Christopher Chaplin - Je Suis Le Tenebreux [Fabrique Records 058]

Scheduled via the Vienna-based label Fabrique Records for October 21st, 2k16 is "Je Suis Le Tenebreux", the first solo album effort by the British composer Chistopher Chaplin who has performed with renowned acts like Hans-Joachim Roedelius, who is - alongside his wife Christine Martha Roedelius - also featured on this album, and other likeminded artists throughout the past years. Inspired by latin verses engraved into an old tombstone found in Bologna the four tracks of the album take us on an intense journey into scenic, theatrical darkness in which the romanticisms of string instruments meet citations of Spoken Word and minnesong resembling vocalisms which are combined with eerie, unsettling electronic atmospheres in "Lucius Agatho", even met by short sequences of hot, yet abstract Jazz Noir'esque Tango-isms and scattered pianos in the albums title track "Je Suis Le Tenebreux" which, in terms of the use of the female voice, evokes memories of several audio play works released on the German Major Label imprint. Furthermore "Aelia Laelia" provides a more lighthearted feel but still manages to keep an irritating, thrilling off kilter twist to its score'esque slightly medieval attitude partly buried by evident layers of static noise whilst "The Enigma (Reprise)" intensifies the unique musical arrangement and direction of this very special as well as highly recommended longplay piece due to the use of growling bass frequencies, ritual kettledrums and modular synthesis alongside ever repetetive vocal samples which are partly dissolving into glitched copies of copies of themselves. Captivating, this is.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Album teaser video here!