A.V.S. Nederlands pop instituut, Sept. 2003. Fret, Okt. 2003.

World music

Labryenco-Calle ventana (I-C-U-B-4-T-cup 8024)

Alain Labrie and co. are the top of the bill of the Dutch flamenco and the various members are known from bands like Les Charmeurs and da Gaia.
In a shaky house build in 1628 guitar player Labrie lives and works on the perfectioning of his intimate and sometimes fiery play. In the same place this debut album was recorded.
A dreamy record as well as the accompanying miniature stories and reflections in the accompanying booklet.
And also a smashing record because once the rattling rhythms got started and some hoarse throats are opened, sparks are all over the place setting everything on fire.

Jean-Pierre Geelen

Tablao flamenco, nr. 17, 01-09-2003.
From the "Raamstraat"

From our own country (the Netherlands) recently "Calle ventana by labryenco, the company around guitarist Alain Labrie, was released.
The name of this band is a wordgame. The cd title (and the tangos with the same title) is a reference to the old house in the Hague's Raamstraat where the guitarist used to live and made the recordings. The quality of these recordings is surprisingly good, as can be heard on Calle ventana's nine titles.
Without exeption Labrie's guitar claims a central position, but what also strikes me is the use of other instruments, such as violin, cello and balalaika.
Personal I'm not a great fan of violin in flamenco, there's always the risk of boredom. Besides that the melodys don't always have enough depth to keep the listener attached.
The whole sounds polished and balanced though. None of the pieces can be called weak eiher. But still, a little bit more originality and creativity would make the arrangments less predictable and could also free them of the little flickers of Paco and Vicente wich can be found here and there.
On the other hand the whole sounds very flamenco.
Also the singing deserves special mentioning.
Rafael 'falu' Galvan, Erminia Fernandez Cordoba and Carlo Denia are welcome additions, the voice of the latter even reminds me of Pansequito.
The whole makes me curious about what more there is to expect from the Raamstraat.

Antjes keuze, Music Maker nr.10, Okt. 2003.

Best flamenco

Labryenco: back to the roots

Labryenco is a word game meaning guitar player Alain labrie and company.
On this cd he's assisted by a band containing violin, bass, cello and percussion.
Labrie has been writing this kind of flamenco music for fifteen years and has been mixing this with pop and world music with Les Charmeurs and others.
This cd started as a solo project but somehow he always wanted more instruments and subsequently formed this band.
With 'Calle ventana' he's totally back to his roots. Labrie shows his craft in long solo pieces wich includes all flamenco cliches. With here and there additional percussion and vocals Labrie shows he's mastered the flamenco down to the roots.
It's all rather traditional and alas, there are not many new ingredients added to the tradition but if you want to listen to good flamenco this cd is recommended!

E. van de Noort

Oye listen, nr.9, 2003.

Flamenco-fusion

Labryenco/ Calle ventana

With this debut cd guitarist Alain Labrie seeks his place within the (Dutch) flamenco scene.
Apart from flamenco guitar he plays balalaika, bouzouki and ud and is accompanged by instruments wich are introduced lately in the so called "flamenco joven" (the young flamenco of the last twenty years): violin, frettless bass and percussion instruments like djembé, udu and of course the cajon without wich modern flamenco is unthinkable.
Together with his band Labrie succeeds to create nine different moods and spheres wich are all his compositions. But the whole lacks some tension. The measures, the 'compas' is a bit to much sought out. Yet Labrie is on the right way with his interpretation of the flamenco-idiom. I'm very interested what he is going to do in the future.

Ruud Verkerk

PlatoMania, nr.181, Sept. 2003.

Mania

Labryenco/ Calle ventana

If you like flamenco music and have been dreaming away with Eric Vaarzon Morel and Estrella Morente, you have to listen to this cd by Labryenco.
While the late Autum sun puts your living room in a golden glow, the music brings you in the right mood. You're recalling this beautiful holiday in Spain or are already dreaming the next one.
Guitarist Alain labrie plays besides flamenco guitar also balalaika, bouzouki and ud. Franklin heilijgers frettless bass produces the beautiful low notes. Violin and cello show themselves in the beautiful song "Mi compańera" and also there is a lot of sensitive percussion to enjoy with instruments like cajon, darbouka and djembé.
The cd is mostly instrumental but there are also some sung pieces to listen to.
Calle ventana is a brilliant cd!

Slagwerkkrant Sept./ Okt. 2003, nr. 117

Tips to listen to: nr.1

Labryenco-Calle ventana (Music&Words)

Antal Steixner's cajon and udu are incredibly beautiful recorded and very well played on this cd with modern flamenco by Alain labrie and companions.

Carlos Bretton

Speaker, nr 38, 2e kwartaal 2003

Despite their sober and modest presentation on stage, the power of their act is impressive. All styles are played, from Solea, Bulerias up to Tangos.
This company formed by Alain Labrie (guitar, compositions), Franklin Heilijgers (frettless bass), Jaro Stulrajter (violin) and Antal Steixner (percussion) is not unknown in the Dutch music scene. Their compositions are breathtaking beautiful, Alain shows he's one of the best flamenco guitar players in the Netherlands.
The cd is full with high level compositions varying between intimate Solea and fiery Tangos.
Besides jazzy pieces there's also clasical influenced material that sometimes reminds me of the famous Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), especially the last song "Cuando mi guitarra llora" sung by Erminia Fernandez Cordoba.
Being an aficionado I couldn't help checking out this act "live". Recently they played in "Lokaal vredebreuk" and "Het Syndikaat", both clubs situated in The Hague. Labryenco played with Spanish flamenco singer and fifth member Carlos Denia who literally sang his passion from the deeps of his lungs.
The most beautiful thing is; there's enough to enjoy without understanding about flamenco rules and music.
This leaves me wondering whether The Hague isn't the flamenco-capital of the netherlands.