Neuronium
Neuronium | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
Genres | New-age, electronic |
Years active | 1977–present |
Labels | Neuronium Records |
Members | Michel Huygen |
Past members |
Carlos Guirao Albert Giménez |
Neuronium is a Spanish electronic music group created by Michel Huygen in 1976. The official biography claims Quasar 2C361 (1977) to be the first cosmic music album recorded in Spain. Over 40 albums have been released under the Neuronium/Michel Huygen label.
History
For a brief time after its founding, Neuronium was a quintet, composed of a percussionist, bassist, guitarist and two synthetists. The guitarist (Albert Giménez) and both synthesists (Michel Huygen and Carlos Guirao, who also play guitars) recorded Quasar 2C361, in 1978, under the label EMI-Harvest. In 1978 Neuronium's second album Vuelo Químico inspired by the lyrics of Edgar Allan Poe was released, with the participation of singer Nico, famous for her work with The Velvet Underground, followed by the departure of Albert Giménez.
In 1980 Neuronium released "Digital Dream" under their own label, Neuronium Records, with the collaboration of guitarist Santi Picó. Musician and producer Klaus Schulze made a remix of the album free of charge, but Neuronium chose to release their own mix of the album because of the legal restraints.[1]
"The Visitor" (1981) and "Chromium Echoes" (1982) were released next, the former being the last album with the participation of Carlos Guirao. Thereafter, Michel Huygen was the only member of the band, with occasional collaborations of guitarist Santi Picó. At the same time as those two albums were released, solo albums by Michel Huygen ("Absence of Reality") and Carlos Guirao ("Revelation") were published.
Neuronium collaborated with Vangelis in 1981. A recording of their performance on the Spanish television programme "Musical Express" was released under the titles In London in 1992, Separate Affair in 1996, and In London (Platinum Edition) in 2002.
In May 1986 Michel Huygen was inaugurated by Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain as the person in charge of the department of electronic music of the Centre of Art Queen Sofía of Madrid.
Albums such as "Sybaris" (1991), "Psykya" (1996), "Hydro" (2001), "Azizi" (2002), "Sensorial" (2004) were the milestones of later Neuronium/Huygen production.
Album "Hydro" (2001) became the best-seller of Huygen's music. More than 150,000 copies were sold worldwide.[2] By 2001 a million copies of Michel Huygen's various records had been sold.
Neuronium Records was created in 2002 as the personal label of Michel Huygen, on which works from other artists like Suzanne Ciani, Constance Demby, Pascal Languirand, Jonn Serrie, Nadia Sohaei and The Lab were released, among others.
In some sources, including CD booklets, Neuronium's music is referred to as psychotronic, which purpose is to reach a state of harmony between the body and soul. From a more formal perspective, music by Neuronium covers several electronic music styles, including new-age, ambient and space music.
Discography
- (1977): Quasar 2C361 (Neuronium)
- (1978): Vuelo Quimico (Neuronium)
- (1980): Digital Dream (Neuronium) remastered as The New Digital Dream, with new cover
- (1981): The Visitor (Neuronium) remastered as The New Visitor, with new cover
- (1982): Chromium Echoes (Neuronium)
- (1982): Absence of Reality (Huygen)
- (1983): Invisible Views (Neuronium)
- (1984): Heritage (Neuronium)
- (1984): Capturing holograms (Huygen)
- (1986): Barcelona 1992 (Huygen)
- (1987): Supranatural (Neuronium)
- (1988): From Madrid to Heaven (live) (Neuronium)
- (1989): Elixir (Huygen)
- (1990): Olim (Neuronium)
- (1990): Numerica (Neuronium)
- (1990): Intimo (Huygen)
- (1991): Extrisimo (Neuronium, including tracks from Huygen's solo works)
- (1991): Sybaris (Neuronium)
- (1992): En busca del misterio (Huygen)
- (1993): Oniria (Neuronium)
