01	Delusions						14:51
	02	May Day						10:03
	03	The Sense Of Life						11:12
	04	Ex-Tango						03:46

Cuneiform Rcds - usa - Rune 107 - 1998

Line-up:

Roger TRIGAUX: guitar, vocals, keyboards.

Reginald TRIGAUX: guitar, vocals.

Daniel DENIS: drums, vocals.

Alain ROCHETTE: piano & keyboards.

Guy SEGERS: bass.

Recorded & mixed at "NOW, FUN ?" -Brussels- in July & August 1997

Sound Engineer: Eric FAES

Cover design by Bill ELLSWORTH
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TITLES

- DELUSIONS - 14:48

- MAY DAY - 10:00 -

- THE SENSE OF LIFE - 11:08 -

-EX-TANGO - 3:46

All music and lyrics by Roger TRIGAUX

Except "Ex-Tango" by Alain ROCHETTE



BIOGRAPHY




PRESENT is a Belgian band, formed and led by guitarist/Composer Roger TRIGAUX. Roger TRIGAUX is one of the more influential musicians in Belgium 's contemporary music scene.
In 1974, he and drummer Daniel DENIS co-founded UNIVERS ZERO, one of Europe's most respected new music bands.
TRIGAUX performed with the legendary band for five years, touring with them throughout Europe. The two Univers Zero releases featuring Roger's guitar work and compositions - " 1313 " (1977) and " HERESIE "(1979) - were unqualified critical and popular successes.
In 1979, seeking a change of musical direction towards a more rock-based, non acoustic sound, Roger left Univers Zero and formed PRESENT with Alain ROCHETTE, a pianist and two Univers Zero members, bassist Christian GENET and drummer Daniel DENIS.
PRESENT recorded two albums with this basic lineup in the early 1980's , TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIE and LE POISON QUI REND FOU, the latter of which SOUND CHOICE called "a classic within its genre. This is strong, wonderful stuff, representing a complex interface between Rock and classical influences.
When CUNEIFORM rcds later reissued both albums on one CD (Cuneiform Rune 17), BACKGROUND called PRESENT's music "a blend between KING CRIMSON and UNIVERS ZERO. Conclusion: splendid horror with incredible depth and power ! Highly recommended" !
In the early 1990's, TRIGAUX formed PRESENT COD Performance, a guitar duo with his son Reginald TRIGAUX The streamlined and easily-mobile band performed regulary in small clubs in Europe. In 1993, they released a self titled CD on Lowlands Rds-Belgium.
In 1994, PRESENT (full- sized band) is back and performed live in numerous clubs, sometimes with Daniel DENIS. At the end of 1995,PRESENT went on a 2 months tour of Europe. A live CD was recorded while on that tour. It features the dual guitar work of Roger and Reginald TRIGAUX, bass by Bruno BERNAS and drums by Dave KERMAN (also of U-Totem, 5 uu's, Thinking Plague and Blast).
In July and August '97, PRESENT records CERTITUDES, featuring the elite of musicians, such as : Roger and Rйginald TRIGAUX - guitars, vocals and keyboards, Daniel DENIS on drums, Guy SEGERS - bass and Alain Rochette on piano and keyboards. This CD is released by Cuneiform Rcds (Rune 107) in January 1998.
May / June 1998, PRESENT tours allthrough the USA (22 concerts). Critics describe those concerts as " amazing ", " deep ", " unbelievable " etc::(see USA Tour Comments ).
The line-up involve a young bass player Jean Pierre Mendes and on keyboards Pierre CHEVALIER.
At the end of the year '98, PRESENT played several shows in Europe presenting two other members : Keith MACKSOUD (USA) - bass and David DAVISTER on drums.
May 1999, Present records N° 6 in Israel. The line-up on this CD is : Roger & Reginald TRIGAUX, Pierre Chevalier, Dave Kerman, Keith MACKSOUD and as special guest Yuval MESNER.(cello). N° 6 was released by Carbon 7 Belgium (C7 043) in December 1999.

