Francois Robin & Mathias Delplanque - L'Ombre De La Bete [A La Zim! / Parentheses Records]

Released on July 1st, 2k22 as a collaboration effort of both labels A La Zim! and Parentheses Records is "L'Ombre De La Bete", the latest six tracks and approx. 40 minutes spanning album created and conceived by Francois Robin and Mathias Delplanque which is, once again in Robin's career, an attempt and exploration in electroacoustic treatments of his instrument of choice, the veuze, which is a local French variation of a bagpipe specific to the Nantes area. With this bagpipe variation playing the main part in this album alongside instruments like the Armenian doudouk and others we're facing a spine-tingling, almost oriental and DesertBlues-infused combination of brooding Dark Ambient drones and acoustic melodies in the opening tune "Sous De Cuir" whereas the subsequent "Perdu" pairs dry, sizzling layers of Industrial Electronica beats with multiple echoing layers of plucked and strummed strings to a well doomed high noon effect for dystopian dancefloors before "Dans L'Ombre" brings forth hypnotic, yet stripped down and extended Future Tribal x Dub variations that might be well suitable for polyrhythmic DJ sets as well as for, once again, dystopian movie scores. Furthermore "Le Puits" fuses Ambient and what could be described as yearning World Music for the lack of a better term in a beautifully comforting way that makes this one well suitable for both balearic sunset sessions as well as venues like the Parisian Buddha Bar, "L'Homme A Tete De Cheval" builds a trance-inducing vibe from warped synth movements and ever meandering, cascading harmonic layers drawing every punters brain into an alternate dreamscape of sorts whereas the final cut that is "Fin De Regne" drifts off into dreamlike Downtempo / World x TripHop crossover realms for a closing. A well varied, well fascinating album this is. Go check!

Album artwork on Instagram!