French progressive rock songwriter Patrick Broguière is known for infusing his albums with unique concepts and influences. Following the release of Destinations, he hints at an exciting direction for his next project—a concept album inspired by a well-known legend, reminiscent of the tales of King Arthur. Broguiere envisions a thematic work, complete with musical leitmotifs that characterize each character within the story. He shares, “If all goes well, the next album will be a concept album based on a well-known legend, rather like the legend of King Arthur.”
With Destinations, Broguière embraced a greater emphasis on vocals, which significantly influenced his compositional process. “On this album, the presence of vocals led me to use verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge structures quite often,” he explains, referencing the structure of the track “Rockland.” However, in crafting instrumental pieces, he prefers to explore diverse atmospheric sequences reminiscent of film music, evident in the track “Hyperion.” As he looks ahead, he remains uncertain about the vocal focus of his forthcoming album, noting, “I don’t know at this stage whether it will contain a lot of vocals.”
In the creation of Destinations, Broguière utilized sound banks and technological innovations. He expresses excitement about the potential of emerging AI software capable of singing text, although he finds current options like Yamaha’s Vocaloïd too artificial. “I think my next experiment will be with new AI software capable of singing a text,” he states. “For the moment, solutions like Yamaha’s Vocaloïd haven’t convinced me, as the result is too artificial.” As he continues to explore the intersection of technology and music, he assures fans that he will still prioritize the voices of real singers in his work.
Destinations features tracks like “The Land of Elves” and “Rockland,” which evoke vivid imaginary worlds. Broguiere finds a natural synergy between fantastical elements and progressive rock, citing early influences from bands like Genesis, King Crimson, and Marillion. “I didn’t have any specific problems mixing these elements because it seems quite natural to me to put fantasy in a prog album,” he explains. “It was one of the hallmarks of early prog rock, particularly in the lyrics of Genesis, King Crimson or Marillion.”
His use of single tonality throughout Destinations created a unified sound across the album. Navigating the keys of D minor and F, he faced both challenges and rewards in achieving musical coherence. “To create variation within the unit, I have also used minor modes with notes different from the classical minor mode, such as D Dorian, D Phrygian or D Aeolian,” he explains. “Last Destination, for example, is in D Phrygian. It’s a very melancholy mode that suits the finale very well.” Looking to the future, Broguière is considering the key of G minor to further expand his creative palette, stating, “For the next album, I’m thinking of using the key of G minor to explore new ideas.”
While Broguière draws inspiration from various musical styles, he admits that his influences lean more toward classical and early electronic composers like Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, and Mike Oldfield. He also credits his love for beautiful album artwork to his collaboration with visual artist Hervé Thibon, whose intricate glass paintings have become the signature of his releases. “I’ve always loved the beautiful covers of progressive rock bands,” Broguière says. The cover of Destinations, designed by Thibon, visually narrates the seven songs of the album, depicting elements like an elf queen and celestial views inspired by The Book of Kells. He elaborates, “In the end, our collaboration worked out and he has done all my album covers. I’m really lucky because it gives my work a really nice visual identity.”
When it comes to contemporary influences, Broguière reveals his disinterest in mainstream music, preferring cultural radio. “I have to admit that I don’t like mainstream music at all,” he confesses. “So at the moment I don’t listen to music radio and I prefer to listen to cultural radio.” While he recognizes bands like Muse, he finds them lacking compared to classic progressive rock giants. “On the other hand, I really like Marillion, The Flower Kings and Ayreon,” he adds.
Despite experimenting with various genres, including hip-hop and electronic rhythms, Broguière has chosen to focus primarily on his core influences, including classical and medieval styles. “The influences you mention are my main ones, in addition to prog rock,” he explains. He acknowledges past attempts to blend these styles but remains committed to his progressive rock roots, stating, “I don’t think it’s necessary to force myself to be modern at all costs.”
As he hints at a potential return to other artistic endeavors, Patrick is also planning to finish a novel in the magical realism style. “Apart from the next album, which is my priority for 2025, I’m also planning to finish a novel in the magical realism style,” he shares. “But I’m not at all sure I’ll be able to do both!”
As a seasoned artist who began his musical journey at a young age, Broguière encourages aspiring composers to diligently hone their craft. “It’s difficult to give advice to a young composer,” he reflects. “I’d say you need to work hard on the theory and practice of playing an instrument, not waste too much time on social networks, and be curious about everything: all musics, sciences, museums, cinema, literature and the visual arts.” He adds, “For my part, the thing I miss most is not knowing the harmony of jazz, a very rich language that has given rise for example to jazz-rock, Frank Zappa or the prog rock of The Canterbury Scene.”
With Destinations featuring radio edits of tracks for broader reach, Broguière contemplates whether shorter formats alter the essence of his songs. “I don’t think the essence of the songs has changed,” he asserts. “It’s mainly a shortening done with the project of making music videos.” He expresses curiosity about which version of the songs will be preferred by progressive radio stations, admitting, “But I don’t know which version of the songs will be preferred by progs radio stations.”
Balancing creativity and staying true to his sound has never posed a challenge for Broguière. “Being faithful to my sound doesn’t require any effort, that’s the easy part!” he exclaims. “In the creative process, the most difficult thing is to innovate as much as possible without using too many of the ‘recipes’ from my previous albums.” As he prepares for his next album, he hints at exploring a well-known myth, leaving fans eager for a surprise release in 2025. “So the album will be a surprise, to be released in 2025 if possible,” he teases.
In an era dominated by streaming, Broguière remains committed to crafting cohesive albums that offer a complete listening experience. “In fact, it’s almost impossible to fight the fashion for playlists and singles, especially among young people,” he states. “The only solution for prog artists, I think, is to offer longer tracks on the one hand and coherent concept albums on the other.” However, he reassures fans, “Above all, I make the music I love and when I compose I never think about the decline of the CD format.”
Stream Destinations on Bandcamp here.
