Greetings dearest gentle reader and music fans, Let’s welcome to our blog French band Moonsonic. This band released a 10-song album called “Penthesileia”. This amazing album features  Valérie Marinho de Moura, author/composer/producer, collaborated with Dayan Korolic, multi-instrumentalist/composer/arranger, to create the album Penthesíleia. Along with global musicians, including Rishab Prasanna, a master bansuri flute player from New Delhi, Hend Zouari, a woman master qanûn player from Tunisia, and a choir of four women, including beatbox, from West Indies and France, Julieat, Janice Leca, Ophelie Joh, and Mathilde Rossignol, they created Epic and Narrative Music, written in musical suites form, in different styles, including Electropop, Psychedelic, Groove, Indian Rock, Oriental Funk, Atmospheric and Women’s choir. Let’s talk more about the album

The album’s first song is called “Penthesilea- L’appel De L’aventure”. The song has a soft melody as an intro and then the vocal performance begins. The song talks about how Historically, the Amazons, a women’s communed between the Black and Caspian Seas, lived in harmony with nature. Girls were developed based on their own qualities, and as teenagers, some assumed the role of Warriors to protect their village. Penthesilea, a young Amazon, travels on her first journey outside of their familiar zone. Penthesilea’s voyage to Troy begins, when she joins forces with King Priam, who has been despatched by the Council of Elders to battle Greek warriors camped on the beach. Before leaving, Penthesilea consulted with the Healers and used intelligence obtained by the Spies from the Greek camps. The stable yard was bustling with activity as horses were prepared, weapons concealed, and potions painstakingly prepared.

The Hiders ensured that the caravan displayed an immaculate appearance. Penthesilea then clutched a black seahorse created by her buddy, which she had chosen as her amulet for this journey. Rishab Prasanna and Bansuri play flute and vocals, while Dayan Korolic and Fender play bass, keyboards, and programming. The song has this mystical appeal and you will fall in love with it as you prepare to hear the rest of the songs

“AKHILLEÚS- LE FANTASME” is the title of the next song. The story continues and describes Penthesilea, perched atop a hill, who monitors the enemy’s camp after arriving days ago to study their organization. Greek warriors’ faces are lighted at the tent doors by the full moonlight. Laughter floods the air as a guy dances with troops, his agility and energy creating a joyful mood that captivates Penthesilea. His movements captivate her, conjuring up a vivid outdoor cavalcade in her mind, a chase of two lovers over meadows, streams, and clearings, their hair billowing in the breeze, surrounded by cheers and the exhilaration of freedom. She develops an insatiable drive to fully live in the present moment. In her fantasy, she defies the strict prohibition on pursuing a guy by unleashing a flight of birds, symbolizing her emancipation. The sound in this song is soft and tender and as you listen you can feel the emancipation of Penthesilea through its melody

The name of the next song is LE RÊVE DE PENTHÉSILÉE – PRESCIENCE ET MAUVAISE CONSCIENCE”. With this song, the story continues and we see Penthesilea, exhausted from three days of unrelenting warfare, falls and skips dinner. She drifts off into an unpleasant sleep and has a strange dream in the middle of the day. Nocturnal birds swoop over Troy’s walls, settling near a vent to suck fresh air from the Earth’s depths, accompanied by disturbing screams from young girls. Children make a circle on a cliff and spin with their hands on their faces.

Penthesilea arrives at a deserted beach after wandering around Troy. She then enters a tavern where the Council of Elders surrounds her with anxious voices. She is seated, facing a puzzling choice: fifteen ebony balls on a table. The Elders tell her to choose one, and Penthesilea chooses the most damaged. The balls evaporate, propelling her over the battlefield, revealing a peaceful scene with grazing sheep and insects dancing among blossoming shrubs. As her flight loses height, Penthesilea’s enormous effort is unsuccessful, and she falls into a violent river, waking up abruptly from her dream. The song features Bandsuri flutes, a keyboard, and very beautiful bass sounds that will enthrall you

