Neuronium is a Spanish electronic music group created by Michel Huygen in 1976. The official biography claims Quasar 2C361 to be the first cosmic music album recorded in Spain. Over 40 albums have been released by the Neuronium/Michel Huygen label.
History
Neuronium was founded in 1976. For a brief time after its founding Neuronium was a quintet consisted of a percussionist, bassist, guitarist and two synthetists. The band played psychedelic rock. Later both synthesists and the guitarist decided to perform music in different style and recorded album Quasar 2C361. It was released by the label EMI-Harvest in Spain in 1977. Neuronium's second album Vuelo Químico was inspired by the lyrics of Edgar Allan Poe. Singer Nico recorded vocal parts of the title track. Album was released in 1978. After that Albert Giménez left the band. In 1980 Neuronium released album "Digital Dream" with the participance of guitarist Santi Picó on their own labelNeuronium Records. Musician and producer Klaus Schulze made a remix of the album free of charge, but Neuronium chose to release their own mix of the album because of the legal restraints. Neuronium collaborated with Vangelis in 1981. Edited recording of their performance on the Spanish television programme "Musical Express" was released under the titles In London in 1992, Separate Affair in 1996, and In London in 2002. "The Visitor" and "Chromium Echoes" were the last albums recorded with Carlos Guirao. At the same time as those two albums were released, solo albums by Michel Huygen and Carlos Guirao were published. Thereafter Michel Huygen became the only constant member of Neuronium, with occasional collaborations of guitarist Santi Picó. From that time distinction between solo music by Michel Huygen and Neuronium music became formal. The concept of Neuronium music included visual side. The Spanish artist Tomás C. Gilsanz created cover art for the albums of the band and the pictures that were projected on the back of the stage during live performances of Neuronium. Sometimes Tomás C. Gilsanz was mentioned as non-musical part of Neuronium project In May 1986 Michel Huygen was inaugurated by Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain as the person in charge of the department of electronic music of the Centre of Art Queen Sofía of Madrid. Albums such as "Sybaris", "Hydro", "Azizi", "Sensorial", "Exosomnia" were the milestones of later Neuronium/Huygen production. Album "Hydro" became the best-seller of Huygen's music. More than 150,000 copies were sold worldwide. By 2001 a million copies of Michel Huygen's various records had been sold. Neuronium Records was created in 2002 as the personal label of Michel Huygen, on which works from other artists, like Suzanne Ciani, Constance Demby, Pascal Languirand, Jonn Serrie, Nadia Sohaei and The Lab, were released. In some sources, including CD booklets, Neuronium's music is referred to as psychotronic, which purpose is to reach a state of harmony between the body and soul. From a more formal perspective, music by Neuronium covers several electronic music styles, including new-age, ambient, space music, progressive electronic music.
Discography
Albums
: Quasar 2C361
: Vuelo Quimico
: Digital Dream remastered as The New Digital Dream, with new cover
: The Visitor remastered as The New Visitor, with new cover
