09 February 2006

Sébastien Roux - Songs - 12k - CD












Without a shadow of doubt, 12k continues to lead the field in the world of minimalistic Electronica. With beautiful artwork, exemplary music and immaculate overall presentation, you know you're getting the finest every time you excitedly open one of their releases.

The 36th releases comes from the mind and equipment of Sébastien Roux and a band of players including Stéphane Garry, Laurent Vaissiere and Leonzio Cherubini, who provide the original instrumentation that Roux has then manipulated and processed.

'Songs' is comprised of 7 tracks that each have a unique feeling. They take the form of an instrument (or in some cases two or three) that provide the basis for the work and have then been rearranged, reconstructed and generally tinkered with until they take on an entirely new guise. So, for example, 'The Prepared Piano Song' does, indeed, feature a piano, but this is combined with various other sound sources, both organic and electronic, to form an engaging variation on the theme. Other instruments include cello, piano, harp, Metallophone, electric guitar and drums and that's what gives the CD such variety.

The real beauty of this album is the simplicity with which it actually works. The idea of 'songs' is turned upside down yet, strangely, some of the pieces do retain an almost traditional element to them and you can clearly hear Roux's Folk, Pop, Electronica, and Musique Concrete influences throughout.

Whether you're treated to skittering, high-frequency sounds, barely-there natural sounding recordings and chaotic rushes of white noise, or simply a lovingly played guitar or piano riff, there's a lovely coherence to the sounds that's at once lively, yet extremely soothing. You'll find yourself jumping a little when he hits you with one of those moments of extreme noise but they never last for long and, as ever with this form of music, it punctuates the work beautifully and adds a clearly defined sense of form and space.

The arrangements work on a very 'free' level and, although it borders on abstract a fair amount of the time, there's still a lovely flow to the work which keeps you engaged from the very beginning right to the end.

Ambient, dreamy, challenging, noisy and beguiling - these are all words that amply describe this album and as is always the case with both the label and the artist you should seek out and enjoy this wonderful piece of work.

A remarkable voyage.

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