to the opening duo of the gentle "Awakening" & the triumphant & exhuberant "Ballet" & you realise that here is the man who stole Vangelis' crown & while the ethnic touches show some Enigma likenesses this superb piece effortlessly wipes the floor with Cretu & co in terms of melodic complexity & in the warmth that Frank injects into each number. This is even more evident in the lively "Technologika" which mixes a Scottish-style lead synth with up-tempo rhythms for an utterly irresistible piece.The ethnic voice samples that colour certain sections see Frank making use of all the possibilities that modern EM has to offer & mixing them in a style that, even if it's not totally innovative (I thought of Tangerine Dream on more than one occasion whilst listening to this track!) is expertly executed & does have a definite personal touch. Frank De Ruytter's sax adds to the chilled-out feel of "Meander" which possesses a mood that is gently but unmistakably cheerful & not at all diluted by the engagingly dynamic mid-section. While this might, in some cases make for a rather twee 'new age'-style album this music is far too emotionally involved to be dismissed in such a fashion & It's this asset that breathes life into the whole album, whether it's the gentle piano-led "Lullaby" or the globally-influenced "Reve D'Afrique" where the African chants easily put across to the listener this track's global influences. In a similar manner the lively "Ouverture Des Enfants" just as accurately captures the carefree joys of the children it describes whilst the tenderness that shines through this track & the album as a whole means that the title of the closing piece "Warmth" is a most appropriate one!! "Human" & "Reunion" both benefit from some superb piano work, with Anthony Boast's Viola Braguesa (a Portugese instrument) providing a fitting counterpoint on the latter track while the initially isolated notes that are sprinkled like icing over "Naked" gradually become the focal point of the piece until the strings & human voices add to the ever-present romantic feel of the music. Whilst certain artists who work in this field of EM have the tendency to go overboard in terms of overt sweetness Frank avoids these pitfalls & it's this fine balancing act that makes this album the success it so obviously is. Rating: 8/10 Carl Jenkinson This CD from 2002 features 62 minutes of vibrantly dynamic electronic music. uilding on various European electronic influences, Van Bogaert has developed his own style that is both masterful and delicate. His chords are majestically epic, while his structure ranges from experimental to deeply classical. The music itself, though, is contemporary electronics of valorous proportion with a rhythmic presence and eloquent melodics. Versatile keyboards belt out sequences and power riffs, melding with interlocking textural foundations and strenuously intricate (and often overpowering) E-perc to produce energetic tune age that is capable of knocking the listener from their seat. This power lies not just in Van Bogaert's authoritative delivery, but stems from his powerful compositions which seethe with unbridled voracity and passion. This music fills the audience with inspiration and the promise of greatness. Frequently enhancing the music's scope are non-lyrical vocal choirs, while other tracks feature steamy saxophone and wistful viola. There's no spacey journeys here, nor drifting passages through high altitude clouds capes. All of Van Bogaert's creative juices are channeled into interpreting the human condition in electronic melodies, a task that he superbly achieves with this CD. These tracks convey a richness of organic quality, communicating non-verbally with the inner psyche. Matt Howarth / Sonic Curiosity