N°6 was a hit, unanimous critics say it is their best until now and is a very important turning in the evolution of the band.
"Better than CERTITUDES ? Yep; this writer didn't think it could be done, but they did it.". (Expose USA)

July 2000, during the 14th Summer Festival of Blaye-Les-Mines (France), PRESENT plays with a very unusual line-up. The reaction of the audience was one of total astonishment, it was a chock to all of them. Aside from the normal line-up, several other musicians participated : Fred BECKER (saxophones - Belgium), Dominic NTOUMOS (trumpet - Belgium) and Matthieu SAFATLY (cello - France). Udi KOOMRAN is the sound engineer.
Present took a brand new direction which means a new dimension to their compositions and provides an unseen but evident quality to the music.
July 2001, the new CD "HIGH INFIDELITY" is released by Carbon 7 Rcds Belgium (C7-058)

PRESENT Line-up 2001 -2002

-Roger TRIGAUX : compositions, guitar, keyboard, vocals, musical direction ... ( PRESENT, UNIVERS ZERO co-founder )(Belgium)
-Rйginald TRIGAUX: guitars, vocal (Belgium)
-Dave KERMAN : drums ( U TOTEM, 5 UU's, BLAST, THINKING PLAGUE... ) - (USA)
-Pierre CHEVALIER : piano & keyboards - (Belgium)
-Keith MACKSOUD: bass - (USA)
-Fred BECKER : saxophones - (Belgium)
-Dominic NTOUMOS: trumpet - (Belgium)
-Matthieu SAFATLY: cello (France)
-Udi KOOMRAN: sound engineer (Israel)
To be Continued ...



Present -- "Certitudes"
(Cuneiform RUNE, 1998, CD)
Unlike during the nine-year hiatus following "Le Poison Qui Rend Fou", this time around we didn't have to wait so long between albums by Roger Trigaux and his band. "Certitudes" follows little more than one year subsequent to the Present "Live" CO. Long-time fans will be very pleased to know that not only is Daniel Denis back behind the drum kit, but joining the fold is Univers Zero alumnus Guy Segers on bass; and keyboardist Alain Rochette, who appeared on the first and second Present studio recordings. From the first moment is a big shock - back to the Present of the 80's with piano, in that instantly recognizable pizzicato style that gave his earlier work its patented Stravinsky-esque propulsion. A new slant is evident however by Trigaux's menacing vocals, which only further articulate the mad perilous zeal in Present's music. Counterpoint between bass and piano on "Delusions" provides a bedding for rapid-fire guitar soloing that practically knocks the wind out of you. One can sense the pent up frustration from Daniel's years spent behind a keyboard in Art Zoyd. Fortunately "Certitudes" offers a gutsy primal attitude, eliciting from him some stupendous percussion highlights to the throbbing pulse, which throws the violent tornado into a tailspin via maniacal counter-rhythms. It's his supple jazz inflection that refuses to satisfy any hunger for simplicity, even in a piece like "The Sense of Life", where a two-chord riff is transformed into a work of art, leading to a tension-filled climax. This is the closest any Present effort has come to reproducing their fiery, abrasive live atmosphere on a studio recording. If you aren't sympathetic to this band then excuse my sycophantic fawning over "Certitudes". But after so many years and so few chances to sate the appetite, an occasion like this is cause for dusting off the thesaurus and pulling out some hyperbole.




PRESENT
After Roger Trigaux left Univers Zero, he formed the quartet Present, which combines U. Z.'s unique sound with a more "rock" feel. Triskaidekaphobie/Le Poison Qui Rend Fou has some BLISTERING guitar work by Roger, and great drumming by Daniel Denis. This puts both their great lps complete on one CD which contains the most intricate and roaring rock music since King Crimson's Fracture.
"The music is explosive, dramatic, and cathartic."-Audion.
With Live!, Roger is back with a full band version of Present, featuring two guitars, bass and drums (by Dave Kerman of 5uu's/U Totem). Dark, metallic, complex music with intricate dual guitar and bass interplay. While primarily instrumental, the dark imagery of the music is matched by the darkness of the vocals; Roger and company sound like men fighting for their souls - and maybe they are! Imagine Univers Zero reborn as a metal band, and you might have an idea of the sound here. Professionally recorded by Eric Faes, this includes new and old work and an amazing, intense version of "Promenade Au Fond D'Un Canal".

Certitudes is new studio recordings from Roger Trigaux and company. Just telling you the lineup will give you an idea of how good this is: Roger & Reginald Trigaux-guitars & vocals, Alain Rochette-keyboards, Guy Segers-bass & Daniel Denis-drums! All perform with a lot of fire & energy, & this combines the precision & intricacy of Present's earlier sound with the heavy attack of Live. Hearing Roger, Guy & Daniel together again for the 1st time since Heresie is a genuine unexpected treat, & adding keyboards to the dual guitar lineup helps to expand out the sound greatly. 3 tracks penned by Roger, & 1 short charmer by Alain.
"Notably more furious & urgent than anything on their previous albums...these avatars of an anguished, angular muse have unleashed their ultimate tour de force...this is a turbulent masterpiece. " 5 stars [highest rating] -Alternative Press.





