Dor an Enez

When he was 14 Fred Guichen founded a band with his brother Jean-Charles. To the traditional fest noz line-up – Fred's accordion, Jean-Charles's acoustic guitar, biniou (Breton bagpipe) and bombarde (shawm) – they added electric bass, a rock sensibility and dizzying velocity. The group, Ar Re Yaouank (The Young People), certainly livened up Breton dance music and remain an influence.

Fred Guichen's music has mellowed since, and Dor an Enez (The Door to the Island) opens with a lovely slow accordion melody before Donál Lunny and Sylvain Barou (some of the top players who feature on this album) and Sylvaine Guichen come in on bouzouki, flute and fiddle respectively and things take off. In ‘Koad Freo’ Guichen incorporates the traditional Breton interplay between binoiu and bombarde in his modern composition.

Among these more complex pieces Guichen scatters solos such as ‘Koad Gwernaon’ and ‘Sorry Tales’, revealing how expressive the accordion can be in the hands of a master. There are more expansive duets, such as ‘Angelus’, with Erwan Moal's guitar matching him note for note. The most musically ambitious piece, ‘Radiation Nevez’, is also a duet, Guichen trading strange rhythms with Jacques Pellen's guitar and effects. The album ends with ‘Bezvenn Part 2’, a piece for highland pipes played by Yann Pelliet. It develops through subtle variations on a theme, like a modern piobaireachd (pipe tune). Very impressive.