Delirium @ Sportpaleis

When the idea of a show centered upon Cirque du Soleil music came to Guy Laliberté, he immediately thought 'urban tribal beat'. Those three words have inspired each member of the creative team. 'Urban' reflects the society in which we live: modern, chaotic and ever-evolving. 'Tribal' constitutes the idea of coming together, the hope of escaping one's solitary cocoon and living a powerful collective experience. 'Beat' is sound and movement, the incessant rhythm that unites space, individual and society. As musical director, producer and arranger of DELIRIUM, Francis Collard's principle challenge was to bring a fresh perspective to these 20 Cirque du Soleil hits. In his words, he 'sought to explore elements of surprise in Cirque du Soleil music, to highlight the lyrical and melodic intrigue within the music.' The result is a mix of percussive driven pop and electronic music meet melodious ballad and world rhythm sounds. It is precisely this diverse stream of influences that distinguishes the music of DELIRIUM from Cirque du Soleil's double album Solarium/Delirium. Solarium is an ambient remix of relaxing sounds in contrast to Delirium, which is a more percussive and dance oriented CD. The music in the DELIRIUM tour is decisively narrative in nature, with highly dramatic variations that flow in perfect sync with the event's visual elements.