- (1994): Infinito (Huygen)
- (1995): Música para la buena mesa (Huygen) (collection of tracks from other albums by Neuronium and Michel Huygen)
- (1995): Sonar (live) (Neuronium)
- (1995): Astralia (Huygen)
- (1997): Psykya (Neuronium)
- (1999): Ultracosmos (Huygen)
- (1999): Alienikon (Neuronium)
- (2000): Directo al Corazón (Huygen)
- (2001): Hydro (Neuronium)
- (2002): Placebo (Huygen)
- (2002): Azizi ( Neuronium)
- (2005): Mystykatea (Neuronium)
- (2006): Synapsia (Neuronium)
- (2006): Angkor - Extreme Meditation. Vol.1 (Huygen)
- (2007): Irawadi - Extreme Meditation. Vol.2 (Huygen)
- (2008): Nihilophobia (Neuronium)
- (2010): Etykagnostyka (Neuronium)
- (2010): Hydro 2. The Deep End (Neuronium)
- (2010): Krung Thep - Extreme Meditation Vol.3 (Huygen)
- (2012): Exosomnia (Neuronium)
Unnumbered titles
- (1987): Alma (Neuronium) (remixes)
- (1993): In London (Neuronium); (recorded in 1981 with Vangelis); remastered and partly rerecorded as "A Separate Affair" (1996) and "In London (Platinum Edition)" (2002), with new covers
- (1998): Oniria Neuromance; (CDR) (compilation album)
- (1998): Todos Sus Grabaciones Para Discos EMI/Harvest (1977–1978) (Neuronium) (compilation double album; includes albums "Quasar 2C361" and "Vuelo Quimico")
- (1999): Droit Au Coeur (Huygen) (compilation album)
- (2000): Caldea Music (this is an album not mentioned on official site; but sure is a recording of Huygen; later parts of the album were remixed, rerecorded and released as "Hydro" in 2001)
- (2003): Soplo Vital (Huygen) for ANOREXBU, a psychotherapeutic Association of Anorexia, Bulimia and Light addictions;
- (2003): LSD (Cybernium) (collaboration work with Pascal Languirand of Trans-X)
- (2004): Sensorial (Huygen) (includes re-worked version of "Ultracosmos" track under the title "Percepción Cósmica" ("Senso") with guitar playing by Santi Picó)
- (2005): Chilled drive (Huygen) (compilation album)
- (2007): Neuroworld (DVD)
- (2007): Magic Samui (Huygen)
- (2010): Hypnotika (CD ROM with visuals)
- (2010): Zen Driving (Huygen)
Other
- (1990): Dalí: the endless enigma; one track: The Great masturbator.
- (1998): Soudscape Gallery 2; one track: Megaluz.
- (2002): Pascal Languirand. Renaissance; Huygen wrote the music for the track: Vivre/Sólo Pensando En Tí (the same song performed in French and Spanish version).
- (2003): Trans-X. The Drag-Matic Album; producer, executive producer.
- (2003): E-Live 1999-2002. Compilation live album. Contains one untitled live track (2002) recorded by Neuronium with Pascal Languirand.
Online releases
- (2006): Mentalia (Huygen) (includes the only track "Senso" from "Sensorial" album)
Remastered, remixed and partly re-recorded versions:
- (2010): Quasar 2C361/Ultimate Edition(Neuronium)
- (2010): Chromium Echoes/Ultimate Edition(Neuronium)
- (2010): Vuelo Quimico/Ultimate Edition(Neuronium)
- (2010): Digital Dream/Ultimate Edition(Neuronium)
- (2010): Oniria (Neuronium)
- (2011): From Madrid to Heaven (Neuronium)
- (2011): The Visitor/Ultimate Edition(Neuronium)
- (2013): Megaluz (single)
Upcoming works
As the official website claims, the following albums are to be released in the period 2013-2014:
- Structure (Huygen)
- Untitled project with Kitaro
See also
- Neuronium Records
References
- ↑ "Neuronium | Digital dream / Ultimate edition | CD Baby Music Store". Cdbaby.com. Retrieved 2014-06-08.
- ↑ "Hydro" — album notes
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Michel Huygen. |
- Official Neuronium Web Site
- Official Neuronium Myspace page
- Official site by Cybernium - collaboration project by Pascal Languirand and Michel Huygen
- Official site of Extreme Meditation series by Michel Huygen
- Neuronium Entry at Discogs.com
- Neuronium Entry at EEM
- Article about Neuronium history
- Article about collaboration work by Vangelis and Neuronium
- Neuronium and Vangelis at Youtube
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