For those of you old enough to remember the seminal French cold-wave band Clair Obscur, this album relates. From Cocoon’s Bandcamp site: “Cocoon is Christophe Demarthe’s project. It continues Clair Obscur’s attempt to shift the frameworks of performance and reception, using the means of electronic music, video and performance.”
France
Brume – Reality Is Not Enough
I am proud to say I have been a fan of Brume, Christian Renou‘s nom-de-guerre, for well over 30 years now. He was one of the first experimental musicians who captured my ears, and through all the formats he ever published (including DAT, which I would love to see made Continue Reading
Steve Beresford – Dancing the Lines – Gatefold sleeve and 2p Insert (Black Vinyl)
Our friends at Wewantsounds have dug deep for this one, and of course, they have found gold. This album, available from the label as a vinyl-only release, sits in a strange apex of electronic music, soul, pop, jazz and the avant-garde, which is the first genre I would have associated Continue Reading
Thierry Zaboitzeff – LUVOS migrations – EP
Legendary former Art Zoyd composer and multi-instrumentalist Thierry Zaboitzeff has a new EP. From his Bandcamp site: “LUVOS migrations is the original soundtrack of the dance film by Editta Braun and Menie Weissbacher, AT 2022. Vision of the future or images from a parallel universe? In breathtaking natural sceneries, automated Continue Reading
Musala nan Eilan – Glossolalia
This is a charmingly freakish album from the French band Musala nan Eilan which has the audacity to combine post-rock with Celtic music, among other genres. From the band’s Bandcamp site: “Five musicians who don’t know each other, coming from different musical worlds, finding themselves under the same roof for Continue Reading
Hugo Əspirito Santo – Debris
Hugo Əspirito Santo is a Portuguese composer based in France who manages to tie together a cold, ominous synth sound with lo-fi techno beats. Disturbing, but quite a good listen.
RKS Trio – Live at Bab-Ilo
Thanks to the ever-consistent Muteant Records for bringing this album to my attention! I’m familiar with both Michel Kristof and Makoto Sato’s work, as both as masters in the improv world, but Quentin Rollet is a new name for me. His sax playing and sound manipulation are expertly underpinned by Continue Reading
Brotha Lok – True Lai : Flèches contre Balles
Brotha Lok is a French producer and DJ of Vietnamese extraction, and he has produced a wild album with no solid focus, but it listens are more of a travelog. Bits of hip-hop, ethnographic recordings, field recording, spoken interludes (including a bit of laughter here and there) are brought together Continue Reading
Brume + Mykel Boyd – Ectophilis
Mykel Boyd is one of the leading lights in experimental music and drone, and has done so much to promote the genre that it is (pleasantly) hard to keep track of his releases. He is paired with Brume (the working name of French composer and long-time contact Christian Renou) who Continue Reading
Deena Abdelwahed – Jbal Rrsas (جبل الرصاص)
Deena Abdelwahed is an artist and DJ who hails from Tunisia and cut her chops in the music in the capital of Tunis before relocating to Paris, France. Her sound is brutal, slow, mixing a nearly tribal Industrial sound with authentic music from her homeland. Brutiful, if I can beg Continue Reading