Clad

Clad declares; “I made the compilation only with instinct, without too much reflection. All of the tracks are really different in style but linked by this same idea and endeavour to go beyond the limits of musical genres”.

Featuring E-Unity, Kevin Murf, C.Coiffure, NRLSD, Doline, MISH, Lastrack, Théo Muller, Solotape, Realitycheck, EXCPT and Troy Gunner, the record establishes a tweaked-out relationship with improvisational sound-design from the outset and throughout. Themes of hypnotism and experimental club-focused excursions are entrenched within the framework, with deadly blows of percussion, and stereo-imaging coexisting in a gorgeous realm of love-injected artistic expression. A lot of music in the current climate can seem to be executed by overthinking and overpolishing. However, ‘Improvisations’ turns this on its head, providing a beautifully human feel across twelve, unique excerpts.

To start peacefully this selection I couldn’t forget this amazing track from Portland legendary ambient duo Visible Cloaks on their album Reassemblage. I’m really into ambient music since a few years and the three Covid-19 quarantines in France were the best moment to listen to it, especially this kind of masterpiece. This is the intro of the album and like the rest of it, it’s not a classic vision of ambient music, it propose a lot of textures and melodies and innovation is what the genre deserves.

I chose this track from the debut album by Le Peuple de l’Herbe, a french band from Lyon but it could be another one because this album is amazing and has been one of the most important of my youth. It alway reminds me my family, my parents and cousins where a lot into music and specifically into new kind of music like electronic. This song is probably one of the best from the album and probably my very first slap by an indefinable genre, I completely fell in love with it, it’s full of samples with an hip-hop mood and it turns into Jungle in the end, crazy.

As I said just before my family has always been into music and my dad is a computer scientist since the 80’s, he was in front lines during the explosion of internet and its free music sharing websites where you can donate what you want as on Bandcamp today. He downloaded a lot of free and unknown electronic music to listen in his car, were I developed my taste for IDM and abstract electronic sounds. Theodor Zox was (and is still) one of these unknown artist, creating grooves with minimalist sounds, with hindsight I think this track is very close to the minimal house spirit. When the bass arrives, the groove still works on me.

The track is representative of what ClekClekBoom brought in France as the label was really into post-dubstep and uk-bass styles. A timeless track, perfectly designed for clubs. Every sounds at the intro give me goosebump and the clap particularly. It sums up what « going forward » in electronic music means to me, to push the limits and make unexpected associations. The label brought this vision in France and was a real UFO at that time ahah. But it was totally what was missing in the french electronic scene for me who was really into this post-dubstep era.

We talked about UFO just before… so what can I say with this track! Shed made a sort of post-dub techno track which deserve so much respect. Maybe a good opening track for a party on Mars!

Two genius on the same track, you can’t be disappointed by this one. Burnt Friedman is a legend who is always in the research of sounds. He founded Flanger with Atom™, and together they made crazy things between jazz, electronica, IDM and dub. He also produced a lot of music in solo, mixing his sounds with some organic instruments and textures. He has its fascinating ryhthm ideas and this track with Iranian boss of daf drum Mortazavi is the perfect mix between organic percussions and electronic sounds leading you into a big trance.

Norm Talley is really versatile producer, switching from sunny house music to hypnotizing techno so easily, he’s always impressive. Here one of my favorite tracks from him on his techno side, a perfect loop of 10min, nothing more needed. The track change completely its loop in the middle, just keeping the bass and the rhythm and proposing another perfect loop to keep you dancing forever. Mesmerizing. It’s always in my pocket for a set, just to be safe in every situation.

Boddika and Jon Convex made a game changer album in 2011 with Resolution 653 after a lot of great EPs, you can find one of my all time fav track into it. It has a nice pop side with the voice melody, reminding me the Chemical Brothers catchy side of their music. Each time it gives me a big smile and a furious desire to dance on a dancefloor, a completely liberating track.

Huge respect for Surgeon who’s there since a long time and still creating amazing stuffs. I’m a big fan of this track which is maybe one of his best. The sounds become more and more extreme, destroying everyone on its way. A dancefloor killer, representing what to achieve in the production of techno.

Well Street Records is probably the most exiting label in electronic music of the past few years in my opinion. I could choose every track from every release but I chose this one from Loop LF on the first release of the label which represent their sound well. It’s mix of Ian Jelinek’s minimal and jazzy mood, UK sounds like dubstep and dub techno aspects, in one word : forward-thinking. Really inspiring.

A real hit to finish this selection, I’m a big fan of Talking Heads since many years. They sum up what « to be in advance » is. They mixed different kind of sounds in their tracks, african rhythms, electronic instruments, so their music is completely out of limits and timeless. I’m pretty sure famous bands like LCD Soundsystem were inspired a lot by them, I heard the same feeling of total freedom.