Pulsar

Pulsar are a French progressive rock group from Lyon, active since 1974. Their music is associated with progressive rock and symphonic prog, and they are also identified with space rock.

Early releases

On their debut album Pollen, the band is promoted in some circles as the French equivalent of Pink Floyd, although their sound is more distinctive than that comparison suggests. The record makes notable use of flute and electronics, giving it a strongly French character.

Key albums

The group’s third album, Halloween, appears in 1977 and is a conceptual symphonic work with horror-rock elements. It is widely regarded as one of the major albums of the symphonic rock genre. Their album The Strands of the Future also stands out for its spacious, symphonic progressive style. It includes a 26-minute largely instrumental title track and features prominent mellotron passages.

Style and personnel

Pulsar’s line-up includes Philippe Roman, Victor Bosch, Gilbert Gandil, Roland Richard, Jacques Roman, Michel Masson and Louis Paralis. Their recordings are described as combining spacey atmosphere with symphonic arrangement, drawing comparisons with Pink Floyd, Genesis and early Eloy, while remaining distinct in tone.