Frank Van Bogaert – One out of five

9 reviews for Frank Van Bogaert – One out of five

1. 

   Geoffrey Keogh / Ireland (Dublin) – 2022-11-22

   Just recieved this new compliation & it gives a good cross section Of this experianced artist. Nice rythmic ,Melodic pieces that make him a great contribution to the world of EM. some of the tracks just blew me away. Closer,Human & geographic
   to name a few.
   Worthy pruchase to your collection

   2006. Geoffrey Keogh / Ireland (Dublin)

2. 

   Luc Descamps / Prog-Nose – 2022-11-22

   Does Belgium has its own Vangelis? No doubt that this is a quote quite some people would like to make fun of until they hear this compilation of Frank van Bogaerts music.Loyal to his own work and regardless of any commercial law whatsoever Frank has chosen only to put his own un-remixed material from former cds on this album. The result is a very well balanced compilation showing the most precious songs hes ever published. The composer goes far beyond the endless repetitive sounds that are so characteristic for a lot of ambient music and proves that electronic music is still alive.
   The music breathes a dreamy, exotic atmosphere, often supported by very driven percussion, going from soft and intimate to vast and magisterial. Especially in this latter range of sounds Frank reminds a lot of Vangelis without bringing a lesser quality than the master in this genre. Just listen to the first two tracks to understand what Im talking about.Choosing between Franks five albums is a difficult thing to do, but now the composer offers us the ideal solution; 77 minutes of high quality instrumental music to get acquainted with this great talent within the electronic genre.

   2006. Luc Descamps / Prog-Nose

3. 

   Stephan Schelle – 2022-11-22

   Nach der Verffentlichung von fnf CDs zieht der Belgier Frank van Bogaert Ende 2005 ein Resmee und bringt eine Best Of-CD unter dem Titel One Out Of Five heraus. Frank hat mit der Zusammenstellung einige seiner schnsten Melodien auf dieses Album gebracht. Dabei ist er nicht in chronologischer Reihenfolge vorgegangen. Das fhrt auf dem Gesamtwerk aber nicht etwa zu einem Bruch. Nein vielmehr zeigt es

4. 

   Serge Kozlovsky / Belarus – 2022-11-22

   What are the reasons we love Frank Van Bogaerts music ? Is it because it is very melodious & excellently composed or the fact that the music of this belgian composer is always varied & genuine ? Yes,but his creative work attracts me mostly because life gushes in Frank van Bogaerts compositions. His music possesses a mighty inspired male origin which is always in perpetual motion and carries the listeners with it, spurring them to follow the composers creative conception with unflagging interest.
   The One out of Five” album includes compositions chosen from Franks five previous solo albums. One can really find the composers best pieces on it. I would call the composition “rorogwela”

5. 

   DL – 2022-11-22

   I often lump albums together under the melodic / rhythmic banner. What I tend to mean by this is music which is accessible, that even your friends might like, without compromising on sound Electronic Music credentials. Frank Van Bogaert fits that description perfectly. This is a ‘Best Of’ budget priced (at least at the time of writing this) compilation that well showcases this fantastically talented musician / tunesmith and as such is a perfect way of sampling his work.

