Comes Julien Locquet, alias Dorine Muraille. A twenty-five year old Frenchman who currently lives in Cherbourg. Already responsible for an album for Artefact and a series of 12” for a handful of other labels under the :Gel moniker, Locquet teams up with Chloe Delaume, a young poetess who was almost completely unknown until very recently, but who’s second novel, Le Cri Du Sablier (The Hourglass’s Scream) has become a huge success in France after being awarded one of the most prestigious literary prizes, to produce one of the most daring records to come out of France in recent years. Close to the bare sonic experimentations of Fennesz or Oval, Locquet distil the popular musical tradition of his native country with English folk elements before perverting the lot by conscientiously cutting it apart. Based on acoustic instrumentations (d
ouble bass, piano and guitars), the sonic structure is then processed through a variety of computer software before finally being put back together. The addition of Chloe Delaume disconcertingly abstract poetry and versatile voice gives this project a fascinating twist. The treatment she applies to her words is somewhat similar to the process used by Locquet, and makes the simple notion of understanding the ‘lyrics’ completely redundant. Her remarkable diatribe becomes part of the sonic landscape sculpted by Locquet, simply highlighting the human touch that serves this astonishingly beautiful record. Only the serious reworking of Brigitte Bardot’s classic La Madrague seems to show some kind of connection with the real world. The rest of the album lingers in a state of semi-consciousness, shaping phantasmagorias and creating sonic mirages with fucked up structures and virtually no recognisable beat.
Far from the filtered radio-friendly disco that has become emblematic of the French electronic scene, Julien Locquet creates an exhilarating record, rivalling in complexity with the work of the most forward thinking musicians in this world. With Chloe Delaume adding her tasteful creations and vocalise, Mani is a hell of a poetic record.
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