Scott's Spotlight #33-- Nine Skies and Frant1c
Originally posted to Facebook on May 15, 2025
Link to post:
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Welcome to Scott’s Spotlight (#scottsspotlight) issue #33. For more information about this series, please click here:
This week I am featuring a French band called Nine Skies, and a closely related solo album of band member Anne-Claire Rallo under the name of Frant1c. For full disclosure, I have recently had a cooperative relationship with Anne-Claire, in her capacity as the head of BadDog Promotions, who represent many prog bands. She reached out to me a couple of months ago after I unknowingly featured one of the best known bands on her roster, Magic Pie. She provides me with some press releases related to her bands, and digital files of music to review. There is absolutely no financial aspect to this collaboration. She did not ask me to cover her band and solo project, that was my choice, and I already had the albums in my library before she reached out to me. Now that THAT’s out of the way, let’s talk music!
The seeds of Nine Skies were planted in 2013 in the southern French city of Nice, when Anne-Claire (on Keyboards, and lyricist) and her husband, guitarist/violinist/multi-instrumentalist Eric Bouillette as a duo writing music that was originally more rock/metal/indie oriented. They brainstormed and came up with the name Nine Skies, simply because they liked the sound of it. The couple released an EP at the time called “Dark Void” which is available on Bandcamp (search for it with the band name and “Dark Void” as it is not on their main page. Next to join was Alex, whom Anne-Claire says “they had known forever” (She did not specify which Alex, but I suspect it's Alexandre Lamia, as he has remained a constant member of the line-up). As the band evolved, they moved away from the metal oriented sound and became more prog-oriented. By the time that the debut album, titled “Return Home” was released in November of 2017, the line up was as follows:
- Alexandre Boussacre / vocals
- Freddy Scott / vocals
- Alexandre Lamia / guitar, keyboards, mixing
- David Darnaud / guitars
- Eric Bouillette / guitars, piano (4), violin (13,14)
- Anne-Claire Rallo / keyboards
- Laurent Benhamou / saxophones
- Bernard Hery / bass
- Fad Galia / drums
The nine piece line-up led me, and others to think that was where the name came from, but after reaching out to Anne-Claire for clarification turned out not to be the case (as seen in the previous paragraph). There was also a guest musician named Penny MacMorris who provided flute on the two parts of “The Blind Widower”. The album had a concept relating to characters in a large city, through the eyes of a protagonist. Showing the struggles and absurdities we all face. This wonderful album put the band on the map. It received some wonderful reviews and helped to build the band’s reputation as an up and coming prog outfit. Eric’s guitar solos were compared to the likes of Steve Hackett (Genesis/solo), Steve Rothery (Marillion) and Andy Latimer (Camel), quite good company! In September of 2018, the band released a special edition with bonus tracks.
In 2019, the band released album number 2, titled “Sweetheart Grips.” The title refers to a practice that was prevalent in World War II, whereby soldiers would place photos of their sweethearts or pin-up girls under the clear plastic grips on their guns. The concept of this double album deals with a soldier who has PTSD due to his wartime experiences. It highlights the paradox between the unspeakable violence of war and the humanity of the soldiers who were simultaneously subjected to it while themselves perpetrating it. The lineup had become an 8 piece for this release with a few changes shown below.
- Alienor Favier / vocals
- Alexandre Lamia / guitar, keyboards, mixing
- David Darnaud / guitar
- Eric Bouillette / guitar
- Anne-Claire Rallo / keyboards
- Laurent Benhamou / saxophones
- Bernard Hery / bass
- Fad Galia / drums
By the time this album was being made, their reputation was such that some very notable proggers made guest appearances on the album:
Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson, Steve Hackett, Frost*)
Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon),
Dave Foster (Steve Rothery Band, Dave Foster Band)
Riccardo Romano (Ranestrane, Steve Rothery Band)
Johnny Marter (SAS Band)
Pat Sanders (Drifting Sun)
Proceeds from “Sweetheart Grips” go to the charitable organization called “Ian’s Chain” which assists in suicide prevention and assistance to families whose loved-ones too their own lives.
For album #3, Nine Skies decided to make an acoustic album called “5:20”. Released in 2021, the album features all new songs in an acoustic setting, along with a pair of string players, who overdubbed parts to effectively become a string quartet. This is a contrast to how many bands make acoustic albums that are just remakes of previous songs. Once again, this album attracted some very special guests:
- Steve Hackett / guitar solo (2)
- Damian Wilson / vocals (9)
- John Hackett / flute (7)
As I am typing this , I am listening to Anne-Claire’s piano solo piece, “Achristas” from “5:20” and it is hauntingly beautiful. This album is not a “concept album” like the first two, but does have some common themes throughout. The line up this time is as follows:
- Eric Bouillette / guitars, mandolin, violin, keyboards, arrangements
- Alexandre Lamia / guitars, keyboards, arrangements
- Anne-Claire Rallo / keyboards
- David Darnaud / guitars
- Achraf El Asraoui / vocals, guitars
- Alexis Bietti / bass
- Fabien Galia / drums & percussion
- Laurent Benhamou / saxophones
And the string players are:
- Cath Lubatti / violin, viola
- Lilian Jaumotte / cello
Also in 2021, on the same date that they released “5:20” (June 4) the band released a live album called “Live @Prog en Beauce”. This album was recorded at the show held on October 26, 2019, and remastered for release by band member Alexandre Lamia.
