MARIANNE SEGAL FEATURING CIRCULUS – The Gathering (2026, LP, Fruits de Mer Records) 

RELEASE INFO:

Label: Fruits de Mer Records

Format: LP, Album, Limited Edition, Green Vinyl, 300 copies

Release Date: Late Sep 2026

Some albums belong so unmistakably to another time that hearing them today feels almost like opening a forgotten door. “The Gathering”, credited to Marianne Segal featuring Circulus, is one such record – an album steeped in the strange, pastoral and quietly psychedelic spirit of early-70s British progressive folk-rock, yet carrying its own sense of time and place.

Marianne Segal was at the heart of Jade’s story: a distinctive voice, a songwriter of considerable grace and a musician whose career never quite followed the trajectory her talent might have suggested. More than five decades after Jade’s “Fly On Strangewings”, she returns not by attempting to recreate a lost era, but by reopening its door. Surrounded by members of Circulus and an intriguing cast of fellow travellers – including Root Cartwright of Principal Edwards Magic Theatre and Bill Steer of Firebird and Napalm Death—Segal reconnects with the pastoral, mystical and slightly wayward spirit of British folk-rock, allowing it to breathe in the present rather than simply embalming it in nostalgia.

Originally issued in a much earlier form on CD (2007, Snow Beach Records), “The Gathering” has now been remixed, remastered and expanded for its new incarnation on Fruits de Mer Records. And perhaps that is the most fitting way to approach it: not as an archaeological artefact, but as a long-delayed continuation of a musical conversation that began in the underground half a century ago—and, somehow, never really ended.

There are 6 tracks on the first side and 5 on the second of the LP. “September Song” opens the album on a bright, happy folkie note, semi-acoustic and carrying a strong Medieval flavour, as if an old pastoral melody has somehow wandered into a modern folk record. “Little Lucy Vignette 3” follows as a brief, serene acoustic-guitar interlude, offering a moment of calm before “Lapis Wings” returns to the same beautiful folk scenery. Here, Marianne’s velvet-sweet and wonderfully mature voice takes centre stage, delivering a gentle folk ballad with a distinctly traditional British Folk touch, full of warmth and elegance. “Little Lucy Vignette 2” is another tiny acoustic interlude, almost a musical breath between two larger pieces, before “Circle Round The Sun” introduces a slightly more adventurous atmosphere. Built around a cool acoustic folk environment, a mid-tempo groove, jazzy touches and a funky bassline, the track gradually opens its wings and, somewhere in the middle, dives straight into the sweet early-to-mid-70s world of Progressive Rock. The result is a wonderful Proggy-Folk hybrid and certainly one of the album’s highlights. “Saints On Tapestry” slows everything down again, beginning as a serene acoustic, Medieval-flirting piece before revealing increasingly sophisticated arrangements and an exceptional vocal phrasing that somehow follows the emotional path of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock”. But this is only the beginning, as the song soon transforms into another brilliant Folk-Proggy excursion, crowned by a remarkable flute presence. Another definite highlight.

With “Root People” (opening side B), the scenery changes dramatically: a steady rhythm and persistent beat introduce a much stronger Progressive influence, while the song develops a characteristic sound that is difficult to put into words — groovy, fascinating and wonderfully elusive. There is a clear Jazz-Rock flirtation here, especially through the hot, melting electric guitar, while a brief Proggy-Psych passage appears in the middle before the track returns to its eerie atmosphere, surrounded by subtle sound effects and another wondrous flute performance. Yet another highlight. “Kicking Up The Sands Of Time” brings us back to ballad territory, with a beautiful, sweet melody and wonderful vocals creating an intimate and emotionally warm moment. “Sussex Downs” follows with a quintessentially Folkie balladesque character, walking in the footsteps of the great British folk troubadours of the early 70s. There is something deeply autobiographical and nostalgic about it, a song that seems to carry memories of places, landscapes and moments, effortlessly making you feel as though you are standing somewhere out in nature, far away from everything. “Little Lucy Vignette 4” offers one last tiny interlude before the album reaches its final destination with “Dreamers”. Beginning as a serene folk landscape with an almost fairytale quality, the song gradually develops and blossoms into a beautiful Proggy ballad, bringing together the album’s two essential worlds — the earthy warmth of Folk and the adventurous spirit of Progressive Rock — in a gentle and fitting finale.

Ultimately, this is an album full of ancient-sounding melodies, acoustic guitars, mature vocals, flute, jazzy grooves and occasional psychedelic/proggy excursions, creating a wonderfully organic atmosphere that feels both timeless and deeply personal. There is nostalgia here, but never stagnation; tradition, but also curiosity and adventure. A beautiful, warm and quietly progressive journey — the kind of record that reveals more of its magic every time you return to it. TimeLord Michalis 

Tracklist

Links

Get it via FRUITS DE MER RECORDS Web

Check MARIANNE SEGAL & JADE Bandcamp

Visit MARIANNE SEGAL & JADE Official Web