After 10 years of work, Philharmonie disbanded in October 1997. They had written & rehearsed all the material for a new release, & once we heard the rough demos, we suggested that they record The Last Word. The music features the amazing, instantly recognizable string interplay that all their albums feature, with the performances generally slanted towards the heavier sound of their previous CD, Rage. A great record that gives their many fans a chance to say a final farewell to the band.

"...a very fresh & different twist on the borderline King Crimson/Rock In Opposition genre" - Audion

FrÈdÈric L'EpÈe's website

Rage is by far the most aggressive purely "rock" release yet from a band that Guitar Player called "technically remarkable", and should appeal greatly to fans of King Crimson multi-textural progressive rock.

"...a trio of top-flight guitarists with a sharp sense of melody and impeccable stylistic influences"- i/e

"Philarmonie's Nord is pure beauty. With already two albums released as a trio (Frédéric L'Épée and Laurent Chalef on guitars, Bernard Ros on Chapman Stick), the band decided to expand its sound with the addition of drummer Jean-Louis Boutin...The album includes the beautiful and very quiet "Vers le Nord" ("To the North"), indisputably their best recorded piece, and the 16-minute long "Prélude, Marche et Lamentations" ("Prelude, March and Laments"). As far as guitar-oriented instrumental prog rock goes, Nord is the best album ever recorded." – AllMusic / François Couture

"Conceptually, it suggests what an inspired meeting of Steve Reich and King Crimson might sound like...masterfully weaving together lush melodies, minimalist tendencies and heavy rock overtones." – Innerviews

"Technically remarkable..." – Guitar Player

I consider Philharmonie to be one of Cuneiform's great discoveries of the 1990s! They started their life as a guitar trio, led by Frédéric L'Epée, formerly of the 70s progressive rock favorites Shylock. They released two albums as a guitar trio (one on their own and one on Cuneiform) featuring tight, well-written, obviously very Fripp-influenced, pointillistic compositions, performed by 3 total guitar masters.

For this, their 2nd Cuneiform release, they added a drummer with an excellent, light touch, who gives them an even broader array of musical color.

Les Elephants Carillonneurs [The Elephant Bell Ringers] features tight, well-written, pointillistic compositions, performed by 3 guitar masters. Very rich and very "progressive" too, with lots of Fripp-ish fuzz lead lines snaking about.