In August of 2022, tragedy struck Nine Skies and Anne-Claire as her beloved husband and musical partner of many years, Eric Bouillette, succumbed to cancer. In addition to Nine Skies, Eric performed as a member of The Room, Nova Cascade, Drifting Sun and Solace Supplice, most of which I also have in my library. His passing was felt throughout the prog community and he is sadly missed. Thankfully he left a large legacy through the many recordings he released of his brilliant music.
The fourth and still most recent Nine Skies album is dedicated to Eric Bouillette, and was released in September of 2023. Titled “The Lightmaker”, the album heralds the band’s return to making a concept album which tells the story of our protagonist Rudy, who is living his 1001st and final life. We view some of his previous incarnations through various characters and spoken word narration. The characters encourage reflection on the human condition. Once again, many notable prog musicians make guest appearances on the album:
- Riccardo Romano / vocals (2)
- Martin Wilson / vocals (3)
- John Mitchell / guitar solo (
- Kristoffer Gildenlöw / vocals & bass (5)
- Adam Holzman / keyboards (4)
- Marco Minnemann / drums (
- Arnaud Quevedo / vocals (4)
- Laura Piazzai / vocals (4)
- Charlie Bramald / vocals (7)
The album closes with two 11 minute + tracks: “The Haunted” and “The Architect”. “The Architect” in particular is a standout track with two living prog legends involved–drummer Marco Minneman (The Aristocrats, McStine & Minneman, and much more), and guitarist John Mitchell (Frost*, IQ, It Bites, Kino, Lonely Robot and more) provides an amazing guitar solo.
Following Eric’s passing, Anne-Claire produced a solo album under the pseudonym “Frant1c” titled “A Brand New World”. It seems that some of the music was begun while Eric was on this mortal plane, as recordings of his playing are involved in the making of the album. Additionally, several Nine Skies band members provide instrumentation as well as other musicians who participated with Eric in other musical projects, especially in the band The Room (whom I also really love). John Mitchell mixed and mastered the album. Here is the full line-up:
- Anne-Claire Rallo / guitar, keyboards, piano arrangements
- Eric Bouillette (RIP) / guitar, violin, piano, backing vocals
- Alexandre Lamia / guitar, keyboards, piano arrangements
- Alexis Bietti / bass
- Johnny Marter / drums
- Andy Rowe / spoken word
- Helen Tiron / vocals (Hope)
- Martin Wilson / vocals (Charlie)
With:
- Steve Anderson / guitar (7)
- Laurent Benhamou / saxophone (4)
- Guy Marro / vocals (2)
It is made clear on various platforms that, while members of Nine Skies participate in the recording, this project is Anne-Claire’s personal release. I believe that the album is cathartic for Anne-Claire, as the album’s concept revolves around the lifelong couple of Charlie and Hope. One day Charlie wakes up suddenly in a new and devastated world, alone and without Hope. The story proceeds as Charlie searches for Hope and tries to make sense of this devastated world. Along the way many universal truths are revealed that we can all relate to. The album includes the 13 and a half minute epic “The Ballad of Peggy Pratt”, which is absolutely incredible and includes a jaw-dropping guitar solo. I do not know whether this was one that Eric recorded before crossing over, or if it is Alexandre Lamia, but it simply must be heard and appreciated by all lovers of great guitar solos out there reading this.
Anyone who considers themselves a fan of prog rock should absolutely give a listen to Nine Skies and Frant1c. The music on every album is well crafted and recorded. Eric, Anne-Claire and company have given us a wonderful collection of music to enjoy and ponder. I hope that you’ll visit their website (https://nineskiesmusic.com/index.htm ) and/or Bandcamp page (
https://nineskies.bandcamp.com/album/the-lightmaker ) as well as the Frant1c bandcamp page (https://frant1c.bandcamp.com/album/a-brand-new-world) . Speaking of their website, it was announced there that Charlie Bramald, who appeared on “The Lightmaker” album track “The Haunted”, has been named as the new full time singer for Nine Skies and that they are releasing a new album sometime this year called “Vega” (see the site, linked above, for details). Please see the “Links for Listening” section for examples of their amazing music.
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Prog On!
LINKS FOR LISTENING:
From “Return Home”:
From “Sweetheart Grips”
“Sweetheart Grips”
“Somewhere Inside Mankind”
From “5:20”
“Wilderness” (Featuring Steve Hackett)
“Porcelain Hill” (Featuring Damian Wilson) (Official Music Video)
From “The Lightmaker”
“The Lost” (Featuring Kristoffer Gildenlöw)
“The Architect” (Featuring Marco Menneman and John Mitchell)
From Frant1c - “A Brand New World”
“Where Have You Been” (Music Video)
“The Ballad of Peggy Pratt”
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