PRESENT
Certitudes

Cuneiform Rune 107

Fenn Music


1. Delusions 14:48
2. May Day 10:00
3. The Sense Of Life 11:08
4. Ex-Tango 3:46

All compositions by Roger Trigaux except "Ex-Tango" by Alain Rochette Lyrics for "Delusions" by Roger Trigaux and Luc Govers, "May Day" by Roger and Reginald Trigaux and "The Sense Of Life" by Roger Trigaux

Roger Trigaux:guitar, keyboards and vocals
Reginald Trigaux: guitar and vocals
Alain Rochette: piano and keyboards
Guy Segers: bass
Daniel Denis: drums, percussion and vocals

Recorded and mixed at: Now, Fun? Studio, July, August 1997
Eric Faes: sound engineer and "environnement sonores"



Present is a Belgian quintet, formed and led by guitarist/composer Roger Trigaux. Trigaux is one of the more influential musicians in Belgium's contemporary music scene. In 1974, he and drummer Daniel Denis co-founded the legendary Univers Zero, one of Europe's most respected new music bands. Trigaux performed with Univers Zero for five years, touring with them throughout Europe. The two Univers Zero releases featuring Roger's guitar work and compositions -- 1313 (1977) and Heresie (1979) -- were unqualified critical and popular successes.

In 1979, seeking a change of musical direction towards a more rock-based, non-acoustic sound, Roger left Univers Zero and formed Present with keyboardist Alain Rochette and two Univers Zero alumni, bassist Christian Genet and drummer Daniel Denis [both of whom also continued to play in Univers Zero]. Present recorded two albums with this basic lineup in the early 1980's, Triskaidekaphobie and Le Poison Qui Rend Fou. When Cuneiform later reissued both albums on one CD (Cuneiform Rune 17), Background called Present's music "a blend between King Crimson and Univers Zero. Conclusion: splendid horror with incredible depth and power! Highly recommended!" By the mid 1980's, however, Present had disbanded.

In the early 1990's, Trigaux formed Present C.O.D. Performance, a guitar duo with his son Reginald Trigaux. The streamlined and easily-mobile band performed regularly in small clubs and coffeehousees in Europe. In 1993, they released a self titled CD on the Lowlands label.

Present C.O.D. Performance eventually metamorphosized into a full-sized band, once again called Present. From its inception, the new band performed live in numerous clubs. Near the end of 1995, Present went on a 2 month tour of Europe. Their album Live! (Cuneiform Rune 87) was recorded while on that tour and released by Cuneiform in 1996. It features the dual guitar work of Roger and Reginald Trigaux, bass by Bruno Bernas and drums by David Kerman. Jam magazine called Live! "One of the best guitar albums to surface this year" while Gibraltar noted that "the fervor is as hot as ever. A must."

Certitudes features the first studio recordings by a full band version of Present in almost 15 years. It reuinites Roger with bassist Guy Segers and drummer Daniel Denis, his former bandmates in Univers Zero, for the first time since Heresie. It also reunites him with keyboardist Alain Rochette for the first time since Le Poison Qui Rend Fou.

Present's music is a striking blend of heavy rock with classical and jazz influences. The compositions, penned by Trigaux, utilize complex counterpoint, intricate interplay between the two guitars and bass, rapidly shifting time signatures, and a strong instrumental attack. The final result is blindingly precise works of syncopated instruments, all seemingly coming from different angles but ultimately working together as a cohesive whole. Down Beat called the earlier Present's music "classical rock with an industrial vengeance." This remains true of the new band, which combines the dark, brooding sophistication of Univers Zero's classicism with the emotional intensity of heavy metal rock.

With the release of Certitudes, Present are preparing North American and Japanese tours. Scheduled for May and June of 1998, these tours will be the band's first-ever appearance in the United States, Canada and Japan. Present is also planning further European shows.




Present [Belgium]
Updated 5/28/02
Discography
Triskaidekaphobie (80)
Le Poison Que Rend Fou (85)
Live! (96)
Certitudes (98)
N°6 (99)
High Infidelity (01)


Reviews
Present - Daniel Denis, Reginald Trigaux, Roger Trigaux, Alain Rochette, Guy Segers

