KS2 Project // Hanriot-Agulhon Duo

The project will be an album called “D A Y”.  It will feature 9 original tracks written by drummer, Franck Agulhon and pianist, Cédric Hanriot.

Cédric is a pianist, composer, arranger and sound designer, who executes real-time audio processing using his laptop.

He has worked on projects and with artists from all over the world and has collaborated with international music icons such as American singer Dianne Reeves (Hanriot collaborated with her on 8 of the tracks on her Grammy Award winning album “Beautiful Life”), John Patitucci, Gregoire Maret, Terri Lyne Carrington and Donny McCaslin.

Franck Agulhon is renowned for his drumming versatility, but also for his composition and pedagogical skills.

He has collaborated with Archie Shepp, Dave Liebman, Toots Thielemans, Tom Harell, Bunky Green, Bob Mintzer, Erico Rava, Sylvain Luc, Ambrose Akinmusire, Tigran Hamasyan, Stéphane Belmondo, Krystie Warren, Till Broner, Mustafa Bakbou, Kyle Eastwood and  Danyel Waro to name a few.

Franck teaches at the International Music Academy of Nancy, France, where he regularly conducts masterclasses and workshops. He offers an exceptionally original pedagogical approach to teaching the drums through a project he has entitled “Solisticks”. Through this approach, Franck explores the different sounds and textures of the drums through solo performances.

Since their first collaboration on the 2006 electro-jazz album, frogNstein, Cédric and Franck have planned to work together to explore new musical territories.

They recently recorded their first duo album together in January 2016. Needless to say, the composition of the group is quite rare, consisting of a drum set a keyboard and a laptop.

The album DAY traces a musical journey through a typical working day.

From the ring of the morning alarm, to crawling into bed; from traffic jams to lunch breaks, each track illustrates a precise moment during the course of an average day.

The soundscapes are vast. The synth bass played by Cedric resonates powerfully; the Fender Rhodes is wired up to numerous effect pedals and an acoustic piano chimes away whilst a computer interjects with electronic sounds, using real-time processing to playfully distort the drums and keys.

Franck makes methodical and rhythmical use of his kit, using sticks and mallets, by adding accessories onto the drums and by playing hand percussion.

The overall style of the project could be described as a cross between groove, hip hop, electronic, jazz and ambient.