Inspired by Western African music past and present, From the Horizon is dÉbruit's debut full length album.
It combines tribal field recordings, samples from VHS tapes and albums to create a contemporary interpretation of African rhythms on synthesizers and drum machines.
This is the most ambitious project to date of a French DJ/producer/musician (real name Xavier Thomas) who has previously only released a series of EPs.
His earlier global explorations have taken him on a musical journey to Turkey and the Middle East (Sis Sürpriz), West, North and Saharan Africa (Spatio Temporel) and the West Coasts of Britannic France and America (Let's Post Funk).
From the Horizon's artwork is inspired by surrealist René Magritte's painting The False Mirror. Magritte once said that "To be a surrealist means barring from your mind what has been seen - to make what has never been" and dÉbruit felt that this quote encapsulated what he is trying to do with his own music; formulating a new language influenced by space and time and "creating a groove that a machine isn't meant to have".
Cuivrée was the first completed piece and, with its chopped vocals, sampled African horns and a deep bass groove dÉbruit has said that it is a key track to understanding what the album sets out to achieve.
Like any new language, it sounds strange and at times impenetrable on first hearing. It takes some patience to understood what he's setting out to do and it is reassuring to learn that this was the result of a three year immersion in sound and culture rather than a superficial plundering of African albums.
|
The cut and paste methodology is strongly tied to a hip hop aesthetic (think DJ Shadow) and while he takes some enormous liberties you never get the feeling that he is being disrespectful to the source material.
A good example is on the vocal cut-ups on the track Réve Du Niger which creates a unique dynamic that is not unlike something minimalist composer Steve Reich might have come up with.
Some of the wonky synths (particularly on Mega Wagna), funky beats and the occasional use of vocoder effects grate on my ears but the insistent drum rhythms and traditional vocals usually pull things back on course.
The inclusion of tracks with titles like Afro Booty Musique and The Day I Lost My Funk are an indication that one ear is always trained to what will work on the dance floor.
From The Horizon is a challenging album but what initially sounds odd and disjointed pays dividends after a few repeat plays.
dÉbruit's website
|