Next is the song called” LA FÊTE DES ROSES – REPRODUCTION ET VOLUPTÈ”. The song opens with a funky bass line. The song continues the story and Here, we see the intricate network of ties between the Amazons and the Trojans, when Memnon the Ethiopian*, a great fighter, merchant, storyteller, and adventurer, arrives to assist King Priam. After a day of combat, Memnon seeks cover in a bar outside the city’s fortifications to learn about Penthesilea’s Amazonian breeding methods. Penthesilea celebrates the Rose Festival, a springtime occasion where Amazons chosen by the Council of Elders become Procreators. During this ceremony, they engage in consensual experiences with captive men, cultivating a distinct sexiness and mastering their sexual craft. The woodland transforms into a fun arena with ladies perched in trees, dancing on moss, and whistling to one another as they choose and revel in unfettered sensuality with the chosen, thereby promoting motherhood. The song features Rishab Prasanna, Bansuri flutes, Dayan Korolic on Fender bass and Percussions, and Ophèlié Joh, Janice Lecta, and Julieta Mathilde Rossignol on vocals. The way the song and all its parts are arranged will make you fall in love with this song

“DANSE DU VENIN- L’art De la guerre” is the title of the next song. It starts with this delightful mixture of Bea boxing, flute, and mouth percussionist. We then get the continuation of the story As the late afternoon light bathes the Greek camp, we see preparations for the upcoming festivities begin. Female storytellers, dancers, and musicians fill the area with captivating tales and tunes, creating a sense of imagination and community. The evening unfolds in a lovely mix of entertainment. In the subsequent fight, the Amazons, mounted on horses with vigor and excellent coordination, execute a clear, fast, and winning strategy. Penthesilea’s plot goes smoothly, consigning the Greeks to the region of Hades. This amazing song features Rishab Prasanna on Bansuri flutes, Hend Zouari Qanûn, Dayan Korolic on Fender Bass, keyboards, programming and Julieta Beatbox and Vocals, Ophélie Joh and Mathilde Rossignol on vocals and everyone plays their part beautifully and creates a perfect song

The next song is called “OTRÈRE LA MÈRE- Goût De la mort” The song talks about how in the dead of night, a sombre messenger arrives at Priam’s palace to deliver the news of Penthesilea’s mother, Otrere, passing away. Others died after a long sickness that confused even the most qualified healers. Penthesilea learns of the burial rite, casting a darkness over her world. The Amazon community mourns, paying heartfelt tribute to Otrere, a senior member of the Council of Elders. The song features Rishab Prasanna on Bansuri flutes and Dayan Korolic on Fender Bass and Keyboards. The song’s structure lets you feel our character’s loss and devastation for losing her mother figure and evokes a sense of sadness toward the character and her plight

The next song is called “MEMNON L’ÉTHIOPIEN- D’autres minded existent”. This beautiful arrangement features Rishab Prasanna on bansuri flutes, and Dayan Korolic on Fender Bass, piano, keyboards, and programming. The story continues As the sun sets, and Penthesilea climbs a spiral staircase, enticed by the seductive aroma of myrrh. When she arrives on the palace terrace overlooking the Scamander, a coastal river in modern-day Turkey and the river god of Greek mythology, she is surprised to see a tent. The entrance reveals an array of appealing lights, and there stands Memnon the Ethiopian*, known for his dark skin and curly hair, extending a warm welcome. Unknown worlds develop in front of Penthesilea’s sight, ornamented with astonishingly colorful works of art made from unexpected elements. With a strange measuring device in his hand, he begins a compelling story, urging Penthesilea to explore Africa’s Amazon. She exits from the tent, captivated and inspired by the stories and wonders shared in the embrace of Memnon’s hospitality. Musically you’re able to see the characters’ interaction in your mind’s eye due to the way the instruments are played in a very skillful nature with every note painting a clearer picture note

“ANANKÉ- La Destruction” is the song that follows. The beginning of the song is thumping and exciting. The Greeks orchestrate a false move to break the truce with an assault. In the midst of a bustling market day, a cruel horde mercilessly slaughters innocent families as it advances toward the Amazons. Achilles appears, grotesquely dressed in blood and grime, carrying a terrible spear with numerous sharpened hooks. Penthesilea confronts him head-on.

