Denis Frajerman - Rivieres De La Nuit [Douzieme Lune]

Put on the circuit as cat.no. 001 of the new label Douzieme Lune is "Rivieres De La Nuit", the most recent album by Denis Frajerman who has been active as a solo producer since 1995 and left his mark on the scene as a member of groups like Palo Alto or Le Chiendent as well. With his latest album the French artist, alongside an army of guest musicians, kinda leaves his experimental roots behind and feasts in a deep, and obviously red wine-infused, rainy afternoon melancholia, starting with the 8+ minutes Jazz Noir / Pop Noir piece "The Lifts" with its beautiful vocals and folksy, hand-picked guitars meandering through the stereo field whilst the title track provides an exotic yet hypnotic, slightly Krautrock-influenced traction and "Noverem" pairs Exotica, Latin elements and Opera-influenced vocal exercises to a unique and thrilling effect. With "Cello Solo" we find a darkish, approx. 2 minutes long skit which is exactly what its title promises, "Lambeaux De Ciel" comes across as a vernal, innocent and pure take on what modernist, instrumental Folk can be these days whilst "La Poupee De Fil Doree" is a multilayered exercise in ever repeating motifs in Jazz and "Requiem For Elja" brings on a somehow Future Jazz-related, dancey feel whilst introducing both widescreen panorama arrangements and Spoken Word poetry to the listener. The nearly eleven minutes spanning "Une Aurore De Lune" evokes, without being Rock-related at all, memories of a beloved Rock classic whose name escapes us right now and the final cut "Glassnost" provides quite a bit of (Neo)Classical drama and sonic expressionism for those who know. Defo one of a kind, this album is.

Album artwork on Instagram!