French instrumental post-rock/prog quartet Bird Without A Song to release »Written Memories: Live Session At Treignac Projet« EP on April 3rd!
Limoges, France based instrumental post-rock/prog band Bird Without A Song has announced their new live session EP, »Written Memories: Live Session At Treignac Projet«, due out on April 3rd, 2026.
Tracklist:
01. Eaux Troubles
02. A Dance Of Cranes
03. Maestral
04. Les Derniers Mots de Cassandre
Courtesy of Clément Duboscq // Vous Connaissez ? PR:
These volatiles don’t sing, but they fly in flocks towards the skies, both benevolent and tumultuous, of post rock. Bird Without A Song position themselves as fervent advocates of long, instrumental pieces, taking their audience on a journey of surprises. The quartet from Limoges (France) is committed to blending their love for introspective atmospheres with sweeping, progressive ascents, drawing from a wide range of influences. Their style, a fusion of jazz, americana folk, ambient, and metal, solidifies with »Written Memories«. Following the EP »A Dance Of Cranes« (2023), this new project takes the form of a live audio and video session of four tracks, three of which are unreleased, recorded within the walls of an atypical venue in the heart of the Corrèze region: the Treignac Projet.
Emerging in 2021 as a trio comprised of guitarist Serge Kabeya, bassist/keyboardist Hervé Fiorentino, and drummer Mathias Aymé, Bird Without A Song took their time to find their musical language: a post rock sound tinged with a progressive edge, as mentioned above. While synthetic and orchestral explorations were already evident, the lack of a second guitar quickly became apparent. This gap was filled by Florian Vallez, whose protean playing, propensity for creating rich textures, was brilliantly applied to the band’s initial compositions. This dynamic continued, culminating in »A Dance Of Cranes«, their debut EP, which showcased the maximalist approach favored by the quartet.
Photo by Serge Kabeya
Thus, through lengthy instrumental tracks, BWAS defines a distinctive, even eclectic, style. The amalgamation of diverse and varied influences – Mathias originally a jazz drummer, Hervé’s interest in industrial and electronic sounds, and his affinity for metal, as do Serge and Florian – leads to a shared desire not to conform to the post-rock archetype. While the genre often seeks to drown its themes in reverb, BWAS ensures they are heard as clearly as possible! Their aim is to extract the full emotional impact and make it powerful, as exemplified by the four tracks on this captivating live session. Serge describes it as follows:
“Originally, »Written Memories« wasn’t conceived as an EP. We’ve always looked for opportunities to push our music beyond the simple realm of audio listening. Furthermore, our style is inherently experimental. We were fortunate enough to play at the unique venue that is Treignac Projet. It’s a multidisciplinary space where music, visual arts, and film shoots intersect. And yet, it’s a former yarn factory, not originally designed for this purpose. It turned out we had a more concrete need for videos to promote the band. It was upon discovering the venue that we realized we had to offer something of high quality. So we took the time to shoot these four videos, allowing our music to express itself precisely where it lends itself best. We were happy with the sound recording; the video showcased the band and our live performance style. We look at each other a lot; it’s a moment of communion. Coming out of all that, we thought it would be good to release it and share this handcrafted experience.”
»Written Memories« allows us to rediscover »A Dance Of Cranes«, already featured on the eponymous 2023 EP. By the band’s own admission, it was the most accessible and accomplished of their early tracks, which had time to refine itself over four years of performing live. A beautiful way to solidify the final version of a piece whose theme is imbued with a contagious melancholy, which manages to build in intensity thanks to a clever and controlled transition. This also openly reveals the quartet’s post metal influences, with Cult Of Luna and Russian Circles foremost among them. As for the three new tracks that accompany it, they are the result of a collaborative, patchwork effort, with each member contributing their ideas to enrich them with the visions of the others. A process initiated in a very specific context, as Serge explains:
“These tracks are unique in that they weren’t written for traditional CD release, always with the aim of transcending the listening experience. Two years ago, we did a live drawing performance with an illustrator, and we composed these tracks for this event, which we organized ourselves. We had four months to work on it, whereas it’s normally a long process for us. It forced us to work incredibly hard, and we also learned to cut things out and cut through discussions. »Les Derniers Mots de Cassandre« already existed, unlike »Eaux Troubles« and »Maestral«, which were specifically composed with this event in mind. As for »A Dance Of Cranes«, it was the last chance to finalize the track and show how we envisioned it. Ultimately, this EP is a way of giving a rather legitimate existence to these pieces, which are an integral part of our repertoire and thus have their place on a project.”
Photo by Loïc Vengeon
The opening track, »Eaux Troubles«, follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, though venturing into much darker territory. It nonetheless signals an epic ambition, manifested by strident and dissonant guitar leads. At 11 minutes, »Maestral«, on the other hand, heralds a more nuanced Bird Without A Song. Mathias’s jazz background is brilliantly exploited, offering syncopated and groovy drum patterns inspired by modern bands like GoGo Penguin and Mammal Hands. Meanwhile, Serge and Florian’s guitars take turns delivering purely prog-rock solos. A predominantly introspective track, it avoids a heavy-handed climax.
This whirlwind gives way to the sumptuous »Les Derniers Mots de Cassandre«, where BWAS’s acoustic side is revealed. A folk/Americana vibe that seems to teleport us to a riverbank in the heart of Tolkien’s Shire. Like a dreamlike moment before setting off on an adventure, as the rhythm picks up and the organs enter the scene. Ultimately providing the perfect conclusion to this live session.
»Written Memories«, or the generous sonic journey that comes as an invitation to discover Bird Without A Song in osmosis, as soon as the performance comes into play! A project indicating the sonic panorama in which the musicians from Limoges indulge, whose evolution is far from over, we can bet.
Mixed and mastered by Florian Vallez.
Videos shot by Studio des Halles, edited by Mathias Aymé.
Artwork and promo photo by Serge Kabeya.
Line-up:
Mathias Aymé – Drums
Florian Vallez – Guitar
Serge Kabeya – Guitar
Hervé Fiorentino – Bass/Keyboards
FFO: Caspian, Russian Circles, BRUIT ≤, Red Sparowes, Cult Of Luna, We Lost The Sea, Ennio Morricone, Pink Floyd, King Crimson…
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well