Present is led by Roger Trigaux, the former guitarist and co-founder of the Belgian band Univers Zero. Daniel Denis and Christian Genet are also Univers Zero alumni and lend a hand (or four) on percussion and bass. The first two Present albums were released by Cuneiform on a single CD. As you might expect, these albums are in the same vein as Univers Zero with angular, dark melodies that manage to create a tense and dense atmosphere, despite (or because of) the somewhat sparse instrumentation. Triskaidekaphobie ("fear of the number 13") was the first Present release, which I believe was originally released on LP in 1980. Trigaux plays with a Fripp-like intensity within the stylistic framework first defined by Univers Zero. If you've heard the first two Univers Zero albums (1313 and Heresie) you know exactly the style of the music heard on Triskaidekaphobie. Although Trigaux left after Heresie, Denis and Genet played with Univers Zero and Present simultaneously. In addition to guitar, percussive piano, played by Alain Rochette, is also strongly featured on both albums is mainly the interplay between Trigaux, Rochette, Genet and Denis that creates the taut atmosphere in the three songs of Triskaidekaphobie. The first two cuts are greater than 15 minutes each and highlight the parlay between all four musicians, building in statement and ferver until the very end. I don't know how long I held my breath but I visibly relaxed at the end of each tune. These songs a prime examples of tenseness and intensity. Le Poison Qui Rend Fou ("the poison that drives you to madness") is a little more accessible than Triskaidekaphobie. Of course, this is all relative. Released five years later, only the bassist changed, with Genet replaced by Ferdinand Philippot. On Le Poison..., Triguax has more extended soloing on top of the melody, rather than being an integral part of the whole piece. Though still very angular, the music feels more free-form and relaxed (certainly less rigid) but tension still abounds through out. Fans of Robert Fripp (not just King Crimson) would do well to give Trigaux a listen. Though Fripp displays lightning quick runs that aren't heard here, Trigaux matches Fripp in overall technique and force. This isn't "plug and play" music that you fully appreciate after the first, or even a few, listens. Rather, this is for the experimental person, one who appreciates a musical challenge and is willing to give the music time to fully reveal itself. With Present, Univers Zero, Daniel Denis, etc., it takes many listens to fully appreciate the quality. But if you give it the chance, you will be rewarded.

Present dissolved soon after Le Poison... was released but Trigaux, joined by his son Reginald, formed Present C.O.D. Performance in the early '90s. As a duo, they toured small clubs and coffee houses all around Europe, culminating with a self-titled release in 1993. As they gigged, the Trigaux's were joined variously by Daniel Denis and other musician friends. Eventually, a full band evolved back into Present. In late '95, Present toured Europe and the four songs on Live! draw from the 9 December 1995 show in Wuerzberg, Germany. Bruno Bernas played bass and U Totem/5uu's drummer Dave Kerman is also with the band at this point. Opening with the strangely named "Laundry Blues," the listener quickly becomes aware that the dark, horrifying atmosphere didn't get any lighter. Ostinato bass, guitar and drums give foundation to searing guitar from Roger Trigaux. This quickly gives way to a dank cellar of scraping strings, feedback and graveyard vocals that can only call to mind the otherworldly musings of Devil Doll's Mr. Doctor. Half way through the twelve minute song, Roger Trigaux evaporates the dampness with a solo of terrifying intensity. And the show has just begun! Next up is the seven minute "Contre," a more "typical" Present-type song that could have fit next to "Ersatz" on Le Poison.... Sustained feedback and frantic soling on top of a taut rhythm once again compels the listener to hold his breath, waiting for a release of tension that seems never to come. The 11.5 minute "Alone" begins with a groove that even a casual listener can grab hold of, but as soon as he grasps it the nightmarish sequence begins to cradle the listener with a quiet unease. Somber vocal and guitar lines lull you deeper and deeper before exploding with hellish fright. Finally, comes a 22 minute rendering of "Promenade au Fond d'un Canal," which first appeared on Triskaidekaphobie. After 16 years, "Promenade" is changed slightly, partly with age, partly because of Kerman's different style from Denis's, partly because of a brief vocal passage added to the middle and partly because it's live. But the ferver is as hot as ever. A must. -- Mike Taylor

Present is a band started by ex-Univers Zero guitarist Roger Trigaux. The listener will find many similarities between the styles of the two bands: dark chamber-rock stylings, dissonance and dynamic intensity - avant-rock with a 20th century classical touch - the chief difference here being the almost exclusive use of electric instruments to achieve this type of sound - no saxes, cellos, violins or bassoons here, just a standard four-piece guitar, bass, keyboards and percussion - the latter played by none other than Daniel Denis. At times the music briefly gets into a repetitive mode and offers a slight reminder of early Magma circa MDK, but this will typically pass quickly into some dark and moody soundscape or a tense and violent orgy of rhythm and dissonant melodics. There are two albums - the first is Triskaidekaphobie ("fear of the number thirteen") which is a completely instrumental effort, and generally the more abstract of the two; the second album is Le Poison Qui Rend Fou (The poison that drives you to madness), a far more spirited and powerful effort, it does feature one track with vocals and an overall higher energy level. Cuneiform has made it easy to choose between them by reissuing both of the albums on one CD. Roger Trigaux has since formed a guitar duo with his son.