   Little wordless vocal touches mix with twangy sequence and foot tapping rhythms on the wonderful opener ‘Human’ from the album of the same name. A plucked string melody adds an irresistible joyful element. Like everything on this album it is all so tuneful but also easy to get on with.
   ‘Closer’ is the title track from his latest album and fairly cracks into life as static laden electronic fizzes mix with multi layered rhythms and melodies which you could actually hum. The pace picks up at just over the half way mark reaching ecstatic proportions. It’s all so catchy and just bloody marvellous!
   ‘Deserts’ from ‘Geographic‘ is based around a jaunty sequence accompanied by melodies which will stick in your head for a long time after the cd is out of the player. Very uplifting and exuberant music that would make a great theme tune to a sports programme.
   ‘Rorogwela’, from ‘Closer’ is a very gentle piece which slows the pace down a little, the restrained rhythms being of a faintly ethnic variety but with the most stunning piano melody. There is even something of a Scottish sounding flourish at the end! Over all it is fairly romantic I suppose but not overly smulchy.
   ‘Home by the Sea’, from ‘Docking’ starts appropriately with the sound of waves breaking on the shore then various ethnic sounds including flute and tabla type drums are introduced. The overall feel is a combination of East and West. Again, the lead lines are just irresistible. Even the rhythms are so damned catchy. The track builds and builds into quite a frenzy then comes down to a gentle calm conclusion for the last minute. It’s just like having a quiet brandy on the veranda at the end of a day of partying.
   ‘Ballet’, from ‘Human’ is a curious title for a track that sounds anything but balletic. It starts relatively slowly but still powerfully. As we progress the pads and melodies begin to swell to epic proportions. I can just see if being used as a backdrop to some African nature programme.
   I must admit that ‘Falling Leaves’ from ‘Closer’ does rather trip the SMD ‘twee filter’. It is just too ‘nice’ for my tastes being mainly a short piano solo. I suppose people with more mainstream tastes might consider it to be a highlight of the album though.
   ‘Violet’, from ‘Colours’ begins with some ethnic chanting to which is added a beautiful slow melody bringing up images of lazy summer afternoons.
   Dark undulating drones overlaid by all sorts of effects and swirling sounds get the title track from ‘Docking’ underway. At just under three minutes a jaunty sequence starts up and we get some brief snippets of heavily vocoded speech. The drums come in at the same time as a gorgeous melody played on plucked strings. The contrast between such beautiful optimistic music and the darkness of the first couple of minutes couldn’t be more marked. Those that like a good, almost lyrical, tune will just love this. At six minutes the pace starts to quicken and the whole sound becomes even more powerful but still retaining the melodic quality of before.
   On ‘Geographic’ warbling atmospherics make way for a great melody. We then get American Indian style chanting which does rather bring to mind a multitude of other CDs using the same sort of sample but it isn’t just chucked in for the sake of it, it fits very well with the driving rhythm and the whole mood of the track. When the chant momentarily disappears a beautiful piano melody takes the lead role.
   ‘Blue’, from ‘Colours’ starts with a repeated melodic refrain to which is added a chugging rhythm. It develops into a lovely dreamy number.
   ‘Atmospheric Conditions’, from ‘Human’ uses the sound of a rainy, stormy night as a backdrop for tuneful colouring with a slight oriental feel to it. Then in come vast drum flourishes and the track really takes off with looped angelic vocal effects in the middle of the mix softening slightly the wonderful rhythmic salvos. Exciting stuff!
   ‘A State of Mind’, from ‘Docking’ is slow paced but again jaunty and rhythmic. It has some spoken vocals low in the mix which work very well in the overall context of the piece.
   We finish with ‘Earth’ and for the first few seconds it sounded just like a cover of ‘Chariots of Fire’ but the piano melody turns out to be very different- an absolutely fantastic ‘tune’ nevertheless which I defy anyone not to like.

   I don’t believe anyone can learn to create music as beautiful and ‘stay in the head’ as this. It is a gift that few have but boy does Frank have it! The lucky sod.

   2006. DL

6. 

   flyingman / WAWL Chattanooga State (USA) – 2022-11-22

   Thanks so very much for the two best cds in my library. Frank V. B. is so much the very best groove in there baby. It is so hot! The cd art is fantastic, the soundscapes are intricately full and projectile. He is an incredibly progressive musician with a depth unparalleled. world beat, symphonic , electronic, chill out a must for any club lounge with balls.
   I moods, Frank has a magnetic and intensifying air of electro-magnetism with increasing strength keeping you attentive to the next musical mood swing into another. nice long tracks that could go on all night.
   In there with the best also my friends.

   2006. flyingman / WAWL Chattanooga State (USA)

7. 

