Up to this point, Femur has been exploring the raw side of the machines. Cold Colors breaks that pattern with Le Part De L’ombre, the industrial gleam being replaced with a synth sheen. Here the focus is on pulsing rhythms and compelling compositions, compositions that allow a more human element to come to the fore.
Pulsing rhythms and compelling compositions
It’s been just over a year since Femur Records put out a 12”. A dizzying amount has happened in the world over that twelve months with the Madrid label understandably shelving what had been quite a heavy release schedule. Renewed after this hiatus, the Spanish imprint returns with not only a new EP but also a new addition to the roster.
Frédérick Barbe has released on Lux Rec, Nocta Numerica and Orácula and performed live at Femur five years ago under his Cold Colors nom de plume. Now the Bordeaux artist is returning to Madrid, this time to the label with his first vinyl release in three years: Le Part De L’ombre.
The record comes to life with “Memories on a Screen.” Crisp drum patterns snap, kicks giving ballast as a sweet yet somber synth-line descends. The track is uplifting and wistful in the same breath, Barbe striking an enviable balance; a balance that the Frenchman expertly achieves throughout the entire quartet. In spite of the heaviness of the title, “Mon Ame Perdue,” the second offering is brimming with joy. Clean beats parallel a meandering melody, melancholia melting to elation as the piece unfurls. An eclipse takes place on the flip with the solemn and stark “After Dark.” The longest track on the 12”, this is a sober, shadow-filled work with a sharpened electro edge. The brightest of the record, “Eleven,” closes. Warm basslines and cascading chords cut with incising snares, the evening sun entering as the needle runs out.
Up to this point, Femur has been exploring the raw side of the machines. Cold Colors breaks that pattern with Le Part De L’ombre, the industrial gleam being replaced with a synth sheen. Here the focus is on pulsing rhythms and compelling compositions, compositions that allow a more human element to come to the fore.
Le Part De L’ombre is available on Femur. [Bandcamp]
