Awaken (band)


Awaken is an underground rock band / indie music project based in Belgium. They released two official albums and numerous demo tapes and web-only singles since their early days in 1988.
Not related to the modern Belgian scene at all, Awaken gained interest from Vietnamese people since the release of a Vietnamese song and legend, "Chú Mèo Ngủ Quên", and in Japan with the virtual EP "別府NIGHTS". Recently, a cover of a Vietnamese children song "Rửa Mặt Như Mèo" has been recorded and has been heard on Vietnamese internet, though not officially released.
Since 2005, Awaken is part of the team of the indies Japanese label based in Miyazaki city.

The name

Though looking like a tribute to a Yes song, the name AWAKEN means "a matter of bubbles", according to the Japanese translation :
AWAKEN's style mixes disco beats and progressive structures, karaoke arrangements and heavy sounds, Belgian New Beat rhythms and romantic new wave. The instrumentation is often focussed on keyboards and electronic sounds though electric guitar and bass guitar are more audible in recent songs.
AWAKEN's latest songs have been influenced by various places in Japan, Vietnam and the rest of the world : "The Train Is Leaving Kokura" mentions Kokura and Usa, "Beppu Nights" happens in Beppu, known for its hot springs, "Wasabi Kiss" describes the peninsula of Shuzenji, "Yanagigaura" evoques the feeling of loneliness in the small city of :ja:柳ヶ浦駅|Yanagigaura and "As A Start : Cà Phê And Pizza" is an imaginary trip from Italy, Vietnam and Japan. The 2009 single "My Last Evening In 大分" / "Chase Around 大分駅" is based on Gilles Snowcat's own memories of the city of Ôita, Japan.

Musicians

Being a project more than a band, different musicians appear following the recordings of the band, some as members and some as guests.

Present musicians (members and guests)

AWAKEN mixes original songs and covers, a similar attitude to Manfred Mann and Vanilla Fudge earlier.
Artists that have been covered by AWAKEN include:
AWAKEN has a side-project named NEKOKAWA since 2002, focussing on the ambient side of its music. NEKOKAWA is 猫川 in Japanese and Dòng Sông Mèo in Vietnamese.

Discography

LP

Party In Lyceum's Toilets is the second album by the music project Awaken, released in 2001. This double CD features original songs and covers.

History

While its predecessor, Tales Of Acid Ice Cream, was completed in one studio only, Party In Lyceum's Toilets was recorded on a portable studio that was brought along to meet several musicians in Belgium and France. The first takes come from 1999, as the album was recorded rather slowly.

Controversy

Despite his efforts to introduce the new Awaken as a band, leader Gilles Snowcat fails, as the booklet details show that the quartet hardly plays together on more than 6 of the 41 tracks. The main band is then dubbed by 12 additional musicians. In some songs Snowcat plays alone or only with guest musicians, which caused anger from the main singer and the lead guitarist. Apart from the keyboardist, none of the musicians had played on the previous album Tales Of Acid Ice Cream.

Trivia

  1. Interlude: Misty Conclusion
  2. I'll Disagree
  3. Cold As My Heart
  4. Carla's Dream
  5. Neons Of Lyceum's Toilets
  1. Interlude: The True Story Of Maïté D.H.
  2. Down The Drain
  3. Dead In A Subway
  4. Cutting My Loved One
  5. Spleen Fourteen
  1. Interlude: Ellen's Orange Room
  2. Lycée Nase
  3. Bonnie Parker Rêve
  4. Britney And Barry
  1. Electric Time
  2. Four Dreams Suite: i. Günz Over The 'A' ; c) Nine Elements Of Life) ii. Polygonal Mirror iii. Rising Forest iv. The Test v. Sweet Wave Of Ice Cream vi. Out Of The Flowerwall vii. Tygersmile viii. Interlude 6 ix. Sandrine x. 8888 xi. Subliminal Mountain xii. The World Where Bears Never Lock The Door xiii. Cucumber Phone xiv. Picture From An April's Dream xv. Lady S xvi. The Last Escape Of Lady S xvii. Dark Spring xviii. Four Dreams Epilogue

    Track Listing CD 2 (covers)

  1. One Caress
  2. Eesom
  3. Send My Body Home
  4. One Thing / Best Kept Lies
  1. L.A. Is My Lady
  2. Run Out Of Time
  3. You're Really Out Of Line / Golden Age Dreams / I'm Gonna Love You / Heart Of Me
  1. Nothing Else Matters
  2. Chrysalide / Open The Kingdom / The Dance
  3. Sweet Thing
  1. Koyaanisqatsi / Shandi / This Is Love
  2. Interlude: Clouds And Rain
  3. In Search Of England
  4. Tyger / Everybody
  5. Sweet Dream Machine / Come Into My Life / Love I Never Knew You Could Feel So Good
  6. Something I Should Have Known
  7. Taking It Back
  8. Interlude: Jazzy
  9. Young Girls
  10. Interlude: Once Upon A Time
  11. Only The Fool Survives
  12. Hearts To Heart / Moonwalk
  13. Here Today
  14. The Candidate
  15. Until...

    Musicians

, Awaken, Patrick Laplagne, 1030, Peter Clasen.

Availability

Online. Catalog number : awalp-002

Outtakes

Three songs had been completely recorded but finally dumped :
Other songs have been worked but never fully recorded : a cover version of Marillion's "The Party" and Yes' "Big Generator" being on the list. Other Awaken songs were planned to appear but not chosen on the final list and not even recorded at all.
Most of the tapes have been deleted, which means a future remix without the songs fading out has become impossible to do.

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