Ben Bertrand - Manes [Stroom / Les Albums Claus]

Put on the circuit as a collaborative effort between the two labels Stroom and Les Albums Claus on March 17th, 2k20 is "Manes",  the new album outing created by Belgium-based clarinet player and composer Ben Bertrand who is fusing his instrument of choice with electronic textures over the course of roughly 32 minutes on this one, opening with "Morton And György In The Battista Mist" which provides a journey into Ambient / Deep Listening Music realms with its steady low end leaning pulses and tender crackles accompanied by masterly crafted and layered harmonies followed by "Those Behind Us That We Follow" which fully immerses the listener in warm, comforting and somewhat Future Jazz-infused melancholia. With "Incantation 3" Bertrand introduces a sequence of melodic, uplifting computational bleeps to his touching, emotional Future Jazz approach which is even touching base with Jazz Noir whilst the "Delayed Monologue" provides an interplay of complex, punctuated clarinet tones and vibrant, intertwined electronic textures before the concluding cut dubbed "The Manmaipo" even adds some previously unheard, ethereal, female non-vocalisms to the albums sonic spectrum. Essential.

Album artwork on Instagram!