LIMITE
Mountains Inside
(2020 - Off Records - Belgium)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2uMctvevgI&feature=emb_logo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibg2QSIKBxw&feature=emb_logo

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https://stilll-off.bandcamp.com/album/mountains-inside

A multi-dimensional 5 piece Belgian band that creates various shades of both melancholy and fleeting, but always resilient tunes. 'Mountains Inside' contains some atmospheres of old prototype progressive rock, tinges of psychedelic, some occasional heavy riffs (which appears to come from early hard rock), smooth jazz, some avant-garde 'out there style',and a generous amount of melodic dream-like parts. The band does have a confidence and energy that may even remind one of the grunge band Nirvana at times (but only spots). This is their first album, and impressive in scope and execution.

Perhaps the collective accomplishments of the 5 members tell the story of this exceptional work. Below are the credits stated by the Off label info. The short version is Kobe Dupont - vocals,guitar/ Benjamin Sauzereau - guitar, vocals/ Camille-Alban Spreng - keyboards/ Jordi Cassagne - bass, and who wrote most of the songs, except 'Be Not Sad' composed by Benjamin Sauzereau, using words of James Joyce [from Chamber Music] and 'The Inside' written/composed by Camille-Alban Spreng/ and Théo Lanau - drums. For a more detailed and interesting background:

"Kobe Dupont graduated the royal conservatory in Brussels  in the class of 2017. He has released several recordings  with diverse musical projects, as vocalist with Limite,  as both guitarist and songwriter for the americana- collective Geppetto & The Whales, guitarist for dream- pop band Leonore and in theatre."

"Benjamin Sauzereau is a french guitar player and  composer living in Belgium. He has been leading for some  years the following bands, Les Chroniques de l’Inutile,  Easy Pieces, Philémon, the Sauzereau/Roosens duo, and a  Solo program. He co-founded the Brussels based Label  ~suite. He wrote scores for film and worked with dancers  (Meytal Blanauru’s “We were the future”)."

"Camille-Alban Spreng is a Swiss pianist and composer  living in Brussels and trained by Emil Spanyi, Eric  Legnini and Kris Defoort. Since 2010 he has taken part  in and created projects in such varied fields as jazz,  improvised music, art performance, and theatre. In 2011  he was featured in a performance of Adrien Barazzone’s  Ni Fleurs, Ni Couronne at the Montreux Jazz Festival. He  is now playing with various bands such as his quintet  Odil, with which he released two albums on the German  label QFTF."

"Jordi Cassagne is a bass, double bass player and  composer based in Brussels. Since his beginning, he is  strolling over the course of his artistic  collaborations. Jordi graduated both in Jazz and Early  Music. He is performing his own music with the jazz  quartet Nouroog, and with the alternative rock band  Limite. As a sideman he is currently playing with  Terpsichore, Julien Marga 4tet, Le Bal de Marie Galante,  Haratago, Omega Impact, Bengalifère."

"Théo Lanau is a French drummer, improviser and composer  based in Brussels. In constant personnal research, he is  writing and performing his music with the band Grand  Partir. As a sideman, he is very active on the jazz  scene (Amaury Faye trio, Terpsichore, Mobilhome,  Petrole), as well as post-rock (Limite) and chanson  (Nicolas Ankoudinoff)."  

It is with great imagination that these different songs connect so nicely to each other, having such distinctly different genres attached, but Limite easily fuse and use the education of their skills to perform it with ease. I can think of two groups that do or did this so successfully, which are very far apart in both years, region, and general category. One is the third (and only the 3rd) album by the 1970's Greek band AXIS (now long gone), and the other more current (although they go  back to 1989)) is Norway's Motorpsycho. Each outfit has made music on one release that covers miles of territory that would seem impossible for one band to do, and do all superbly, as if they were experts at each corner. I am speaking of a vast display of styles covered in such a way of course. We all know progressive rock has usually been combinations of styles, but again, I am talking huge leaps of ground done here, all on one disc. A deep listening for yourself will do more good. I must add, Limite do not sound like either of the two comparisons I mention here. They just took another collection of styles and did it in an exemplary way. It actually deserves the word stunning. Ten compositions that give the listener 48 minutes of wonderland mostly. While the name, no matter how it is meant, whether in an electronic circuit, a passage way, or any sort of limitation, the fact is that this ensemble of musicians really are the opposite of any form of limit. I hope the band will forgive me for saying the cover and inside (a nice gatefold digipak with booklet) all look very 1970's, but in a fond and warmly inviting way. The music certainly brings about a glow and pleasant reaction. It might be of interest that Pierre Vervloesem mastered this. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  

  ©Reviewed by Lee Henderson 1 - 28 - 2021