Her torn flesh dangles over her face, yet her indomitable vigor persists. Skillfully evading blows, she hurls sand into Achilles’ eyes and signals the alarm. The fierce battle unfolds as Penthesilea deploys every ounce of her strength running, climbing, jumping, rolling, and crawling. The struggle continues, but her muscles weaken and her body fails. Achilles transforms into a monster figure with long, hairy paws and leaps between clouds to land on Penthesilea. His bright fangs puncture her neck, and his tail wraps around her waist. Penthesilea succumbs to the continuous attack. In the aftermath, as the dust settles, Ananke, the physical manifestation of fate in Greek mythology, stands over the scene, seeing the tragedy. A gleaner gathers the fragments of Penthesilea’s mutilated body, a pawn in fate’s unavoidable tapestry. The song features Rishab Prasanna on Bansuri flutes and Dayan Korolic on Fender Bass. The song’s instrumentation makes listeners know that there is a certain action taking place and this action refers to the battle that ensues between the characters. The song builds and builds with each note and each melody keeping you captivated

“L’OMBRE DU RÊVE- Désolation et Convalescence” is the title of the next song. This song has a certain stillness and peacefulness to it as A Dreadful Daybreak shows an unyielding picture from the cliffs, hills, and the palace: a wide stretch of black land covered in lifeless bodies. Animals, humans, weapons, and flora are entwined, bloodied, burnt, and decomposing. The aftermath is a bleak landscape, stuck in grey and devoid of life. Nature appears to have been erased, and even Achilles has been laid there lifeless. As they lick their wounds, our heroine lets out one final cry, informing everyone that this war has ended. This song also features Rishan Prasanna on Bansuri and Dayan Korolic on Fender Bass and keyboards. The song is very emotive and The band channeled the grief of the characters above to make you understand their victory and loss

The last song on the album is titled “VEXORIS -L’exil”. A woman arrives and offers something. They exchange a farewell hug. Time is of the importance as the young woman enters the tunnel. At the vent’s opening, she raises her hand to reveal a blood-stained, coagulated jewel—a seahorse. She fixes her ribbon, conceals it in her loincloth, and rushes into the light. She joins a caravan of armed merchants leaving the city and embarks on the parched journey. When the caravan arrives in Antioch, it divides into two groups on the Silk Road, one moving east towards Persia and the other south to Africa in search of wonders in Ethiopian kingdoms. Penthesilea, influenced by Memnon’s fables, selects the latter. Throughout the arduous voyage, she meets a variety of landscapes and fights several threats. Penthesilea eventually meets several African Amazons. A choir of ladies welcomes her with a song full of hope and stories, ushering in a new chapter in her exile journey. This farewell song for our main character and listeners includes the talents of. Roshan Bansuri, Hend Zouari Qanûn and Dayan Korolic, Ophélie Joh, Janice Leca Julieta, and Mathilde Rossignol. The song represents a new beginning for the character and says goodbye to listeners on a hopeful note

This album follows the story of Penthesilea, a young Amazonian destined for warriorhood during the Trojan War. Her journey strikes a difficult balance between cultural expectations and personal goals, progressing from warrior training to confronting adulthood’s challenges. The narrative strands, like mycorrhizae, connect the East, West, and South, providing vigor and inspiration for Penthesilea’s emancipation. This narrative depicts the universal desire for identity and meaning. On each track, the instrumentation is in perfect Harmony and none of the instruments overshadow one another. Each song gives listeners a front-row seat into our brave heroine’s story making us feel whatever she felt at every point of the story. Moonshine has a perfect lyricism that weaves a beautiful story that listeners can follow and one that has tragedies but ends in a good way. The band is amazing at what they do and they are going to storm the music industry

Stream the “Penthesileia” album on Spotify

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