   Johan Giglot – 2022-11-22

   Met zijn fantasierijke, zeemzoete synthesizermuziek wordt Frank Van Bogaert al eens de Vlaamse Vangelis genoemd. Die vergelijking houdt steek, want met zijn zogenaamde EM (‘Electronic Music’) doolt de man al zo’n vijf platen lang in fantasialand. Het budgetvriendelijke ‘One Out of Five’ overloopt even de hoogtepunten van de 8jarige carrire van deze eigenaar van de ACE Studios in Aartselaar.
   Hoewel, ‘even’? In meer dan 77 minuten laat de synth-meester Oosterse en Westerse culturen samenvloeien en combineert hij met verve typische jaren ’70 klanken met moderne en diepgaande effecten.

   De voorliefde voor kenmerkende muziek la Vangelis, Jean-Michael Jarre of Klaus Schulze wordt niet onder stoelen of banken gestoken. Met een half geopend oor lijken de tunes van ‘Chariots of Fire’ of ‘Conquest of Paradise’ voortdurend op de loer te liggen. Gelukkig vervalt Frank Van Bogaert niet in clichs. Een diep liggende ondertoon van etnische ritmes (ontleend aan Deep Forest en ERA) schenkt deze veelgelaagde muziek een fijne extra dimensie. Vooral in zijn latere werk vormt dit een organisch en warm geheel van magische muziek.
   Opener ‘Human‘ wordt zo’n vijf minuten voortgedreven door een stuwende loop die wat weg heeft van een geforceerde ademhaling. Zacht strelend gitaarwerk en wegdraaiende effecten verhogen de spanningsfactor, terwijl zwevende klanken toch weer rust brengen. Een kluwen van emoties is wel meermaals aanwezig. Zo biedt deze cd een mooi evenwicht tussen pathetische, introverte en romantische nummers. Een veelgelaagd tapijt van synthesizergolven vermengt zich moeiteloos met schijnbaar live ingespeelde instrumentale partijen en vormt zo een te genieten dynamiek. Toch wringt er af en toe wat in het geluidsspectrum van Van Bogaert. T verouderde geluiden of melodietjes blijven teruggrijpen naar de begin jaren’80-periode.
   Het open bloeiende ‘Desert‘ probeert een net iets t goed gevoel op te roepen en nummers als ‘Ballet‘ golven maar wat sfeervol op en neer zonder echt te overtuigen.
   Ook het traag omwentelende en rollende ‘Violet‘ is weinig opzichtig met zijn tikkende ritme en daar voegen sjamanenzangen helaas weinig aan toe.
   Als songs zoals ‘Docking‘ of ‘A State of Mind‘ dan nog afklokken op 7 8 minuten, wordt het van dit alles een beetje teveel.

   ‘One Out of Five’ geeft een mooi en zeker lang genoeg overzicht van het werk van dit miskend Belgisch talent. Frank Van Bogaert weet in zijn muziekstijl boeiende, doordachte en fantasierijke muziek te brengen. Electronic Music is, omwille van zijn veroudering, echter nog een zelden bewandelde muzikale weg. Het bewust werken met primitieve elektronische synthesizerklanken spreekt de inventiviteit van de cd wat tegen waardoor ‘consumeren in kleine hapjes’ een goede boodschap lijkt.

   2006. Johan Giglot

8. 

   Phil Derby / Electroambient Space – 2022-11-22

   As the name suggests, this compilation is culled from Frank Van Bogaerts five CDs, from Colours in 1998 to Closer in 2004. No bonus tracks, no remixes, just fan and personal favorites. Even so, those who already own the entire back catalog may want to have this, for the new arrangement of tracks and for the absolutely beautiful artwork and detailed booklet. If you havent had the pleasure of hearing Franks music before, of course this is a perfect place to start.

   The disc opens right in the middle with the title track from 2002s Human. The trademark Van Bogaert sound is on full display the concise composing, the blend of electronic and acoustic-sounding elements, and the ever-accessible hummable melody, always brimming with emotion and a touch of majesty.
   Closer” is next

9. 

   LouLou / Prog-rsiste – 2022-11-22

   La Belgique a toujours eu une certaine rputation dans le domaine de l’lectronique, le plus connu de tous tant sans doute Telex, mais plus souvent dans le crneau de la pop dite facile”. Au niveau des artistes de fond