Av'nir -

Av’nir was a Québécois space-rock band that released two albums on Trans-World International in 1976.

Members: Jacques Rochon (guitar, vocals), Yves Lauzon (guitar), Richard Boisvert (bass, keyboards), Daniel L’Écuyer (drums)

Inception

Av’nir formed circa 1975 when guitarists Jacques Rochon and Yves Lauzon teamed with bassist/keyboardist Richard Boisvert and drummer Daniel L’Écuyer. They signed with Trans-World International, a recenlty launched Trans-World subsidiary with Dionysos and Octobre.

Av’nir

Av’nir released their self-titled debut album in March 1976 on Trans-World International.

The album presents the Montreal quartet’s hybrid of post-psychedelic hard rock and mild progressive stylings. Guitarists Jacques Rochon and Yves Lauzon trade acoustic and electric leads across songs that alternate between riff-driven energy and reflective, folk-tinged passages. Their sound, grounded by Richard Boisvert’s supple bass and organ textures and Daniel L’Écuyer’s measured percussion, situates Av’nir between Quebec’s chanson-rock tradition and North American classic rock contemporaries.

Rochon wrote four of the album’s ten tracks and co-wrote “Solitaire” with lyricist Clément Desrosiers, who also contributed words to three other songs. Boisvert wrote or co-wrote three additional numbers, while Lauzon collaborated on several with both Rochon and Desrosiers. The songs “Un Jour” and “Un Air Inconnu” appeared as singles, the former backed with “Le Goût d’Aimer,” the latter paired with “Solitaire.”

The album alternates concise pop structures with exploratory arrangements. “Le Goût d’Aimer” opens with radiant harmonies and a buoyant guitar riff. “Les Nuages Électriques” layers synthesizer accents over martial percussion, while “Le Malentendu” evolves from straightforward rock into a darker instrumental section marked by interlocking fuzz guitars. “Un Air Inconnu” offers an accessible folk-rock theme, and “Rien n’a Changé” delivers the record’s most direct rock intensity. The closing “Solitaire” slows the pace with acoustic passages and faint Celtic overtones.

A1. “Le Goût d’Aimer” [The Taste of Loving] (2:26)
A2. “Les Nouveaux Invités” [The New Guests] (3:43)
A3. “S’Arranger Pour Que Ça Arrive” [Arrange for It to Happen] (2:27)
A4. “Les Nuages Électriques” [Electric Clouds] (4:17)
A5. “Le Malentendu” [The Misunderstanding] (7:05)

B1. “Un Air Inconnu” [An Unknown Tune] (3:18)
B2. “Les Commissaires” [The Commissioners] (2:49)
B3. “Rien n’a Changé” [Nothing Has Changed] (3:01)
B4. “Un Jour” [One Day] (4:29)
B5. “Solitaire” (4:50)

Sessions occurred from August 13–28, 1975, with producer Gilles Valiquette and engineer Quentin Meek, who had recently worked with Contraction, Octobre, Pierre Nadeau, and the Ville Émard Blues Band.

The album features a cover illustration by Michael Eagan and photography by François Breton. Costumes were designed by Malabar.

Trans-World promoted Av’nir with the single “Un Jour” (b/w “Le Goût d’Aimer”), followed by “Solitaire” (b/w “Un Air Inconnu”).

Declic

Av’nir released their second album, Declic, in November 1976 on on Trans-World International.

The album expands on the band’s debut with a denser, more progressive sound marked by longer tracks, layered synthesizers, and intricate dual-guitar arrangements. Av’nir blend assertive rock tempos with atmospheric passages, giving Déclic a sharper contrast between its lyrical and instrumental sections.

Singer–guitarists Jacques Rochon and Yves Lauzon, bassist–keyboardist Richard Boisvert, and drummer Daniel L’Écuyer reprise their roles from the debut. Boisvert and Lauzon share the bulk of compositional duties, with lyricist Clément Desrosiers contributing to multiple tracks.

Across its eight titles, Déclic alternates between compact vocal numbers and extended pieces with instrumental interplay. “Vengeance” and “La Terre Tourne Toujours / Ce Jour-Là (Conclusion)” feature elongated structures with shifting rhythmic patterns and expansive synth textures. “Renaissance” and “Mirage” maintain a steadier rock pulse, while “Déjà Trop Loin” and “Ce Jour-Là” pair tight guitar phrasings with reflective vocals.

A1. “Déclic” [Click] (3:37)
A2. “Vengeance” (7:46)
A3. “Déjà Trop Loin” [Already Too Far] (3:19)
A4. “Ce Jour-Là” [That Day] (2:06)

B1. “Renaissance” (3:50)
B2. “Mirage” (4:03)
B3. “Quand Tu Sors” [When You Go Out] (3:13)
B4. “La Terre Tourne Toujours / Ce Jour-Là (Conclusion)” [The Earth Still Turns / That Day (Conclusion)] (7:00)

Sessions occurred between April and October 1976 with producer Gilles Valiquette and engineer Quentin Meek, who also handled contemporaneous projects by Contraction and Octobre.

Déclic features cover photography by Daniel Poulin, depicting Av’nir on a dimly lit studio stage illuminated by colored back-lighting. Poulin’s distinct visual style also appears on albums by Aut’chose, Fernand Lapierre, Jean Narrache, La Pouls, Pagliaro, and the Canadian children’s television character Patof, a clown portrayed by actor-comedian Jacques Desrosiers.

Discography: