Neuronium

Introduction

Neuronium is the artist name of Belgian electronic music musician Michel Huygen. Though originally founded in 1976 in Barcelona as a band with three members, Albert Giménez left the group in 1979 and Carlos Guirao left in 1982, after which Huygen continued solo as Neuronium (and sometimes in collaboration with guitarist Santi Pico). Neuronium has published over 40 albums since.

On the 23-24th of March 1981 Michel Huygen and Carlos Guirao traveled to London to visit Vangelis in Nemo Studios, where the Michel, Carlos and Vangelis played several improvisational pieces. About these sessions Michel Huygen remembered: “I prepared some things, such as the general tone of the improvisation, the rhythmic sequences that were incorporated throughout the song, etc. The sequencers and other prepared elements were brought in at unexpected times, as Vangelis felt like activating them that way. And I must say that I thought the result was excellent! The melodies were indeed entirely improvised.”

The sessions of Neuronium playing with Vangelis were recorded by a Spanish TV crew of TVE for the television series “Musical Express, Serie Amigos”, presented by Angel Casas. The footage appeared in two special episodes of the series (Musica Planeadora) broadcast in May 1981, the first showing Vangelis playing a solo improvisation of about 7 minutes, followed by a short interview and concluding with about 8 minutes of the improvisation played by Neuronium and Vangelis. In an interview Michel Huygen confirmed that the session was “much longer, but TVE only aired a small section”. The second episode shows another, different minute from the same session.

In 1992 Michel Huygen released a cd single titled ‘In London’ containing a 9 minute track, which is a recording from the session with Vangelis, a bit longer than what is heard in the episode of Musical Express. Over the years many re-issues and remixes followed, but despite of the longer remixes none of those included more material than the initial 9 minute track. This could mean that even Michel Huygen does not have a recording of the entire sessions (or he would have released them in full), and it raises the question whether Vangelis approved of the release by Neuronium.

About Vangelis, Michel Huygen has shared: “Well, you start to believe there's something supernatural about him. At a certain moment, he becomes interested in a particular sound, starts playing and... that's it, you can then hear how the music emerges from there in his usual style: powerful, grandiloquent, with those grandiose chords. He combines his instruments magnificently, and doesn't use anything that any of us don't use”.

Tracklist and credits

In London CD single

‘In London’ (8:53)
‘In London’ radio version (2:53)

A Separate Affair CD single

‘In London’ (The Psychotronic Mix) (20:00)
‘In London’ (The After Hours Mix) (12:56)
‘In London’ (The Radio Mix) (3:03)

In London Platinum Edition CDsingle

‘In London’ (20:00)
‘In London’ (After Hours) (18:29)
‘In London’ (Radio Edit) (3:05)

Performed by Neuronium and Vangelis.
Studio engineer: Raine Shine.
Digital mastering by Michel Huygen.

Discography

CD single

1992 In London (Chacra Alternative Music CHACD 036) Canada (1 track cardsleeve)
1992 In London (4U Records 4U 952027) Germany (2 track digipack)
1996 A Separate Affair (Tuxedo Music TUX CD 5030) Switzerland (3 track remixes)
2002 In London Platinum Edition (Neuronium Records NRCD 003) Germany (Collectors Edition, re-issue of A Separate Affair)
2007 In London Platinum Edition (Animamusic ANIMA008) Spain (30th Anniversary Edition, re-issue of A Separate Affair)
2022 In London Platinum Edition (MIG MIG02872) Germany (45th Neuronium Anniversary Edition, with new mixes in digipack)
2022 In London Platinum Edition (Solid Records CDSOL-3071) Japan (45th Neuronium Anniversary Edition, with new mixes in digipack)

2022 In London Platinum Edition (MIG MIG02871) Germany (45th Neuronium Anniversary Edition)

Recording studio

Recorded at Nemo Studios in London by engineer Raine Shine.

Links

Gallery